The comic is designed to be both a continuation of the X-O Manowar story and a great starting point for new readers, which explains the inclusion of the origen story.
Can’t wait? Don’t worry, we interviewed Venditti. He reflected on the series a bit, explained why Aric is such a jerk (or is he?), and teased what’s coming up for Valiant’s Visigoth.
Still can't wait? At the bottom of this interview we also have a preview of X-O Manowar #23, the first part of the Prelude to Armor Hunters, on sale March 19. IGN Comics: X-O Manowar launched the newly reformed Valiant Universe. When you were brought on, did you imagine you'd be around for 25 issues and beyond?
Robert Venditti: X-O Manowar #1 was the first issue of a monthly comic book series that I’d ever written, so I didn’t know what to expect. I hoped I’d at least make it a year, and I really hoped I’d make it two. So to be at #25 now, and to be planning through #30 and beyond, I feel very fortunate.
IGN: What is it about this character that you think appeals to fans? He's kinda a jerk a lot of the time, although there are other things that redeem the character.
Venditti: Is he a jerk? He may seem that way to our modern-day sensibilities, but if he were in his own time, he’d meet that era’s definition of a hero down to the last detail. Look at a character like William Wallace in Braveheart. He beheads the Duke of York and sends his head in a basket to the King of England, and we as an audience cheer him for it. If one of our military leaders did that today, however, it’d be a source of national shame. The measuring stick is always changing.
I think that’s what makes Aric so unique and entertaining to watch. His actions are at the same time questionable yet completely justified because he represents a clash of cultures in a very extreme sense of the word. So he can conquer Bucharest and reclaim his ancestral homeland in X-O Manowar, and we view him as a hero. Meanwhile, in Unity, he’s seen as a villain for doing the exact same thing. Ultimately, that’s what I want X-O Manowar to be — a study of heroism as a concept and how it changes over time. With, you know, sword skewering and laser blasts to keep readers engaged.
IGN: Oh we know, alright! Now that we are 25 issues in, are we going to start seeing Aric accept the modern world more? As you mentioned, he's not exactly made out for modern times.
Venditti: That’s a key focus of the new status quo coming out of the “Unity” storyline. Aric’s confrontation with the Unity team is going to teach him some hard lessons about the modern world. He’ll be turning over a new leaf, to the extent that the powers who want to control him will allow him to do so. He freed a multitude of human slaves from their alien captors, but even that, Aric will discover, comes with a cost.
IGN: You've had some incredible art teams join you on the title. What has been the visual tone you’ve wanted to strike with this series?
Venditti: The main thing I’ve wanted to keep consistent throughout the series is an epic feel. I never wanted to box in the action. Valiant has been great about always bringing in artists who excel at that style of storytelling. Cary Nord, Lee Garbett, Trevor Hairsine, Vicente Cifuentes, Stefano Gaudiano — these artists all bring a sense of grand scale and scope to their work. And Diego Bernard, who readers haven’t seen yet but they will in issues #23 and #24, is no exception. He just finished drawing what could be the most important confrontation in the series to date, and he completely nailed it.
IGN: We are looking forward to seeing his work. So, Armor Hunters. Since Aric is currently without the armor in the comic, is it safe to assume he'll be regaining control? Harada can't be cool with that.
Venditti: Well, as we learned in issue #21, Aric isn’t without the Manowar armor as much as his outward appearance may suggest. There’s much more going on below the surface, and all of it will lead to gigantic revelations during the Armor Hunters event. The end of the “Unity” storyline is the beginning of Aric’s greatest challenge yet. Everything readers think they know about the armor is about to be turned on its head.
IGN: Anything else you’d like to add or tease before we close out?
Venditti: Keep reading. We’ve come a long way together on X-O Manowar, but the best is still to come! Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Game of Thrones, or Green Lantern are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.
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