XO Manowar #26 Discussion

[BugsySig]

The best thing about digital comics? Reading a new release on your couch at 9 AM during Summer Vacation.

This was a really good issue. I like that the main XO series is switching its perspective to give us more background on the Armor Hunters while AH and Unity bring us the major action of the crossover.

This is the tale of Reebo and Malgam and their first encounter with an XO armor. A nice little "origin" tale for the two and some good action as they hunt their first armor. We also get a first-hand look at the destruction an Armor can bring to a planet and why Reebo is so dead set on taking them out at any cost.

Excellent art again on this issue by Diego Bernard. You can also see why VDitti has excelled on Green Lantern, as this cosmic tale would fit right in with anything DC or Marvel produces.

[Chris Campbell]

Loved the switch in perspective. Has me very excited for the future of the Valiant universe.

[Keith]

Agreed with the above... love the change in perspective, and that the X-O Manowar issues will serve as the historical backdrop for the AH event. Can't wait to see the other Hunter's pasts explored, especially GIN-GR!

Enjoyed the issue, and appreciated seeing the damage one single armor is capable of unleashing on a world.

This issue got me thinking back to the VH1 days. It was so Spider-Alien heavy for so long, and when they tried introducing aliens later (i.e. the men in black from The Visitor), they seemed almost shoe-horned in. Glad to see that early on it is being established that this new Valiant Universe is teeming with alien life, and we're getting a sense of how "cosmic" in scale things really are.

[bribri]

Does anyone else think the mask on Reebo's right should looks like a Shadowman mask? Might be a stretch, but it has a very similar cut, including the points around the mouth.

[greg]

Anyone else think of Star Wars' Mos Eisley Cantina when they saw the bar full of aliens?

Anyone know the name of the band playing in the cantina (and Jabba's palace) from Star Wars?

[kjjohanson]

Agreed with the above... love the change in perspective, and that the X-O Manowar issues will serve as the historical backdrop for the AH event. Can't wait to see the other Hunter's pasts explored, especially GIN-GR!

I'm guessing that we're not going to get much in the way of origins from this, but mostly backstory. I'm guessing this is basically going to be the setup explaining what happened to Malgam.

[Elveen]

Anyone else think of Star Wars' Mos Eisley Cantina when they saw the bar full of aliens?

Anyone know the name of the band playing in the cantina (and Jabba's palace) from Star Wars?

Yes.

and not until I googled it.

[Tim]

Anyone else think of Star Wars' Mos Eisley Cantina when they saw the bar full of aliens?

Anyone know the name of the band playing in the cantina (and Jabba's palace) from Star Wars?

Yes.

and not until I googled it.

Figrin Dan and the Modal Nodes.

(and I didn't have to Google it.)

[cdgodin]

Anyone else think of Star Wars' Mos Eisley Cantina when they saw the bar full of aliens?

Anyone know the name of the band playing in the cantina (and Jabba's palace) from Star Wars?

Yes.

and not until I googled it.

Figrin Dan and the Modal Nodes.

(and I didn't have to Google it.)

Yeah, I knew it, I blanked on it a little though, been a while since I've read Tales of Mos Eisley Cantina.


Great issue. I'm really liking Bernard as the new series artist, his art is really awesome (also, makes me wonder if he drew the panel where it shook a little and blurred as that in pencils or whether that was added digitally.

[jmatt]

What a greeeeat issue. Heavy SW vibe early on. And I have to say, Count Dooku Primary Reebo is a name plucked straight from the SW guide on how to give characters catchy pop-culture names.

I love love love that the Valiant universe is throwing us a universe teeming with other civilizations. Gimme space opera!

Fantastic art and color! Great covers!

[cdgodin]

What a greeeeat issue. Heavy SW vibe early on. And I have to say, Count Dooku Primary Reebo is a name plucked straight from the SW guide on how to give characters catchy pop-culture names.

