X-O Manowar #7 Spotlight: Coloring

 

X-O Manowar #7 Pre-Order Cover by Chris Johnson & Allan Passalaqua

Ruth Redmond contributes her usual brilliant coloring to X-O Manowar #7, as can easily be seen by the preview pages. In this first image, I love how she's breathed life into this area of Manhattan. We see the skyscraper on the left, and how the sun and shade effect the glass. The building farther down the street is older, and likely made of stone, or covered in stucco. 

I'm intrigued by the white area surrounding the camera man on the bottom left. Is that caused by a reflective panel film crews use to shine more light on an area? Or is Ruth using white to show that the water in the fountain is really splashing in that area?

This next scene is scary, but gorgeous. Ruth Redmond has built so much texture into the ball of fire that burns above New York City. You can see how it has changed the color of the sky, which reflects off nearby buildings.

I'm not sure how much of the globules surrounding the brilliance are drawn in, versus how much Ruth has colored in. But that sky sure is impressive.

Inside Desmond's room, we can glimpse the transformed sky, but we also see how it has discolored much of the interior. I'm especially impressed by the coloring and shading of the comforter atop Desmond's bed.

Here we see X-O Manowar plunging into the interior of the nanite swarm. While it burns bright on the outside, at its center, in the area known as the Hive Mind, we see coiling green surrounded by darkness. The darkness reminds me of space, or the depths of the ocean, which brings recent covers by Rahzzah to mind. The various shades of green that make up the turbulent, writhing heart--or brain--of the nanite swarm bring to mind Dexter Soy and Veronica Gandini's cover for this issue. 

Regardless of my associations, I find this a spooky image. Thanks to Ruth's work, it evokes awe and wonder.

 

Great job on coloring X-O Manowar #7, Ruth Redmond! Really excellent job!

Dragon Dave

X-O Manowar #7: All The Covers & Why You Need Them

 

X-O Manowar #7 Cover A by Rahzzah

 

The artist known as Rahzzah has produced some stunning covers for this "Upgrade The World" story arc. For X-O Manowar #7, he produces what may be his most affecting yet. Finally, Aric confronts the nanite swarm not from the outside, but from within. He and Shanhara must take on the strange and devastatingly powerful consciousness known as the Hive Mind.* X-O Manowar plunges into this maelstrom of artificial intelligence, and...

Oops! Can't tell you any more, or the good folks at Valiant Comics might accuse me of throwing out too many spoilers! Sorry!

X-O Manowar #7 Cover B by Dexter Soy & Veronica Gandini

This is Dexter Soy's first cover for Valiant Comics.  Nonetheless, he captures the essence of what we love about X-O Manowar. Here Aric is flying toward us, grim and determined, sword raised as he prepares to battle whatever comes his way.

Like Rahzaah's cover, this could easily be considered a purely conceptual cover. But once again, I believe it relates to the portion of X-O Manowar #7 in which Aric and Shanhara take on the Hive Mind.* Read the issue, and decide for yourself.

X-O Manowar #7 Pre-Order Cover by Chris Johnson & Allan Passalaqua

As with last issue, Chris Johnson and colorist Allan Passalaqua give us another story-centric cover for X-O Manowar #7. Once again, Troy Whitaker's attempts to upgrade Shanhara prove problematic. The consciousness that inhabits the alien armor tries, but simply cannot reconcile herself to the changes the billionaire technology genius has programmed into her.

The way Aric seems to be clawing at his helmet, even as the armor weaves itself around his head, makes me wonder if Shanhara, in her desperation to enclose and protect Aric, isn't giving him a tight squeeze. Or maybe she hasn't adjusted the suit's internal atmosphere, so Aric can't breathe.

Lastly, Valiant Comics delighted us a while back with Dexter Soy's penciling and inking for Cover B. His Black & White image is certainly powerful. Still, I think you'll agree with me how much Veronica Gandini, one of those often-unsung comic book colorists, contributed to the overall beauty of the final cover. 

