X-O Manowar #29 Review

In the aftermath of an event, is this still a title that needs to be on your pull-list? Read on to find out.

The official description from Valiant:

Broken kingdom!

The world has changed for Aric of Dacia – the armored earthbound hero known as X-O Manowar. Unable to protect his friends and allies from the interstellar hunters sworn to kill him, the Visigoth warrior who would be king now recoils from the horrendous consequences – even as a threatening new future looms. Everything changes now!

It’s a brave new world, as our iconic hero faces what remains of his life. Which strangely enough happens to be sturdy ground for some solid narrative set-up. A recent war has come to an end, leaving our timely protagonist to figure our where he and perhaps his allies fit in.

Robert Venditti pens the script and it’s very clear that he knows Aric of Dacia. The auhtor understands his motivations while presenting him with a possible path where X-O Manowar has a shot at controlling his own fate while being the hero this planet needs. Without spoiling what happened in Armor Hunters #4, seriously read that before you even open this one, there’s plenty of room for growth as the text sets up a few interesting elements. With that said the pace of the issue is slow moving which at times could cause some disinterest in the overall plot progression.

The illustrations by Diego Bernard usually wow me from beginning to end, as the talent effortlessly executes a visual language that more often than not fits the literature he seeks to support. And that’s true here but there were panels where the final product seemed underdeveloped, as the execution of certain renditions came off rushed. Even so when you add in the colors by Romulo Fajardo the comic enjoys a sturdy display with a few inconsistencies therein.

X-O Manowar #29 is a comic book that does what it needs to do. It moves the flagship title of this shared universe beyond the rubble of Armor Hunters while setting intrigue for Aric and his allies. Recommended.