X-O Manowar (2012) #1

May 6, 2012, 2012

Title: Blades and Open Fields

Writer: Robert Venditti
Pencils: Cary Nord
Inks: Stefano Gaudiano
Letters: Dave Lanphear
Colors: Moose Baumann
Cover Art: Esad Ribic, David Aja, Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic, Cary Nord
Editor: Warren Simons
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment

In 402 A.D., an army of Visigoths prepare to face the forces of Rome. Outnumbered and outmatched, the warrior called Aric refuses to back down – a determination that serves him well when he is taken captive… not by the Romans, but by alien colonists looking at Earth as their next target.

In fairness, I should tell you guys that I am a huge fan of old-school Valiant Comics. They came into their own as a publisher at roughly the same time I really began to expand as a reader, and as such, there’s always been a soft spot in my heart for them. That said, I’d like to say I’m objective enough to admit if the book sucked. I’m glad to say it doesn’t. Robert Venditti has captured the flavor of Aric of Dacia nicely, presenting a rebooted character that feels very similar to the original. If there had never been an X-O Manowar #0 from the original Valiant Comics, this story could easily fit with the rest of the regular series.

That’s not to say, however, that the book is married to the original. There’s a very interesting subplot introduced in this book that doesn’t seem to play into anything that was done with the character in the old universe, but that’s just fine. Let ‘em try something a little different. As long as it feels true to the character, I welcome it.

Cary Nord does some excellent work here. The book looks like a sword-and-sorcery comic, a style that would fit in with the likes of Conan the Barbarian (which Nord has done before). When the sci-fi elements arrive, though, they don’t look out of place. Aric fits with the world of the alien spaceships and armor that are essential to the story at hand.

I’m ecstatic to have the Valiant Universe back to begin with. I’m even happier that the first issue starts things off so well.

Rating: 8/10

The Immortal Iron Fist #4

April 1, 2007

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: The Last Iron Fist Story Part Four
Rating: T+

Iron Fist fights side-by-side with… Iron Fist!

Writers: Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction
Art: David Aja, Travel Foreman, Derek Fridolfs, Sal Buscema, Tom Palmer
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Dave Lanphear
Editor: Warren Simons
Cover Art: David Aja
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Danny Rand and Orson Randall, the two men bearing the power of Iron Fist, prepare for battle. As an evil counterpart amasses his strength and the forces of Hydra prepare to stand against them, Danny finds that he has a great deal to learn about the very source from which he draws his power.

This is really a difficult book to review, and not because it’s particularly good or particularly bad. In fact, the thing that makes it hard is simply that it’s not either. There’s nothing wrong with the story, strictly speaking, it’s just that Iron Fist has never been a character I find particularly engaging. Now a good writer can overcome that problem and make you get excited anyway (Matt Fraction has been able to inspire just that reaction from me in regards to Punisher War Journal), but this book doesn’t do it. It’s a little hard to accept that a character that’s been around as long as Danny Rand hasn’t ever considered the source of his power before, and while the idea of Iron Fist with guns makes for a good visual, it seems sort of contradictory to the basic premise of the character.

The artwork is good for the most part. Three different art teams handle different aspects of the comics, and while some of the transitions are jarring, the styles all fit the story fairly well. Getting Sal Buscema to handle some of the more 70s-esque sequences was a nice touch.

Ultimately, this is a book that hovers in the mid-level of quality. It’s good enough to satisfy a real fan of the character, but it’s really not good enough to make people who aren’t already invested start to care.

Rating: 6/10

Immortal Iron Fist #2

December 26, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: The Last Iron Fist Story Part 2
Rating: T+

When Danny goes down, he gets help from an old friend.

Writers: Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction
Art: David Aja, Travel Foreman & Derek Fridolfs, John Severin
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth, Dean White
Letters: Dave Lanphear
Editor: Warren Simons
Cover Art: David Aja
Publisher: Marvel Comics

When Danny Rand takes a nasty fall, he summons help in the form of Night Nurse and his old partner, Luke Cage. Luke’s got bad news about other people using their old “Heroes For Hire” name, but Luke has bigger problems – someone else appears to be using the power of the Iron Fist. Perhaps more than one someone.

Iron Fist is one of those characters I’ve only had the briefest association with in the past. I don’t know too much about his past or the nature of his powers, other than the idea that he runs on his “Chi” somehow. This book doesn’t clue new readers in on too much about how his power works, but the implication is clear – the Iron Fist isn’t something that originated with Danny Rand, and apparently it’s only supposed to be wielded by one person at a time. New or not, this is an interesting angle. The book does feel like a Daredevil spin-off, though, using Danny’s recent spotlight as Matt Murdock’s replacement as a launching pad for this book. There’s plenty of Brubaker-esque introspective scenes while he warms up, and there are a few other great sequences showing other characters using the power.

David Aja handles the main artwork, and his style is similar enough to Alex Maleev and Michael Lark to continue casting this title as Torchwood to Daredevil’s Doctor Who. It’s good, don’t misunderstand, but it’s more of the same. Travel Foreman and Derek Fridolfs handle the opening scene with a more traditional style, and John Severin does a fantastic job on an unexpected World War II sequence. He’s one of my favorite classic artists, and it’s nice to see him being put to such good use.

This is kind of a weird little title, and it’s hard to know exactly what to make of it yet. But that may turn out to be a strength of the series, if Brubaker and Matt Fraction can handle it right.

Rating: 7/10