Introduction

 

This trade paperback contains the first four issues of X-O Manowar.

 

Cover Artists credited: Bob Layton, Tom Ryder 

X-O Manowar Volume 1: 1992 - 1996
In this early 90s comic book series, we meet Aric, a fourth century Visigoth who is snatched from his native Dacia by aliens. On their spaceship, he finds a suit of armor, which he uses to destroy their ship and return to Earth. Although he has spent only a few days on their ship, their travel at high relativistic speeds has caused time dilation. Thus, he returns to Earth in the 1990s, to find the world greatly changed. No longer does he battle the forces of the Roman Empire. Now his struggle throughout the series will be to defend Earth from the aliens and other, more human dangers, while coming to grips with the modern world. 

This series started with writers like Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, and Steve Engelhart. After a series of writers oversaw the series followed, colorist Jorge Gonzalez took over the writing for a few years. Then, after the Birthquake crossover, Ron Marz and other writers took over, and carried the series to its completion. 

X-O Manowar Volume 2: 1997 - 1998 
Once Aric started defending the Earth against Spider-Aliens, bionosaurs, and Human threats like power-hungry psiots and aggressive corporations, it wasn't long until the U.S. military took notice. While Aric fought off attempts to take his armor away in Volume 1, in this second series, published under the Acclaim banner, the U.S. government has taken possession of the sentient armor. Unfortunately for the generals, when it comes time for their chosen candidate to put it on, and do their bidding, the alien armor has other ideas.

X-O Manowar Volume 3: 2012 - 2016
The rebirth of Valiant, as Valiant Entertainment, brought X-O Manowar back as one of their first ongoing series. In these stories, written by Robert Venditti, Aric returns to Earth in the present day, and finds Earth infested with an alien race called the Vine. Aric combats this alien threat, both on Earth and in space, and works to create a homeland for descendants of his Visigoth peoples.

Unity Volume 2: 2013 - 2015
The original Unity series was a 90s crossover event that involved X-O Manowar, and two early issues of the series whisk Aric off to battle bionosaurs and tribes of primitive warriors in a world taken out of time. This second Unity series was an ongoing monthly team book. Started by writer Matt Kindt, many other heroes aid Aric against terrestrial and extraterrestial dangers, including Ninjak, Livewire, and Gilad, the Eternal Warrior.

X-O Manowar Volume 4: 2017 - 2019
All this battling takes a toll on Aric. In this fourth series, written by Matt Kindt, Aric is so hurt and dispirited that he leaves Earth, intent on building a new life elsewhere. He settles on the Planet Gorin, where a tavern maid named Schon takes him in. But no sooner does he start working on her farm than an army made up of Schon's Azure race conscripts him, and forces him to fight in their war against the Cadmium peoples. War will spread to include the Burnt people, and at every opportunity, Aric's leadership qualities shine. When he returns to Earth, Aric fights in the Harbinger Wars 2 series, and defends the Earth in other ways. Eventually, some of those he fought on Planet Gorin trace him back to Earth, where he must face them one more time.

I enjoyed the first series so much that I started this blog to chart all of Aric's appearances, his interactions with other characters, and gain a better understanding of the Valiant universe. I stopped after the Birthquake crossover, when the writer and artists seemed to be changing, as I was having trouble finding those later issues. Now that I've collected a few more, I need to go back, and read the series (as much as I have of it) through again. 

The other series I'm most familiar with is Volume 4. I discovered Valiant, and writer Matt Kindt, through Ninjak Volume 3 #10 (2015). When Matt Kindt concluded that series, and started writing X-O Manowar Volume 4, I followed him to see what adventures Aric would undergo. While the artists changed as the series continued, it was usually beautiful and evocative. The entire series speaks to me as a meditation on how we deal with pain and loss. I read those early issues several times, and posted about them on this blog.

You can learn more about each volume, or series, at:
Valiant Wikia Page for Volume 1 
Valiant Wikia Page for Volume 2 
Valiant Wikia Page for Volume 3
Valiant Wikia Page for Volume 4

For a truly expansive look at the character, see the Valiant Wikia Biography Page. 

For more on all things Valiant, check the company website http://valiantentertainment.com/.