For fans of 90’s comics, the name Valiant Comics is a pretty big deal. Once upon a time, they were one of the biggest names in the industry, and now they’re making a comeback. In fact, next week brings the launch of their first title, the rebooted “X-O Manowar.” To celebrate, myself and fellow MC writer Chad Bowers take some time to talk about this first issue and Valiant, which you can find after the jump.
Also, look for more from the both of us on the Valiant front in the future. We’re looking to make covering these books a regular feature here at MC.
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Cary NordThe summer’s biggest super-hero epic is getting even bigger! To celebrate the return of the Valiant Universe on May 2nd, Valiant is proud to announce that X-O Manowar #1 is expanding to a colossal 40 pages! From visionary creators Robert Venditti (The Surrogates) and Cary Nord (Conan), the transformation of fifth century Visigoth Aric of Dacia into the alien-armored weapon of destruction known as X-O Manowar kicks off with a 29-page lead story — plus an extra-added preview of Valiant’s June debut issue, Harbinger #1 — all for the originally solicited cover price of $3.99.
David: Alright Chad, in perhaps the most unlikely revival since Rob Liefeld’s Extreme Studios relaunch, we have the return of another 90’s staple: Valiant Comics. Before we get started with the review, I wanted to see: do you have background with Valiant, and, in specific, with X-O Manowar?
Chad: Yeah, a good bit, actually.
Growing up, I distinctly remember the first time I saw/bought a Valiant book. I had been hearing about them for a while and trying to figure out exactly what they were all about. So by the time I actually walked into a shop that actually carried the books, I’d built them up so much in my head that it was nearly impossible for them to be as awesome as I imagined them to be.
The first book, though, was X-O Manowar, and despite my unrealistic expectations, I still loved the heck out of it.
David: I have to say, I was more of a Harbinger guy. I still have the first trade and reread it a couple years back and man, that bad boy has legs!
Chad: It really does.
All those first year Valiant books were something special.
After XO, I moved to Magnus, Robot Fighter, and Eternal Warrior and Rai, and the list goes on from there.
David: Yeah, I dug a lot of them. I have history with all of them, but oddly enough, X-O Manowar I liked but didn’t love. I was definitely Harbinger first, Magnus second, Manowar and the others after that, and Turok dead last.
Chad: I was one of those kids that went back and tried to piece together Unity. Unsuccessfully, I should say, but still… I was just happy to find 2/3 of it.
David: Haha We all have goals. I own basically every variation of Image’s Deathmate stuff, so I can never judge anyone for anything.
Chad: Y’know, Deathmate actually brings up something that I want to talk about, and that’s the differences in Valiant and Image.
David: I’d love to hear it. I mean, in a lot of ways, back then Image was the style king with the bigger sales, but there was a lot of story telling power in Valiant because of Jim Shooter.
Chad: Yeah, I mean, that’s basically it, isn’t it? Image was a comics company founded by the industry’s most popular artists, and they all kind of read like it.
David: Are you telling me Youngblood wasn’t the greatest comic I’ve ever read? Because I have a lie that tells you otherwise.
Chad: But Shooter was kind of the Liefeld of writers, and where Image was all about, well, the image, or the style, Shooter’s vision for Valiant was all about story and making a better shared universe.
Youngblood being the Image exception, yes.
David: How that hasn’t won every Eisner I have no idea.
Continued below
Well, now Valiant is back though. We both have history with it, and they seem to be putting out a…good god…valiant effort to make this work. Your boy X-O Manowar is the first to drop. Do you think it is a quality first issue that starts over the title’s legacy in a quality way?
Chad: Oh yeah, I loved it! When I first heard about the relaunch/reboot, I was admittedly a little nervous, but then I saw the creative team of Robert Venditti and Cary Nord, and I got a lot more comfortable with the idea. What did you think of it?
David: It’s kind of funny. I knew I would like it on the first page. Is it weird that I was a crazy big fan of that page that lays out the differences between the Visigoths and the Romans? At first, I was like “what the hell does this have to do with a rocking blue space suit?” Then it quickly became apparent, but it was a great style/story open that kind of immerses you without being too heavy on the exposition.
Chad: That intro page is really effective, if maybe just a little bit Hickman-esque. I felt like it did a terrific job of establishing the tech side of X-O, and really connecting the medieval with what’s to come. I imagine it as something Aric might actually see in some kind of head’s up display inside the armor, y’know? That’s how it made me feel. And yeah, right there up front, the tone of the book is very modern and immediately sets it apart from its former incarnation.
Not to say the classic X-O series didn’t feel modern, because it was.
David: For sure. I dug it. But the story itself was kind of a prototypical first issue, but in no way a bad way. It establishes the lead, sets up his motivation, makes him aware of the suit, and adds all kinds of antagonists to his equation. Honestly, I’ve never read anything by Venditti, but he’s clearly an able storyteller that handles character beats pretty damn well.
