X-O Manowar #10

by lucstclair on February 20, 2013

It’s a no holds barred issue, as Aric defends Earth against Trill and his approaching Vine armada! But Earth’s last chance lay in the hands of Aric’s old friend Gafti, as he makes the ultimate sacrifice.
 

The Team

Written by Robert Venditti (The Surrogates Vol. 1) & illustrated by Trevor Hairsine (X-Men : Deadly Genesis, Ultimate Galactus Trilogy). Published by Valiant.
 

Pros & Cons

Imagine for one moment what would happen if film maker Michael Bay would write a comic book. This latest issue of X-O has everything a Michael Bay movie has, hostile aliens, kick ass heroes & villains, pulse pounding action, punches thrown, shit burning, cars flipping & an abundance of explosions with one final gigantic & climactic devastating blast. Honestly, the only thing missing is some T & A, but for this series it would seem out of place.
 
What’s interesting about this series is that Aric, like the reader, is discovering new abilities that Shanhara has to offer. The armour’s a lot more powerful than we were lead to believe and man does it show. Ever since Aric’s return to Earth, he’s been a thorn into The Vine’s side and they’ve been trying to eliminate him because of the threat he represents. They figure if they can’t wield Shanhara for their own personal gain, then they’d rather destroy it. Not on this Visigoth’s watch!
 
Robert Venditti’s script for this title isn’t ground breaking in any way, but it sure is consistently fun with a wide variety of colourful characters, a menacing alien race and more action than you can shake a stick at. I just heard that he will be taking over as monthly writer for DC’s Green Lantern series, which needless to say made my GL fanboy day.
 
Is it me or does Trevor Hairsine’s illustrations look more and more like Barry Windsor-Smith with every passing issue? Considering BWS’ pass involvement with this character, that doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s by no means a complaint, it’s just an observation.
 

The Outcome

As terrific as this story arc was, I think the best has yet to come when Aric takes the fight to The Vine home world in next month’s “Planet Death” storyline. See you in 30.
 

Our Score:

9/10

A Look Inside