Re-Reading: X-O Manowar #6

[xoken]

I thought we could do a book a day (that way people can read one every day or catch up on weekends), talk about it on its own, in the context of whats next, in regards to what expectations it creates and vote on how good it is. I don't have to be the one that posts everyday. If I miss a day or if someone wants to take over please do

For voting think of your single favourite comic book (not just VALIANT) as the benchmark - thats a 10 - and grade according to that.

Make sure to mention what you like'd about the book, what you didn't, what you wish they would have done, your favourite panels, lines of dialogue, little bits of trivia etc.

X-O Manowar #6

[magnusr]

What a let-down. Last issue was exciting almost without action. This issue is boring despite the action. And for some reason I find myself wanting Ax to win. I guess the whole point is just too much forced on me. Aric is a warrior and Ax is just a boy. Ok, I get it. No need to exaggerate the demonstration. Aric on the other hand suddenly does not need much information to understand exactly what is happening. And even for a worth-less warrior like Ax commando-class armor should do better than the end of this story.

/Magnus

[Todd Luck]

This issue doesn't have the depth of other fights that lasted entires issues like Solar 4 and 8. But it doesn't have to. The goal here is to have a beautifully rendered epic battle in the air (and water) and it works.

The interesting thing here is that Ax's armor is infinately inferior as are his combat skills. He's actually the underdog here thnking of ways to hinder Aric but never being able to stop him. The story manages to use Ax's vulnerability to build it's suspense and danger.

And then suddenly at the end, we get a total reversal. Ax manages to stop the X-O armor, putting Aric in the frying pan. But the irony is that Aric manages to kick his a$$ worse without his armor. Agian we see Aric as the muderous monster, this time through Ax's terrified eyes (I actually felt sorry for him in the scene).

The ending is nice twist and nicely disturbing.

A good issue. An 8

[jedimarley]

Is it me? Or is Ax a villian that had alot of potential?

Good story and art. 9

[Daniel Jackson]

Is it me? Or is Ax a villian that had alot of potential?

I always thought so too.

[jedimarley]

So many titles lacking a good villian. Ax would have perfect.

[Todd Luck]

Aric on the other hand suddenly does not need much information to understand exactly what is happening. And even for a worth-less warrior like Ax commando-class armor should do better than the end of this story.

/Magnus

Well they explain cover Aric's "quick" understanding the first page were he commands the armor to tell him everything that's been going on. It still takes him a few pages to wrap his brain around what Ax can do.

And I don't think it's a command class armor because a) it doesn't look like any commando class armor we've ever seen b) we know a commando class can take more damage c) Aric remarks that the armor is enhancing Ax's psychic abilities, something a commando class can't do d) Ax wouldn't have been as amazed that the Manowar was alive last issue if he already had a living alien armor.

I always got the impression that Ax made it himself with the technology he found, just like the arms and the flying devices. I mean the spider aliens wouldn't just leave a war armor in an abandoned base would they?

Homemade is always inferior to the brand name

[Todd Luck]

Is it me? Or is Ax a villian that had alot of potential?

And then Jim Shooter left...

"And that's all I got to say about that."

[xoken]

So many titles lacking a good villian. Ax would have perfect.

I was always thought he would have been a good one for bloodshot. After all he could control the very thing that gives bloodshot his strength. They did try to use him there but the writing just never took advantage of the characters.

[xoken]

Aric on the other hand suddenly does not need much information to understand exactly what is happening. And even for a worth-less warrior like Ax commando-class armor should do better than the end of this story.

/Magnus

Well they explain cover Aric's "quick" understanding the first page were he commands the armor to tell him everything that's been going on. It still takes him a few pages to wrap his brain around what Ax can do.

And I don't think it's a command class armor because a) it doesn't look like any commando class armor we've ever seen b) we know a commando class can take more damage c) Aric remarks that the armor is enhancing Ax's psychic abilities, something a commando class can't do d) Ax wouldn't have been as amazed that the Manowar was alive last issue if he already had a living alien armor.

I always got the impression that Ax made it himself with the technology he found, just like the arms and the flying devices. I mean the spider aliens wouldn't just leave a war armor in an abandoned base would they?

Homemade is always inferior to the brand name

I've always wondered about this myself. For a long while I thought it was commando class but he would have been far more powerful with one of those. He does say its a manowar. And he was suprised to learn that the X-O was alive (commando class is alive too right?). I think Todd Luck's got a good theory. He probably built it, maybe with some alien manowar materials.

[xoken]

double post

[xoken]

[xoken]

What a let-down. Last issue was exciting almost without action. This issue is boring despite the action. And for some reason I find myself wanting Ax to win. I guess the whole point is just too much forced on me. Aric is a warrior and Ax is just a boy. Ok, I get it. No need to exaggerate the demonstration. Aric on the other hand suddenly does not need much information to understand exactly what is happening. And even for a worth-less warrior like Ax commando-class armor should do better than the end of this story.

/Magnus

In a way I agree, but then I think we're a little spoiled . This is not as good as the battles that we'd previously seen in the Valiant Universe and no where near as good as the X-O fight from Solar #7. I think that was intentional - that this was meant to be a battle between a homemade manowar and a one controlled by a primitive who didn't know what he was doing. The fight builds well, the end on the beach makes sense and Aric beating Ax without the armor is a great ending. The problem is that it feels rushed, it feels like a first draft of the story. A LOT of things are too on the nose, the subtext is way to clear and there's a little confusion as to what type of armor Ax is using.

Also, and this might just be me (please let me know what you all think) but Shooter's dialogue always felt the worst on his X-O issues.

[xoken]

[Todd Luck]

Also, and this might just be me (please let me know what you all think) but Shooter's dialogue always felt the worst on his X-O issues.

Judging from the response to issue 5 it looks most people liked (or loved) Shooter's dialog on X-O. Maybe you're just upset because you like the goat urine they call beer. Ofcourse Shooter only did the dialog on issues 2, 5 and first the few pages of issue 1.

Oh, and you got some serious double and triple posting going on in this thread (darn board goblins!)

[xoken]

Also, and this might just be me (please let me know what you all think) but Shooter's dialogue always felt the worst on his X-O issues.

Judging from the response to issue 5 it looks most people liked (or loved) Shooter's dialog on X-O. Maybe you're just upset because you like the goat urine they call beer. Ofcourse Shooter only did the dialog on issues 2, 5 and first the few pages of issue 1.

Oh, and you got some serious double and triple posting going on in this thread (darn board goblins!)

woohoo, unintentional post bumping

[Daniel Jackson]

I enjoyed reading this and it looked as though Ax was going to get the upper hand on Aric for awhile. I liked the line towards the end after Aric made Ax get out of his suit...you smell of urine jackal, and you wear the yellow stain of fear. Ha, ha.. that's Ax all right.