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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2017 12:34:30 GMT -5
A check of my issues tells me that I actually have all 3 X-O Manowar #1's.
I'd forgotten that I won a Mark Waid signed copy of the 1997 one in my LCS's comic-con scavenger hunt. I also have those Ron Marz penned Birthquake issues, surely due to the Crossgen connection. Apparently, I have a bigger X-O collection than I would have thought.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2017 15:39:08 GMT -5
X-O (1992) had been a great title up to the point the powers that be decided to "revitalize" (I guess) the mag by tearing everything down and killing all the supporting characters. That's rarely, if ever, a good idea. The early issues had been very entertaining, however, especially with the added bonus of some Barry Windsor-Smith art. I loved that time dilation was considered when alien ships travelled at almost the speed of light; I loved how Aric managed to return to the present when stuck in the past; I loved how the original Valiant timeline was already known and how past, present and future all meshed beautifully. (That last aspect was dropped in the latter years of the line, alas). I agree. Valiant had more realistic science than DC or Marvel. I liked that at first it was planned out. |
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Post by hondobrode on Feb 5, 2017 21:53:26 GMT -5
I have the solitary vote for the current series.
The original was fantastic. Acclaim was good but not as good, at least for X-O.
The just concluded version by Robert Vendetti has been outstanding, and IMO, the best of the three.
In fact, I've enjoyed all versions, but feel the current incarnations are the best, and are the only new comics I now regularly follow besides Doom Patrol.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Feb 6, 2017 11:24:25 GMT -5
X-O (1992) had been a great title up to the point the powers that be decided to "revitalize" (I guess) the mag by tearing everything down and killing all the supporting characters. That's rarely, if ever, a good idea. The early issues had been very entertaining, however, especially with the added bonus of some Barry Windsor-Smith art. I loved that time dilation was considered when alien ships travelled at almost the speed of light; I loved how Aric managed to return to the present when stuck in the past; I loved how the original Valiant timeline was already known and how past, present and future all meshed beautifully. (That last aspect was dropped in the latter years of the line, alas). I agree. Valiant had more realistic science than DC or Marvel. I liked that at first it was planned out. Absolutely. Much as it's grouped into the superhero genre, Valiant was first and foremost a science fiction universe. Magnus, Solar, Rai, and X-O are all sci-fi concepts with no particular concern for crime fighting at first. Even Harbinger blurs the lines. I think Shadowman was probably their first title that landed more clearly in the superhero genre. |
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Roquefort Raider
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Feb 6, 2017 17:01:45 GMT -5
I agree. Valiant had more realistic science than DC or Marvel. I liked that at first it was planned out. Absolutely. Much as it's grouped into the superhero genre, Valiant was first and foremost a science fiction universe. Magnus, Solar, Rai, and X-O are all sci-fi concepts with no particular concern for crime fighting at first. Even Harbinger blurs the lines. I think Shadowman was probably their first title that landed more clearly in the superhero genre. I'd say so too, but even Shadowman became a kind of adventure-mystery book when he dropped the leotard and started wearing regular clothes apart from the mask. Early Valiant was a great line. A rare example of a top-down engineered line that actually works. |
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Post by String on Feb 7, 2017 15:34:49 GMT -5
My vote is for the 2012 re-launch.
V-Ditti provides solid storytelling with strong characterization in all of his work. If you read his entire X-O run, you see Aric grow from a young hot-headed, proud warrior leading a slave revolt to a mature leader and king of a freed people struggling to make new lives for themselves on Earth. Throw in the angle of being a nominal leader of an cadre of alien X-O warriors and you have the foundations of a unique corner of the Valiant Universe.
I think Armor Hunters was his best event for Valiant, it had a nice epic scale to it and the X-O tie-in issues of the event, focusing on the origins of the alien armor hunters, had a great Star Wars-type vibe to them, made them really fun to read and it was representative of a type of book that I still think Valiant needs.
His collaboration with Cary Nord was breathtaking, I would put Nord's work here on par with his Conan work with Busiek.
V-Ditti's title also provided strong stability for the Valiant line as they dealt with the changes surrounding Harbinger and the tumult around the Bloodshot and Shadowman titles.
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