Matt Kindt on ‘X-O Manowar: Agent’

[BugsySig]

He may not have EVER written a superhero book before coming to Valiant. But, if you look back at what he has done with Valiant, he's done pretty well. Before he was handed the keys, he co-wrote "The Valiant" which was spectacular. Ninjak was a solid book, very solid. Sure, it had some dips and lulls, but solid through and through. Divinity has been out of this world, as there has been nothing but oooh's and aaah's. I guess when I look back on your statement where he doesn't represent Valiant Characters well, I just don't get it. His writing, from the get, has shaped Valiant. All the way back to "The Valiant", he helped shape Bloodshot. Ninjak shaped Ninja-K and Shadowman. All of this before anyone said anything about Kindt-verse. Kindt-verse happened long before anyone called it Kindt-verse.

When Valiant is done, and statues are built, the Mount Rushmore of Valiant will more than likely have Matt Kindt's face on it. I know this won't be a popular statement, but Matt Kindt may be more important than Dysart when it comes to building up Valiant.

I agree. Just based on quantity of titles he wrote he should be included. I believe he's written more than anyone else at Valiant:

The Valiant (4 issues co-wrote w/Lemire)
Bloodshot #0 (1 issue)
Ninjak (27 issues + BoD Fall of Ninjak)
Unity (24 issues)
Divinity (4 issues)
Divinity II (4 issues)
Divinity III (4 issues + Red Brigade back ups & Divinity #0)
RAI + 4001AD (20 issues)
Rapture (4 issues)
X-O Manowar (19+ issues)
HW2 (6 issues)

119 issues! No one else even comes close. IMO, the Valiant Mount Rushmore would be Dysart, Venditti, Van Lente, and Kindt. He has trouble sometimes sticking the landing but looking at that list and it's hard for me to argue that I didn't enjoy the majority of his work.

True, no one really comes close in terms of quantity, but FVL, Dysart and Venditti all surpass him in overall quality. The guy is extremely creative, but can’t always get across the finish line. Divinity is definitely his crown jewel at VEI, followed by this XO run. The rest is kind of meh.

I do agree that the FVL, Dysart and Venditti surpass him in quality. I do however really love UNITY. I think it's very strong save for the last two arcs, one of which he had nothing to do with. But TO KILL A KING and HOMEFRONT are some of my favorite VEI stories.

RAI could have been stronger, something about it never gripped me. But he didn't start falling out of favor with me until recently. Specifically X-O and HW2. I'm one of those weirdos that absolutely loved RAPTURE. And honestly I think X-O is a lot of fun, it''s just that damn ending that doesn't sit right with me. But it started off with a bloody bang!

Unity has moments for sure. All his books do. But when you’re writing 3 or 4 at a time, that’s a lot of plates to spin and not drop a few.

Overall I thought Unity wasn’t handled properly as a concept. Not from a character standpoint, but as a title itself. Unity was THE event of the 90s...one of the top of ALL TIME...Unity should have been VEIs “Event Book” where major stories and events like Armor Hunters and The Valiant took place. Instead it was relegated to “tie-in” status or brushed aside all together. Kindt admitted the Valiant was supposed to be an arc of Unity, and so was Divinity. Imagine if those stories took place as part of an ongoing “event” Unity book?!? Even if Unity was a series of mini series, it could have been huge. Instead it petered out before it even hit issue 25.

[kinggirlfriend]

Unity has moments for sure. All his books do. But when you’re writing 3 or 4 at a time, that’s a lot of plates to spin and not drop a few.

Overall I thought Unity wasn’t handled properly as a concept. Not from a character standpoint, but as a title itself. Unity was THE event of the 90s...one of the top of ALL TIME...Unity should have been VEIs “Event Book” where major stories and events like Armor Hunters and The Valiant took place. Instead it was relegated to “tie-in” status or brushed aside all together. Kindt admitted the Valiant was supposed to be an arc of Unity, and so was Divinity. Imagine if those stories took place as part of an ongoing “event” Unity book?!? Even if Unity was a series of mini series, it could have been huge. Instead it petered out before it even hit issue 25.