X-O Manowar #7 Cover B by Dexter Soy (Not for sale, sadly)

There you have it: all the covers for X-O Manowar #7, and why you need them. Many thanks to Valiant Comics for offering fans three beautiful cover options. Congratulations also to Rahzzah, Chris Johnson, Allan Passalaqua, Dexter Soy, and Veronica Gandini on your efforts. Great job, everyone!

Dragon Dave

P.S. *I didn't realize the Hive Mind was a nanite swarm. I thought the Hive Mind was Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, the dynamic writing duo responsible for Valiant's upcoming series The Harbinger. I wonder: could the Hive Mind be both?

X-O Manowar #6 Spotlight: Coloring Part 2

 

X-O Manowar #6 Cover B by Chris Johnson & Allan Passalaqua

In X-O Manowar #6, we often see technological innovator Troy Whitaker wearing a green shirt. While his shirt seems to change color in this intro scene, transitioning later to yellow and then to gray, we spot him in later scenes wearing a green shirt. I can't help but notice that the holographic projection of Shanhara that he's studying, as he's pondering what other changes he'll program into her, is also green.

 

In the close-up of him on the inside front cover, notice the green sheen on his sunglasses. Do sunglasses normally shimmer with that much green?

Remember, the nanite swarm they are battling is also colored green.

I like the yellow glow surrounding Aric in the left-hand panel shows the energy Shanhara is expending. I also notice that Ruth has colored the sky in these scenes more purple than blue. As for the floating islands, she's colored them gray with a hint of purple, instead of the browns we would expect. 

I'm not sure what the latter color choices suggest, but they enhance the otherworldly aspect of these scenes.

Along with the ball Desmond uses to talk with Shanhara, I can't help but notice that Ruth colors Shanhara's holographic projections blue. The car is red when seen from inside the game. Combine that observation with the fact that the robots Troy Whitaker designed are blue and red, and that after his upgrades, Shanhara's blue and yellow armor also shows a little red.

Oh, and one last thought. Desmond's mom shows up a lot in this issue. Is it just me, or does her hair look a little more red than in earlier issues?

In X-O Manowar #6, Ruth Redmond's color choices challenge my understanding of these interesting and complex characters. Do they signify plot developments in upcoming issues? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Dragon Dave

X-O Manowar #6 Spotlight: Coloring Part 1

 

X-O Manowar #6 Cover B by Chris Johnson & Allan Passalaqua

Colorists often don't get much recognition for the work they do on comic book covers. This seems unfair, as a colorist may spend much more time on a cover than on an interior page. Their work is important, as a cover can influence a potential buyer to pick up a comic and check out what's inside.

Believe it or not, a comic book buyer might even buy a given comic just for the cover, whether or not they ever read the story inside. (I know. Mind-blowing, right?)

So before I delve into Ruth Redmond's coloring in X-O Manowar #6, I'd like to give a shout out to Allan Passalaqua, who colored Chris Johnson's Cover B. I love how richly Allan has colored our planet, and how the blue in the X-O Manowar armor combines with the ocean in the background. At the same time, the white, blue, and yellow portions of Aric's armor give off a rich metallic sheen. 

 

 

Does the hazing on Aric's faceplate comes from the light from the sun, or the power crackling from his laser sword? Either way, the yellowing of his skin shows just how intense the light shining into his eyes is. 

 

 

I also love the way Allan portrays the blue atmosphere as radiating away from our planet, or bleeding out into the dark of space. It's almost as if Earth is radiating its life force into the empty void. It's a reminder that the oxygen and other gases in our atmosphere that color it blue, and allow us to breathe, are slowly drifting away from our planet. 

 

 

Notice how he's colored the southwestern United States, as well as northwest Mexico, largely in brown? This reminds me of the raging wildfires Aric battled in earlier issues, when he was first attacked by the nanite swarm. I wonder how extensive those wildfires were, and if they're still burning.

Well done, Allan Passalaqua. Thanks for enhancing the meaning and beauty of Chris Johnson's X-O Manowar #6 Cover B!

Dragon Dave