I must admit these guys from Valiant are surprising and impressing the hell out of me with each of the comics I read from them. Some more than others because of personal likes and dislikes, as with everything, but there’s a common point in all of their stories: They strive for originality and bucking the norm.
That being said, I was reluctant about staring with X-O Manowar #47. Such a high issue number and not having read anything from the book before left me intimidated me at first and, being honest here, there was a point when I just wanted to skip this book as it sat in my review pool. That being said I’m very glad I decided not to!
The story written by Robert Venditti is great! It’s fast paced, homogeneous with everything having its own time to breathe, and has a great overall spirit. Each page keeps you glued to it thanks to the pacing and you’ll start wondering what is going to happen next after each scene.
For me, X-O Manowar #47 has a number of elements similar to those of science fiction staples Star Wars’ and Star Trek. I’m not going to say “clichés” because it would give the wrong perception, but there are some ideas that are really easy to recognize, like a common point these three stories share.
The flashback sequences by De la Torre and White were also kind of bittersweet. The contrast it provides is big enough to clash with the rest of the comic. They are not even similar at all, and that doesn’t look good at first sight because of the whiplash it hits you with.
These scenes made me think I was going to be reading an old-fashioned issue, something risky to do with sci-fi as I see it, but right when I was starting to get used to it and accepting what I was seeing, the change between this and the next style left me confused. It’s like these contrasting pages were made to magnify the aesthetic of everything that comes next.
Bennet, Loerzer and Arreola did something better with a style suiting better Venditti’s plot line. It’s the kind of art you would more expect to see in a contemporary comic. More distinct coloring, more story focus, more explosions and action which is really nice.
For the Gods, I just have to say that it was all excellent as a complete package. The many little details we get within the book is amazing in all right ways, and have that “divinity” air that is hard to do in comics. I would have liked it if we had a translation of what they said in that language, but I guess a little mystery is good for us all.
Maybe the only real problem I see is that I find a lack of real dialogue when it comes to the gods themselves. I felt like they were more idiots and not these divine beings, and I hope this changes in the following issues.
Maybe this issue didn’t have the best start, but it certainly had a great end and solid promise for the following issues. As I said, sci-fi is not my thing and I really can’t relate to that genre, but this comic has an underlying fantasy theme that makes it easier to read and draws in new readers..
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