A review by tmaluck
X-O Manowar Volume 1: By the Sword by Robert Venditti
3.0
I enjoyed the pulpy, action-adventure mix of historical origins and sci-fi hero's quest - "an ancient nomadic warrior Aric is abducted by aliens and turns out to be worthy of their superpowered suit of armor just in time to come back to earth in the modern day," with all the trappings of Aric missing his old way of life and not understanding what's happened since then. Between The Force Awakens and this book, I've seen a lot of space-age claymores. Nord's artwork is up to the task of showing off the disparate settings (ancient field of battle, alien jail & plantation, modern-day Colosseum), and the action satisfies in all four issues collected here.
However, this book has a problem with women, and it's particularly bothersome because of how this book frames itself within the Valiant universe. A foreword (and lots of marketing) points to X-O Manowar as a launch point for the Valiant universe, a shot fired across the bows of Marvel and DC. Good for them! Show the big two the errors of their ways! Subvert some cliches and show us what superhero comics can really do! When Aric has a flashback to his passionate nights with his wife then wakes up and mourns her absence, I can almost let the trope slide. He's not just fighting for his freedom, he's fighting... for love! ...Or he would be, but his flashback shows that she only existed to love him physically (when he's away in battle, she "thinks of new tactics" to use on him, nice fantasizing there Venditti). Is Aric the ancient nomad warrior only aware of murder and sex? Is he the equivalent of a caveman crossed with Iron Man's armor and a lightsaber?
At the end of the book, the perspective shifts to a new character (I suspect Ninjak, Valiant's equivalent of Bruce Wayne) who's watching the news of Aric's arrival on Earth while two women pine for him in bed, observing that perhaps it's the "other" ladies' turns with him. He steps out of his bedroom and there's a whole waiting room of young women waiting for their number to be called to sleep with the billionaire playboy. Watch out, Aric the bold warrior who challenged the Roman empire, you're about to go toe to toe with... some lothario? I appreciate the division of characterizations, but there's a side effect that I hope was unintentional:
Unless I missed a background cameo, these scenes tell me that the only roles for women in the series are "fondly remembered nympho wife" and "prostitutes for the male rival." This element of the story is a cringeworthy blind spot that should be addressed in later volumes. As it stands, based on the first book, this pulpy adventure hits some fun beats but is not at all what I would recommend to people interested in trying out the Valiant universe beyond seeing "Who's Manowar? Okay, back to the great stuff."
However, this book has a problem with women, and it's particularly bothersome because of how this book frames itself within the Valiant universe. A foreword (and lots of marketing) points to X-O Manowar as a launch point for the Valiant universe, a shot fired across the bows of Marvel and DC. Good for them! Show the big two the errors of their ways! Subvert some cliches and show us what superhero comics can really do! When Aric has a flashback to his passionate nights with his wife then wakes up and mourns her absence, I can almost let the trope slide. He's not just fighting for his freedom, he's fighting... for love! ...Or he would be, but his flashback shows that she only existed to love him physically (when he's away in battle, she "thinks of new tactics" to use on him, nice fantasizing there Venditti). Is Aric the ancient nomad warrior only aware of murder and sex? Is he the equivalent of a caveman crossed with Iron Man's armor and a lightsaber?
At the end of the book, the perspective shifts to a new character (I suspect Ninjak, Valiant's equivalent of Bruce Wayne) who's watching the news of Aric's arrival on Earth while two women pine for him in bed, observing that perhaps it's the "other" ladies' turns with him. He steps out of his bedroom and there's a whole waiting room of young women waiting for their number to be called to sleep with the billionaire playboy. Watch out, Aric the bold warrior who challenged the Roman empire, you're about to go toe to toe with... some lothario? I appreciate the division of characterizations, but there's a side effect that I hope was unintentional:
Unless I missed a background cameo, these scenes tell me that the only roles for women in the series are "fondly remembered nympho wife" and "prostitutes for the male rival." This element of the story is a cringeworthy blind spot that should be addressed in later volumes. As it stands, based on the first book, this pulpy adventure hits some fun beats but is not at all what I would recommend to people interested in trying out the Valiant universe beyond seeing "Who's Manowar? Okay, back to the great stuff."