Yeah if they kept it to just big event stuff it would have been a lot stronger as a concept and enriched the event itself. Something like BLOODSHOT USA would have benefited from a bigger reach outside of the Bloodshot title. It felt kinda half baked the way it turned out. Unity as a title seemed to struggle to find storylines outside of TO KILL A KING and ARMOR HUNTERS. Shame really. I wonder why they changed their mind?

[Ryan]

He may not have EVER written a superhero book before coming to Valiant. But, if you look back at what he has done with Valiant, he's done pretty well. Before he was handed the keys, he co-wrote "The Valiant" which was spectacular. Ninjak was a solid book, very solid. Sure, it had some dips and lulls, but solid through and through. Divinity has been out of this world, as there has been nothing but oooh's and aaah's. I guess when I look back on your statement where he doesn't represent Valiant Characters well, I just don't get it. His writing, from the get, has shaped Valiant. All the way back to "The Valiant", he helped shape Bloodshot. Ninjak shaped Ninja-K and Shadowman. All of this before anyone said anything about Kindt-verse. Kindt-verse happened long before anyone called it Kindt-verse.

When Valiant is done, and statues are built, the Mount Rushmore of Valiant will more than likely have Matt Kindt's face on it. I know this won't be a popular statement, but Matt Kindt may be more important than Dysart when it comes to building up Valiant.

What I mean about how he doesn't get the Valiant characters, I'm talking about how the characters were established in VH1, the 'core' of the characters. There's certainly room to re-interpret the characters, update them, have a new spin, etc. But I think that would work best if one has a deep understanding of what made the characters work initially, on an elemental level. Otherwise, why even use the Valiant characters? Just make new ones.

It's cool to get the perspective of fans who have been mostly readers of VEI, as I haven't read a lot of the books.

[otomo]

CB: On your X-O run, you’ve delivered constant change, including an arc set in Aric’s past. Is that by design?

Kindt: Well, yeah… ha ha! I’ve been reading comics my entire life so I feel like you get to a certain point where you’ve seen everything and honestly, that’s what drives me and has driven me my entire career with my creator-owned work and everything else, and especially Valiant. Does the world really need another super hero comic? I think if you’re going to put a new super hero book out into the world at this point, there really needs to be a reason for it. It needs to be special.

I get what he's saying to a point, but this quote kind of bothers me. It's a weird thing to say when your job is to make great superhero comics and that's what the average fan is looking for when they go to the store to specifically spend their money on superhero stories.

I just don't believe that all the great superhero comics have been done already, and the fact that superhero movies are the most popular thing in the world tells me there's still a lot of demand for really well done straightforward superhero stories.

It just feels a little condescending. Like he'd rather be writing great literary novels but he's stuck having to write these silly superheroes.

I think this is a general problem with tapping like super hipster indies for superhero books. They tend to bring a vibe that just isn't quite sensible for the ridiculousness or epicness of a superhero story. I say this as a HUGE Kindt fan and XO Fan (look at my posts, all I do is gush over the guy). But would a more pulpy straightforward XO by say a Chuck Dixon be better? I don't know. I would certainly like to see that with Bloodshot. Recent arcs of Bloodshot while very good indie comics, have had very little blood and very little shots.

[Ryan]

I think this is a general problem with tapping like super hipster indies for superhero books. They tend to bring a vibe that just isn't quite sensible for the ridiculousness or epicness of a superhero story. I say this as a HUGE Kindt fan and XO Fan (look at my posts, all I do is gush over the guy). But would a more pulpy straightforward XO by say a Chuck Dixon be better? I don't know. I would certainly like to see that with Bloodshot. Recent arcs of Bloodshot while very good indie comics, have had very little blood and very little shots.

