In X-O Manowar #1, we’re thrust into the action in media res, with a human escaping captivity on an alien starship using a stolen suit of high tech armor. That man is Aric of Dacia, a Visigoth taken from Earth with his people 1600 years ago, and he returns to his world in the future of 1992, alone and confused. Befriended by a man named Ken, Aric must adjust to modern society. However, despite having the powerful X-O Manowar armour at his disposal, this proves to be quite a challenge.

I am so glad I read X-O Manowar #0 before reading this issue, because it puts so much into context, and makes the events that transpire so much easier to understand. I can certainly understand the desire to grab the reader’s attention from the get-go, particularly when it’s the debut of a new superhero character from a relatively new comic publisher, but it does feel as if this is at the expense of clarity.

It’s a really good setup for the series though, with nasty aliens disguised as humans in seemingly ill-fitting skins, barely able to conceal their elongated digits and misshapen skulls, as well as Aric’s ancient, savage origins giving him a unique, fish-out-of-water aspect too.

Aric’s human friend Ken, a gay man, isn’t always portrayed particularly sensitively in the series (and is subject to quite a bit of homophobic treatment), but generally escapes this issue unscathed in that regard, thankfully.

Barry Windsor-Smith does a sterling job on art (naturally), though perhaps unnecessarily over emphasises Ken’s effeminate appearance.

That said, having now read more of the series beyond this first issue, it’s safe to say that I’m a fan; it may have taken me more than three decades to catch onto the appeal of Valiant’s universe, but better late than never eh?

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