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: All The Covers & Why You Need Them

 

X-O Manowar #6 Cover A by Rahzzah

Last month, the artist known as Rahzzah presented Valiant fans with a truly bleak cover. His X-O Manowar #5 Cover A showed Aric overcome by the nanite swarm, and sinking into the dark depths of the sea. Not only was it hauntingly beautiful, but it also perfectly epitomized the story.

 

For X-O Manowar #6, Aric must once again confront this deadly threat. But after her failure last time, is his faltering alien armor up to the challenge? Once again, Rahzzah offers Valiant fans another cover that perfectly captures this crucial moment in the story.

X-O Manowar Cover B by Chris Johnson

The growing nanite swarms not only make their presence known on Earth. To combat them, Aric must also travel into space. Imagine his reluctance to head into orbit, when he's still unsure of Shanhara's capabilities.

 

 

Thankfully, Chris Johnson offers Valiant fans X-O Manowar #6 Cover B, which demonstrates Aric's determination to quell this rising threat, whatever the risk to himself.

X-O Manowar #6 Pre-Order Cover by Jeff Dekal

 

As this issue opens, Aric shares his thoughts with us. The way he describes Shanhara as a silver shell brings to mind a medieval knight clad in plate armor, riding into battle. Sadly, his description also sounds so lifeless.  

 

Last year, Jeff Dekal offered Valiant fans the inspiring X-O Manowar #1 Cover B, which currently adorns the banner of this blog. For this month's X-O Manowar #6 Pre-Order Cover, he offers us this close-up of Aric in space. Notice how his upgraded armor looks so sleek, the red is understated, and the blue portions resemble hammered and polished metal? 

Congratulations to Rahzzah, Chris Johnson, and Jeff Dekal for producing beautiful and evocative portraits of our hero Aric of Dacia for the three covers of X-O Manowar #6.

Dragon Dave

X-O Manowar #6 Review Part 1

 

X-O Manowar #6 Cover B by Chris Johnson

In X-O Manowar #6, writer Dennis Hopeless Hallum, penciler Emilio Laiso, inker Raffaele Forte, colorist Ruth Redmond, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou continue to explore the relationship between 5th Century Visigoth warrior Aric of Dacia, and the sentient armor named Shanhara. After centuries of seeing herself as merely a suit of armor, she has even developed a new way of envisioning herself.  

But then, all of the characters in this series adapt to changing circumstances, and in relation to each other--especially Shanhara--as the self aware armor heals and adjusts to this next phase of her life.

Meanwhile, Troy Whitaker is using his billions to speedily rebuild all the damage Yakiov and his troops did to Desmond's neighborhood in Harlem, New York,

 

By now, Whitaker seems to have emerged as a real standup guy, helping Aric to develop Shanhara's abilities while defending Earth against any and all threats. He's certainly taken good care of all the people in Aric's life. 

 

 

So why do I still not trust him? 

As for our hero Aric, he's not sure he can rely on Shanhara anymore. His relationship with her has not come without cost, but after the traumatic events in the last series, he seemed to have finally made his peace with her. Now, with her changing so dramatically...

 

Normally, Aric doesn't believe in caution or retreat. He fights every battle as if it's his last.

 

But after the way Shanhara fell apart in X-O Manowar #5, and Shanhara has trouble getting back up to speed in this issue, Aric pulls back. Ironically, it is now Shanhara that pushes him on, and throws him into a situation that may be beyond him.

 

 

We haven't seen Whitaker's robots for awhile. In this issue, we spot one working in his laboratory. Later, we see what these growing nanite swarms have done to another of his creations.

Is the robot being controlled by the nanite swarms? Or, like Shanhara, has the nanite swarm helped it achieve sentience?

 

Troy Whitaker remarks early on in this issue that these nanite swarms will be the death of him. I wonder if his words will prove prophetic? 

I guess we'll just have to wait and see as this intriguing series continues.

Dragon Dave