It's tough because if they had gotten Chuck Dixon and Mike Baron and a bunch of 90's writers it might have felt like a boring re-tread of watered down 90's comics. I guess I'm hoping there's could be a middle ground that could be fresh, exciting and deep but still satisfying as action-adventure stories. The best pre-Unity VH1 does that imo. I think stronger editing would help corral Kindt's wild ideas into more more straightforward stories that 'work'. But idk I'm just a fan looking at the final product. It does seem that comic book editing is more like a rubber stamp these days.

[TheeBaldMoose]

I think this is a general problem with tapping like super hipster indies for superhero books. They tend to bring a vibe that just isn't quite sensible for the ridiculousness or epicness of a superhero story. I say this as a HUGE Kindt fan and XO Fan (look at my posts, all I do is gush over the guy). But would a more pulpy straightforward XO by say a Chuck Dixon be better? I don't know. I would certainly like to see that with Bloodshot. Recent arcs of Bloodshot while very good indie comics, have had very little blood and very little shots.

It's tough because if they had gotten Chuck Dixon and Mike Baron and a bunch of 90's writers it might have felt like a boring re-tread of watered down 90's comics. I guess I'm hoping there's could be a middle ground that could be fresh, exciting and deep but still satisfying as action-adventure stories. The best pre-Unity VH1 does that imo. I think stronger editing would help corral Kindt's wild ideas into more more straightforward stories that 'work'. But idk I'm just a fan looking at the final product. It does seem that comic book editing is more like a rubber stamp these days.

This kind of made me laugh, 90's watered down comics are exactly what you referenced, or should I say started the whole watering down process. Never was a fan of 90's comics, or maybe it was the art... It all just put me to sleep.

[TheeBaldMoose]

He may not have EVER written a superhero book before coming to Valiant. But, if you look back at what he has done with Valiant, he's done pretty well. Before he was handed the keys, he co-wrote "The Valiant" which was spectacular. Ninjak was a solid book, very solid. Sure, it had some dips and lulls, but solid through and through. Divinity has been out of this world, as there has been nothing but oooh's and aaah's. I guess when I look back on your statement where he doesn't represent Valiant Characters well, I just don't get it. His writing, from the get, has shaped Valiant. All the way back to "The Valiant", he helped shape Bloodshot. Ninjak shaped Ninja-K and Shadowman. All of this before anyone said anything about Kindt-verse. Kindt-verse happened long before anyone called it Kindt-verse.

When Valiant is done, and statues are built, the Mount Rushmore of Valiant will more than likely have Matt Kindt's face on it. I know this won't be a popular statement, but Matt Kindt may be more important than Dysart when it comes to building up Valiant.

What I mean about how he doesn't get the Valiant characters, I'm talking about how the characters were established in VH1, the 'core' of the characters. There's certainly room to re-interpret the characters, update them, have a new spin, etc. But I think that would work best if one has a deep understanding of what made the characters work initially, on an elemental level. Otherwise, why even use the Valiant characters? Just make new ones.

It's cool to get the perspective of fans who have been mostly readers of VEI, as I haven't read a lot of the books.

I guess I just don't get what you are trying to say here. With the rebirth of Valiant, the core of the character could be explored differently, explained differently, be completely changed. I think the current X-O has shown that Kindt has an extremely deep understanding of the "core" of Aric. The best part, V-Ditty did a superb job with the buildup, and Kindt seems to be exploring every nook and cranny of what V-Ditty wrote. Kindt also gets to massage that core, as right now, Aric has been going through some great (personal) changes, he gets to explore what these things means to Aric. Some will complain that it doesn't match up with "Fall of", and while the timelines may not sinc up exactly, I think he could build off the death of his child.

Now, I will be right in line with the rest saying that the timeline really kills this whole "child born, child speaks near full sentences, child dies, Aric leaves, comes back and new baby born" all inside 18 months is a serious stretch, and hurts the story (or our belief of the timeline). But I will also say that the "core" of who Aric is and why he has done the things he's done has been explored fantastically!

