X-O Manowar #9

The Vine have entered earth’s atmosphere, ready for a first wave of attacks, as Aric is prepared to give them a full taste of Shanhara power Visigoth style! Things are about to heat up in the prelude to “Planet Death”.

The Team

Written by Robert Venditti (The Surrogates Vol. 1) & illustrated by Trevor Hairsine (X-Men : Deadly Genesis, Ultimate Galactus Trilogy). Published by Valiant.

The Pros & Cons

Yee-haw! I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since Aric strapped on the x-o suit. The Vine have pretty much had enough of Aric’s abuse of their fancy Shanhara and have waged war on him & the citizens of earth. Sending a few colony ships to earth, they unleash a couple of Vine troops with suits of armours of their own. Unfortunately for them, they’re no match for the Iron Visigoth, who engages them in a bloody battle and proceeds to mop the floor with them.

The thing I like about the Vine is that they’re not pushovers either, Admiral Xylem viciously tortures a human for information about Aric & the armour, they’re pissed and it shows. I also like the fact that Aric & Shanhara’s symbiosis seem to develop, as the armour reveals new tricks & abilities throughout the series. Tony Stark wishes he had this armour.

Venditti’s writing on this title is like fine wine, it just seems to get better with age. He has a familiar handle on the characters and their environments, as he dishes out one kick ass issue after another. New to this title is illustrator Trevor Hairsine, who’s frightening renditions of the Vine make them look like the true spider alien monsters that they are.

The Outcome

The action is tight and the illustrations are hot. This is a great issue and an even greater start to what will probably be the best story arc this title has ever had. Bring it on!