Valiant Beyond: The X-O Manowar#1 will be a four-part story by Steve Orlando with art by Guillermo Fajardo. « The mighty Aric of Dacia, aka X-O Manowar, traverses a deadly wasteland filled with mutated horrors in a search for honor, » Valiant’s solicit for the issue teases. « Aric’s strength and resilience are put to the test when he comes to the defense of a family under siege from a mysterious gang known as the Earthborn. Aric finds himself aligned with a rebel group which puts him firmly in the crosshairs of the Earthborn’s leader Typhon. Can Aric survive his journey across the Red Steppe? »
Valiant Beyond: The X-O Manowar #1 (of 4)
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by GUILLERMO FAJARDO
Cover Art by ARIEL OLIVETTI
Variant Cover Art by NAHUEL GREGO, DENNIS CALERO, ANDRES PONCE, ARIEL OLIVETTI
28-page, full color comic
SRP: $3.99
On Sale April 2
Orlando says that the new series will appeal to new readers and longtime fans. « Step right in, meet these characters again for the first time – for readers like me who’ve been there on the ride, Aric of Dacia is both the man you knew at his core, but with twists that make him all the more dangerous, all the more heroic, and all the more vengeful. This is a man who’s warred for over two thousand years! Suffice to say, he’s got scores to settle! »
« Aric of Dacia walks the Red Steppe, the wasteland that sizzles and steams beyond the great utopias of the world, » Orlando continued. « There, his quest is both bloody and ever out of reach – the quest to reclaim his honor after centuries in the cosmic arena. Ever the deadly stranger, Aric’s only allegiance is to his quest, and there’s no shortage of monsters standing in his way. Spit up deep from a gash in the dirt are the Earthborn, humans reborn in toxic soil as mad berserkers and the supposed chosen rulers of the Steppe. But these mad men have never met the Man of War. »
A NEW ERA OF SUPERHERO STORYTELLING BEGINS HERE!
Designed as the ULTIMATE jumping-on point, the Valiant Beyond line of comics are ABSOLUTE must-reads that will ENERGIZE your love for superheroes!
The mighty Aric of Dacia, aka X-O Manowar, traverses a deadly wasteland filled with mutated horrors in a search for honor in this CAN’T-MISS debut issue from GLAAD award nominated writer Steve Orlando (Avengers Assemble) and superstar artist Guillermo Fajardo (RESURGENCE OF THE VALIANT UNIVERSE)!
Aric’s strength and resilience are put to the test when he comes to the defense of a family under siege from a mysterious gang known as the Earthborn. Aric finds himself aligned with a rebel group which puts him firmly in the crosshairs of the Earthborn’s leader Typhon. Can Aric survive his journey across the Red Steppe?
It’s X-O Manowar like you’ve never seen him before in the debut chapter of this all-new four-part story arc!
Bon, enfin un Valiant Beyond correct ? Oui. Après le creux (et polémique) Bloodshot, le vide et décevant Shadwoman, le basique et bordélique Harbinger, voici The X-O Manowar, qui est correct… sans plus.
Steve Orlando lance ici sa série dans un monde post-apocalyptique, où Aric de Dacia, avec ses deux mains, une armure et des rêves d’une « reine », pour laquelle il a commis des actes atroces dans l’espoir de voir enfin son visage, se refuse encore à lui. Il croise une famille attaquée par un gang, les Earthborn, et il protège celle-ci en les tabassant, puis en laissant partir l’un d’entre eux pour raconter ce qu’il a vu. Aric amène la famille vers un sanctuaire, où le contact est rude avec le gardien cyborg, mais ça s’améliore. Il ne reste pas, cependant, mais est enlevé la nuit par les Earthborn, et amené à leur chef qui provoque la terreur absolue en chacun de ses ennemis, pour les soumettre…
Bon, c’est correct. Ça flirte avec un Mad Max light, ça sème de vagues graines sur un monde détruit, la mystérieuse reine, un Aric paumé mais qui cherche l’honneur… c’est correct, oui. Mais pas emballant, pas entraînant, pas enthousiasmant, avec rien sur l’armure, et la présence de ses deux mains qui surprend. Guillermo Fajardo livre lui de jolies planches, efficaces même si elles manquent un peu de dynamisme.
Un lancement en mode « minimum syndical », mais c’est déjà énorme vu le reste des autres Valiant Beyond.
A NEW ERA AND A NEW ARIC! THE PILLAR OF THE VALIANT UNIVERSE RETURNS!
VALIANT BEYOND continues! And the ULTIMATE jumping-on point for the Valiant Universe would never be complete without the iconic Man of War! Aric of Dacia is back and more brutal than ever in this blockbuster quest!
For two thousand years, Aric of Dacia was at war in the stars. Now, with lifetimes of battle under his belt, Aric is back on Earth and hunting to reclaim the one prize that’s long eluded him… his honor! The Earth Aric finds is an untamed, mutated wasteland pocked with shining utopias that rise above the nuclear frontier. Danger waits beyond every rock and horizon, it’s the perfect spot for Aric to prove himself to be the inspiration for his quest… the ethereal being resting within Aric’s stellar armor. It’s this woman who’s traveled with Aric for millennia, and it’s this woman who’s challenged him to rediscover his honor.
This is X-O Manowar as the mysterious stranger in a strange land — even if the world he walks is his homeland. He’s the cosmic knight-errant, the righteous Visigoth answering to no master but honor itself. And all who’d terrorize the innocent, well… they answer to him.
Dig into this explosive apocalyptic barbarian epic from writer Steve Orlando (Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man 2099, Batman/The Shadow) and artist Guillermo Fajardo (RESURGENCE)! Follow monthly — don’t miss the badassery and blood!
Bordélique, bourrin mais pas désagréable. Steve Orlando joue à fond la carte de la copie de Mad Max avec un seigneur de guerre terrible et terrifiant qui envoie ses « novices » prouver leur valeur en tuant Aric, qui erre dans ses délires. Il est libéré par ceux qu’il a rejeté avant et ils tuent tous ensemble les novices, sauf leur monture qu’il faut sauvegarder. Et ils laissent un message de provocation à l’ennemi…
Bon, c’est bien bordélique quand même. Le scénario alterne entre grosses bastons fluides et gores et apports intéressants mais confus sur ce monde et son organisation. Il est difficile de « sentir » X-O Manowar ici, et si c’est en soi agréable comme surprise, ça reste chaotique dans l’exécution, avec plein de personnages annexes peu passionnants. Même si Guillermo Fajardo propose de jolies planches.