I love love love that the Valiant universe is throwing us a universe teeming with other civilizations. Gimme space opera!

Fantastic art and color! Great covers!

Which reminds me, if what I think is gonna happen, then Aric's people will die as a result of Armor Hunters. Maybe after that he'll just be fed up with Earth and start travelling the galaxy? It would be nice to see more of these aliens.

[kjjohanson]

I wonder what the status of the "Starwatchers" trademark is

[bygranddesign]

This was a great issue.

Definitely my favorite issue of the armor hunters event so far.

The art was superb!

And I appreciate Vditti's attempt to provide an alien vibe and feel while inventing some phrases that felt very much alien or otherworldly. Definitely a big Star Wars vibe with Primary Reebo giving off that Han Solo like aura. It's very much a departure from what I love about Valiant which is grounded realism in a superhero universe .. But it worked. It was enjoyable. The characters were fun. The story was a nice setup to the present day events.

I do hope though that after the AH invasion the space opera goes back into space.

[ilzuccone]

loved this issue. Wasn't expecting a backstory. I give Venditti props for creating some villains that aren't just bad for the sake of being bad.

the art team knocked it out of the park also.

[ilzuccone]

Anyone else think of Star Wars' Mos Eisley Cantina when they saw the bar full of aliens?

Anyone know the name of the band playing in the cantina (and Jabba's palace) from Star Wars?

Yes.

and not until I googled it.

Figrin Dan and the Modal Nodes.

(and I didn't have to Google it.)

Yeah, I knew it, I blanked on it a little though, been a while since I've read Tales of Mos Eisley Cantina.


Great issue. I'm really liking Bernard as the new series artist, his art is really awesome (also, makes me wonder if he drew the panel where it shook a little and blurred as that in pencils or whether that was added digitally.

Digitally for sure.

[Elveen]

loved this issue. Wasn't expecting a backstory. I give Venditti props for creating some villains that aren't just bad for the sake of being bad.

the art team knocked it out of the park also.

My favortirte part was.......

Are they "villians"?

[kjjohanson]

loved this issue. Wasn't expecting a backstory. I give Venditti props for creating some villains that aren't just bad for the sake of being bad.

Quite the contrary to that, in fact. I think this arc is going to serve to take Primary and Malgam from being anti-heroes to begin with up to a point where we're going to be very sympathetic to the mission of the Armor Hunters.

[Captain Craig]

A superb issue that is another "genesis/origin" for the Armor Hunters.
It was no accident that the bar scene reminded us of Mos Eisley cantina, that was on purpose no doubt. A recent issue of Guardians of the Galaxy(#15 I think) also did this with the market bazaar. To the point though, did I spy a Spider-Alien in back right of the bar?

So my question is was someone in that suit of armor? The visor didn't reveal it? Based on the idea that Shanhara sat motionless in the Vine temple I'd come to assume the armor needed a host to fully function. Further evidenced by how the one that is grafting itself onto Malgam as we saw in XO#24. Why then would Shanhara sit idle in a Vine temple if the "nature" of the armor was armageddon and death? Could some armors be evil, others not? How much self reliance to they have? Are they intelligent or just reactionary. Shanhara seemed to "react" in a rewarding way to Livewire, right? Yet the armor didn't seem to take to Gafti, yes?
The Vine was good to it, Shanhara did nothing and was passive. Other armors abused, lashed out in a primary, emotional rage and appear evil?

When I have good questions from a book that make look forward to the next installment the writer has done their job. BRAVO.
Well done, I can't wait to see where this is going!!!

[ilzuccone]

loved this issue. Wasn't expecting a backstory. I give Venditti props for creating some villains that aren't just bad for the sake of being bad.

the art team knocked it out of the park also.

My favortirte part was.......

Are they "villians"?

the bests villains don't think they are villains! Venditti is setting up Aric and the hunters to be BOTH both hero and villain. love it.