[kinggirlfriend]

I guess I'm hoping there's could be a middle ground that could be fresh, exciting and deep but still satisfying as action-adventure stories. The best pre-Unity VH1 does that imo.

6 issues? There were 6 VH1 X-O issues before UNITY. Venditti wrote 50+ issues and you don't think they compare to 6 issues from the '90s? Have you read them?

[WrathOfArmstrong]

I guess I'm hoping there's could be a middle ground that could be fresh, exciting and deep but still satisfying as action-adventure stories. The best pre-Unity VH1 does that imo.

6 issues? There were 6 VH1 X-O issues before UNITY. Venditti wrote 50+ issues and you don't think they compare to 6 issues from the '90s? Have you read them?

+1

I love VH1 XO, it took me a while to enjoy Venditti's, because there was no 'good skin' and Venditti's was softer around the edges-- a more modern mentality and a lot nobler (looking at Playboy mansion Aric of the 90s). But by the time Venditti delivers Armor Hunters I think he raised the bar for all writers that'll come to touch the character. I'm not sure if the issues after Armor Hunters are actually any good--I just know Armor Hunters was so good that Venditti could've written about Aric's online shopping habits, and I would've read to #50 like it was a matter of life and death.

Kindt's run I think tries to walk a lot closer to the barbaric (Conan) aspect. It's been good at times, really good, and never bad, but the covers have made it feel great. If Valiant wanted to do one of those Covers Collections (in Deluxe Hardcover) I'd buy one.
HINT HINT LURKING VEI/DMG EMPLOYEE...

I do agree with qualms people have about Kindt's writing. I think he gets bored, so he tries to do something different, refusing to repeat himself. But the only time he let me down was Operation Deadside, only because having it be a report after the fact took all the surprise and intrigue away. It was like reading about a really good meal that had been cooked and wishing someone would've saved me a piece so I could try it...because I'm really not sure if I believe them that it was a tough and dangerous mission.

Something is definitely off about that timeline. I was hoping that HW2 had sent XO away, and in HW2 we would've been devastated by that reveal.

[Ryan]

This kind of made me laugh, 90's watered down comics are exactly what you referenced, or should I say started the whole watering down process. Never was a fan of 90's comics, or maybe it was the art... It all just put me to sleep.

There were definitely a lot of bad comics in the 90s, but pre-Unity Valiant were some of the few exceptions. I can see why modern readers would be turned off from them initially, the style is very different than anything in modern comics. I think the strength of those early comics is why there's still a Valiant today, it created a bunch of lifelong fans that yearned for more stories about these characters (including Dinesh). You don't see that level of devotion with the Ultraverse or any of the other countless 90's superhero dead universes.

I guess I'm hoping there's could be a middle ground that could be fresh, exciting and deep but still satisfying as action-adventure stories. The best pre-Unity VH1 does that imo.

6 issues? There were 6 VH1 X-O issues before UNITY. Venditti wrote 50+ issues and you don't think they compare to 6 issues from the '90s? Have you read them?

I wasn't talking specifically about pre-Unity X-O, it was in reference to a comparison between Kindt style 'hipster indie' vs. a 'pulpy straightforward' style of a 90's writer like Chuck Dixon. My point was that the best of pre-Unity Valiant (Magnus, Solar, etc.) was IMO able to walk the fine line of being fresh and imaginative stories while also being satisfying straightforward superhero stories.

I read at least the first 10-12 (?) issues of Venditti's X-O when they came out and I thought the first 12 issues of VH1 X-O are better. It's been a while, so I can't say specifically why.

I love VH1 XO, it took me a while to enjoy Venditti's, because there was no 'good skin' and Venditti's was softer around the edges-- a more modern mentality and a lot nobler (looking at Playboy mansion Aric of the 90s). But by the time Venditti delivers Armor Hunters I think he raised the bar for all writers that'll come to touch the character. I'm not sure if the issues after Armor Hunters are actually any good--I just know Armor Hunters was so good that Venditti could've written about Aric's online shopping habits, and I would've read to #50 like it was a matter of life and death.