Chad: Venditti’s first big thing was The Surrogates at Top Shelf, and it’s pretty incredible. Good enought to get him a movie deal right out of the gate, in fact. But strong characterization is really one of his gifts, and he does it naturally, and with shocking ease. Like the scene with Aric and his father — so much gets said there, and there’s so much history, but when you look at it, there’s very little actualy said but what’s there is gold. I’ve said for years that X-O Manowar was quite possibly the best concept to come out of the 90s. Essentially, it’s Conan as Iron Man, so getting the guy who shepherded Conan comics into the 21st Century is a no-brainer. Do you feel like Cary Nord crushed this issue as much as I do?
David: Yeah, I think he did a great job, although for me, Nord has always been one of those guys that is a good, not great artist. I’ve never been turned off by a Nord issue, but I’ve never been like “holy shit, Cary Nord?!” He’s a guy who doesn’t take anything off the table, but doesn’t bring a lot to it either.
That said, there were some excellent examples of his work taking a step up in this issue. Great work in shading and scale, top notch at handling both the more futuristic and historical looks. He’s putting down really solid work here.
Chad: See, I really like Nord, and genuinely get excited when he’s on a book.
David: Yeah, I like Nord too. When I hear his name I think “good artist” but I can never think of anything I loved his work on, you know?
Chad: Yeah, I was a little concerned about how he was going to handle the suit, I guess.
But then again, when you look at X-O’s armor, it’s not exactly Iron Man, is it?
Continued belowDavid: Nope. Not at all. It’s definitely it’s own thing.
Chad: It’s more organic.
David: Yeah, and I think that was always one of the cooler things about X-O Manowar. I loved that these aliens prepared their greatest warrior to take the suit, and it just kills him. It adds a connection aspect to the armor. A life to it.
Chad: And the fact that you see Aric’s face in the suit sells the whole idea better than if you, I don’t know, just saw his eyes or they glowed or whatever.
But looking at Venditti and Nord as a team, I think they really compliment each other here.
David: Exactly. Another thing I dug about this issue were two things tied to the aliens (whose race I can’t remember). 1. That they were there planting their babies into the human population, which sets up awesomeness for later. 2. That they dressed themselves in a way that made them look like knights of some sort. Both clever storytelling, both written and visual.
Chad: Spider Aliens.
David: Spider aliens! The worst type!
Chad: Although who knows if that’s what they’re going to be called here.
David: Yeah. I’ve always been a fan of “Borg” but that’s a little played out.
Chad: I wonder what they’re doing on Earth though, y’know?
Why are they taking our babies, man?
David: God only knows. If you think about it, odds are it will likely play out like the original series did and by the time Aric gets back it’s 2012 and half the population has a little alien in them. Then he’s gotta sort that business right quick.
Chad: Right, I figure what we saw with the baby snatching was setting up the series’ major conflict.
David: Exactly. I like that Venditti is setting things up while introducing everything. It’s just smart writing.
And I couldn’t agree more. For a first issue, the creative team definitely feels more assured than you’d usually expect. For a property that has long been dead, it’s solid work. I just wonder if there is enough hook for new readers.
Chad: That’s on thing I was thinking about too, but y’know, this new X-O Manowar isn’t so different than another major company reboot that took place recently. Except, y’know, it seems like the gang over at Valiant have actually thought about things and did some actual long term planning.
And those other books didn’t do so bad for themselves, and I can most definitely say that X-O’s quality dominates about 90% of the new DC books.
I honestly wish Valiant was branding this books as the “New 4.”
David: It’s definitely a pretty damn quality book, but I just wonder how much the nostalgia factor can do to generate sustainable sales. Look at the relaunch of Doctor Solar and Magnus last year. They didn’t do so hot, and they had the same – if not more – nostalgia factor to them. And this is a quality first issue, but I can’t say their hook is totally set on me yet. I’ll be back for issue number two because it’s good, but I need something to make me think “damn! Now that’s a comic!”
Chad: I feel like these new Valiant books have the potential to become the kind of shared universe comics a lot of recently disheartened fans are looking for. I get what you’re saying about the Dark Horse Solar and Magnus relaunch, but for me, and apparently others, those books were more about Jim Shooter doing something with the characters again, and less about Valiant. I feel like X-O and the other upcoming Valiant books have a different goal in mind, and I hope they can make a good, long go of it.
David: Alright. Ten point scale Mr. Bowers. What would you give this book?
Chad: I give X-O Manowar #1 a solid 8.5, and only because we don’t actually get to see Aric in the suit.
That’s the only thing that disappointed me about this issue, but it’s coming.
David: Yeah, I can support that. I think for me though, as I move further along into the rabbit hole of comics, shared universe comics is less of an incentive for me rather than just straight up good comics. As I’m sure you’d agree with.
Continued belowI think starting it with a slow burn was a good choice. It would have been forced if he just ended up in the suit. That said, I was looking for it too. I’ll give it an 8. I feel like that’s my de facto, “well done, now show me the magic” score.
Chad: Well, I don’t know if we’ll see any “magic” in X-O #2, but I bet there’ll be plenty of barbarian-on-Spider Alien violence, and for me, David, that’s even better!
David: Yes! I can support that.