There's a small part of me that senses and dreads a team up between the two groups. i hope not

[Phoenix8008]

So my question is was someone in that suit of armor? The visor didn't reveal it? Based on the idea that Shanhara sat motionless in the Vine temple I'd come to assume the armor needed a host to fully function. Further evidenced by how the one that is grafting itself onto Malgam as we saw in XO#24. Why then would Shanhara sit idle in a Vine temple if the "nature" of the armor was armageddon and death? Could some armors be evil, others not? How much self reliance to they have? Are they intelligent or just reactionary. Shanhara seemed to "react" in a rewarding way to Livewire, right? Yet the armor didn't seem to take to Gafti, yes?
The Vine was good to it, Shanhara did nothing and was passive. Other armors abused, lashed out in a primary, emotional rage and appear evil?

Here's a crazy theory for you...

What happened to the bodies of all of the vine soldiers in the ship Aric was imprisoned on who tried to bond with Shanhara and died? Could they have been scattered throughout space as the colony ship flew around? Maybe even winiding up on alien worlds with a little piece of the armor growing and taking over the corpse until there is enough of it there to 'animate'? Maybe the dead hosts only bring death and destruction while the armor finding an acceptible living host in Aric has no such compulsion. But the Armor Hunters may have only been dealing with the other kind and not even know the difference! How's that for a wild theory?!

[Sir Sandrick]

I liked the issue quite a bit. It was a strong read even if it had 0% Aric and Shanhara in it. The action sequences were nicely planned out and the art was top notch. It definitely borrows a lot from SW and Mass Effect but I am interested in these Armor Hunters a bit more now. Looking forward to where it is heading.

[KXXX]

So are Reebo and Malgam human? If so, what does that mean?

[greg]

I guess I messed up my Star Wars connection.

The bar reminded me of Mos Eisley cantina, but I was also trying to hint that the name Reebo is awfully close to Star Wars musician Max Rebo.

I don't know why I thought Max Rebo played the cantina.

[KXXX]

I guess I messed up my Star Wars connection.

The bar reminded me of Mos Eisley cantina, but I was also trying to hint that the name Reebo is awfully close to Star Wars musician Max Rebo.

I don't know why I thought Max Rebo played the cantina.

Technically I think he did, just not in the movies

[Captain Craig]

So my question is was someone in that suit of armor? The visor didn't reveal it? Based on the idea that Shanhara sat motionless in the Vine temple I'd come to assume the armor needed a host to fully function. Further evidenced by how the one that is grafting itself onto Malgam as we saw in XO#24. Why then would Shanhara sit idle in a Vine temple if the "nature" of the armor was armageddon and death? Could some armors be evil, others not? How much self reliance to they have? Are they intelligent or just reactionary. Shanhara seemed to "react" in a rewarding way to Livewire, right? Yet the armor didn't seem to take to Gafti, yes?
The Vine was good to it, Shanhara did nothing and was passive. Other armors abused, lashed out in a primary, emotional rage and appear evil?

Here's a crazy theory for you...

What happened to the bodies of all of the vine soldiers in the ship Aric was imprisoned on who tried to bond with Shanhara and died? Could they have been scattered throughout space as the colony ship flew around? Maybe even winiding up on alien worlds with a little piece of the armor growing and taking over the corpse until there is enough of it there to 'animate'? Maybe the dead hosts only bring death and destruction while the armor finding an acceptible living host in Aric has no such compulsion. But the Armor Hunters may have only been dealing with the other kind and not even know the difference! How's that for a wild theory?!

Are you suggesting then that The Vine, for the centuries they've had Shanhara and testing suit bearers that failed have actually been seeding the armors by accident throughout the known galaxy? That because they are just a piece of a whole that is why they are unstable? Shanhara then is a defacto "queen" and the out of control armors are "bad seeds"? Since the Vine travel in "out of time" ships and LOAM is so far away that news of other armors just passed them by because they weren't in "real time" contact with any other species then?