That's good to know. I think my main problem with the early VEI stuff was that not enough happened per issue and $4 each got to be a lot not to mention I was moving around and didn't have a comic shop.

This thread is about Kindt's approach to X-O, which I think strays too far from the core and aren't satisfying as X-O stories. That doesn't mean I want a return to stupid 90's stories like the late VH1 X-O bike, but it's a comic book about barbarian out of time in powerful alien armor, that should at least be fun and exciting to read.

[TheFerg714]

Man, this thread went and got all interesting after I stopped checking in every day.

After a reread of Kindt's Ninjak, I've really kind of came around to him. Unity's still extremely inconsistent and directionless, but after I sort of accepted the magic elements inherent in Kindt's run, I came to really enjoy every arc! I would honestly give Weaponeer and Operation: Deadside 5/5's easy, and I think every other arc is 4/5 at least.

123 issues! No one else even comes close. IMO, the Valiant Mount Rushmore would be Dysart, Venditti, Van Lente, and Kindt. He has trouble sometimes sticking the landing but looking at that list and it's hard for me to argue that I didn't enjoy the majority of his work.

Totally agree. It's really too bad that we won't be able to add Heisserer to Mt. Rushmore some day...

True, no one really comes close in terms of quantity, but FVL, Dysart and Venditti all surpass him in overall quality. The guy is extremely creative, but can’t always get across the finish line. Divinity is definitely his crown jewel at VEI, followed by this XO run. The rest is kind of meh.

I think I'd disagree with that. I'd argue that a few specific arcs (usually Vol. 1's) are his best work at Valiant: To Kill a King, Welcome to New Japan, the 4001 A.D. back-ups arc, Weaponeer, Operation: Deadside, Soldier, the Divinity trilogy, and The Valiant.

It's tough because if they had gotten Chuck Dixon and Mike Baron and a bunch of 90's writers it might have felt like a boring re-tread of watered down 90's comics. I guess I'm hoping there's could be a middle ground that could be fresh, exciting and deep but still satisfying as action-adventure stories. The best pre-Unity VH1 does that imo. I think stronger editing would help corral Kindt's wild ideas into more more straightforward stories that 'work'. But idk I'm just a fan looking at the final product. It does seem that comic book editing is more like a rubber stamp these days.

I think at his best, Kindt is actually great at doing that exact thing. His best books are extremely action-packed, with classic superhero moments like Ninjak's ridiculous escape from Roku in issue 4-5 and the time-acceleration in Divinity when Unity lived an entire life while just running at him. Overall, I just think Kindt is super unique, and doesn't really make comics like anyone else out there today.

[Ryan]

I think at his best, Kindt is actually great at doing that exact thing. His best books are extremely action-packed, with classic superhero moments like Ninjak's ridiculous escape from Roku in issue 4-5 and the time-acceleration in Divinity when Unity lived an entire life while just running at him. Overall, I just think Kindt is super unique, and doesn't really make comics like anyone else out there today.

That's good to hear. Admittedly I'm reacting to reading only a handful his Valiant books out of order and a vague comment in an interview. I want to hear from people who have read more and hear what his strengths are. I've always heard good things about that mind mgmt book he wrote and drew.

[possumgrease]

I thought his ninjak run was great. It particularly reads well all in one sitting.

I haven’t loved the X-O but I haven’t tried reading all at once either.

[TheFerg714]

I thought his ninjak run was great. It particularly reads well all in one sitting.

I haven’t loved the X-O but I haven’t tried reading all at once either.

It really really does!
I was pretty lukewarm on it while reading it month-by-month, but after rereading it all within a week (are you being serious about one sitting? 30 issues?) I absolutely loved it! I think it was a little frustrating how Operation: Deadside and Fist & Steel took you out of the main story for four months at a time, but it all feels like one epic, organic story without the long breaks. It honestly amazes me that he juggles five different timelines throughout the series, and he has such a good handle on the character.