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Valiant (Re)visions: Bloodshot #11 and X-O Manowar #13 [Review]

By and | May 15th, 2013
Posted in Reviews | % Comments
David: We’re to our last reviews of a rather busy month of Valiant books, and they’re finishing with two of the biggest in Bloodshot and X-O Manowar. Let’s start with the Harbinger Wars tie-in Bloodshot #11 from Duane Swierczynski and Barry Kitson. Previously, in an issue of Harbinger you were a little off put by touching on similar territory that Harbinger Wars did. This had that going on too. Was it off putting to you here, or did it work for you?

Brandon: It actually was a little off putting. It just had a lot of the same stuff from another book which was actually done better in the other book. So yeah, i’d say it hurt it for me this issue. I just overall didn’t love the issue. It seemed super retread and again was distracting because I kept thinking that it was done better elsewhere. Crossovers are a fine line type of thing and sometimes you have missteps. I’d say this issue was a misstep. What about you?

David: Yeah, I have to agree for the most part. While it was cool seeing the inside view of what was going on with Bloodshot, was it necessary? Not at all. It just felt like a book that had to stick to a script that wasn’t defined by the comic itself but the arc it belonged to. They needed to move Bloodshot and the rest to Vegas, but they didn’t have enough story to fill it, so they filled it with another view of a story we’ve already seen. It just read really superfluously, and it was pretty much damned from the start I’d say.

Brandon: Yeah, I was really excited for this issue since I really really enjoy this series but this was a massive letdown. I did enjoy the art though. Sadly though even it didn’t live up to the issue that presented these things first either. It’s really hard to recommend this issue to someone if you are also recommending Harbinger Wars.

David: Yeah, it’s funny how these tie-ins have worked so far. The first tie-in issue of Harbinger was redundant on Harbinger Wars, the second wasn’t. The first tie-in issue of Bloodshot wasn’t, but the second was.

Barry Kitson’s art was really, really solid, and he’s been a welcome addition to the book, but you can’t put lipstick on a pig. This was a book that as a standalone issue may have been fine without Harbinger Wars, but because it tread the exact same territory as that last issue, it was utterly pointless. Which makes it very disappointing.

Do you have anything else to add before we grade this bad boy?

Brandon: Needed more Gamma.

David: What doesn’t?

I’ll give it a 4.5. Solid points for Kitson, but jeez louise, this is a book that did not need to exist. What about you?

Brandon: I’d have to give it a 5.0. A whole ton of meh up in there.

So, on to the next one! The next one being X-O Manowar #13 by Robert Venditti andCary Nord. What were your thoughts on the third chapter of Planet Death?

David: On one hand, Planet Death finally gave us some action, as Aric forced his will upon the armor and it came to him in his time of need, allowing him to dominate the forces of The Vine. On the other hand, both the characterization and the art fell really flat. So…you know. This issue was a bit of a struggle, because typically at least for me, the art works for me. It seemed choppy to me, and that’s a big problem. What about you?

Brandon: Believe it or not I actually enjoyed this issue.I thought the action was great and I really enjoyed the art. I felt this was by far one of the better issues of the series for me. I actually found the character work panning out more than it had in the past. I actually enjoyed the way he interacted with those who worship him and his new found ability to be the leader he really couldn’t muster the strength to be in the past. This issue actually was the first time I connected to the characters.

Continued below

Were there any parts of the book where it felt more choppy than others to you?

David: That’s hilarious. I actually think this was the weakest issue in a while. The main reason why, like I said, was the art. It just felt rushed and underdefined, and the big moments like the fight just didn’t do it for me visually. There was big action, it just didn’t seem like that huge of a deal to me because the art just didn’t give it that grandiose of a scale. This was all of the biggest guns the Vine had vs. X-O Manowar, and it had some fire and some laser swords and not much else. I guess it just felt pretty underwhelming.

The art in the character moments just felt really loose to me too, and the whole thing felt like it was rushed. Strangely, this was an issue where I feel like a fill-in artist or a second artist could have done it a favor.

The character work definitely tried to reach another level, but it just felt more of the same to me. I’m actually really surprised you were more into this than you had been previously. What stood out about it in specific?

Brandon: The things I enjoyed in this issue were mainly battled related. I thought they were action packed and the spread with the spider walkers was awesome. I thought during those scenes Venditti and Nord did a great job of capturing the Vine as smug at the start of the battle and absolutely horrified and confused by the end. I thought that was all really well done.

Outside of the battle I really enjoyed the way he made the suit come to him by calling on it. I don’t know why that struck me as being so cool but it really came across well to me. I actually had my second, “Now this is awesome!”, moment with the title. The first moment being the spread with the Vine soldiers. It was all very Silver Surfer, “To me my board!”, which really tickled me if you will excuse me using a term stolen from my Grandmother.

The last thing that sticks out to me as something that was appealing was, again, the relationship between the developing main cast. I actually feel that there is a sense that our main character is coming into his own and is developing the leadership skills he lacked in the past and it’s jarringly clear to him that this is the case. This being shown very well by his reactions to the flashbacks.

All in all this was a book that I enjoyed. I was not expecting to come into this week’s discussion enjoying X-O Manowar and not enjoying Bloodshot. It really surprises me as much as it does you. I do enjoy that this happened though. I dread reading X-O Manowar a lot less now if I am going to be totally honest.

David: I recognize the elements you’re talking about, and I see how they could have been good, but man, it just didn’t get there for me. I do think there were slight improvements in Aric, and I’m excited to see how he starts coming together now that he has more of a mission. But like I said, it just didn’t get there. Do you have anything else to add before we close this down my friend?

Brandon: I too am interested to see where things go from here. I feel like this is the most intrigued I have been in the title since it started. I know this is the most I have ever had to say about the title.

You have anything else to add?

David: Nope, I’ll get to my grade. I’ll give it a 3.0, as potential for the future or not, this was a poorly written and drawn comic in my estimation. The definition of a burn, although one that hopes to rise from the ashes like a phoenix. What about you?

Brandon: I never thought that I would ever think you gave this title too low of a grade but I gotta say that is a brutal grade and does not match the content of the book in my opinion. I would give this book a 7.4 personally.

David: Bad writing, bad art. The way I create my grades is both writing and art get a 5 point scale in my mind and I rate them from there. They both get a 1.5. Makes sense to me. We just have differing opinions on the same comic.

Brandon: No doubt. Doesn’t stop me from chastising you. This is the internet. If I can’t do that here where can I?! Right Tumblr?


//TAGS | Valiant (Re)visions

David Harper

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Brandon Burpee

Burpee loves Superheroes, Alaskan IPA, 90's X-Men and is often one more beer away from a quotable.

EMAIL | ARTICLES


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