Look, the art was beyond amazing and arguably the best thing, or at least right at the top, youve seen on the shelves in recent memory but dont let that make you take Vendittis story for granted. Its deep and subtle and really speaks to the foundation of the character that now has the entire planet on his shoulders. Venditti is a master craftsman thats been paired with a couple of artists who went above and beyond the call of duty and theyve combined to create something that will stay with you long after youve filed it away. Consider this the new benchmark. Read Full Review

Next up is the start of a new arc, Armorines, and I'm excited to see what happens there and whether Aric's ruminations of his old days and the friends he lost have any significant on it. Read Full Review

X-O Manowar #0 is a comic book that highlights the core of its protagonist without wasting the time of his primary audience. For that reason this extra issue does enough to justify itself as it come highly recommended. Read Full Review

X-O Manowar #0 is a successful origin story that shows Aric's deepest motivations and how he not only became one of the greatest warriors in Earth's history but why he fights even to this day. To focus on his first battle and his actions prior as opposed to endless battles was entertaining, revealing and added a unique wrinkle to the fabric of this hero. And the artwork shined throughout with the details making each panel that much sweeter as the story progressed. If you're a fan of X-O Manowar or was just introduced to the character during the Armor Hunters event then you need to check out this issue because you'll gain a greater appreciation of the character. Read Full Review

X-O Manowar #0 is a zero issue worth reading. I'm very skeptical about zero issues for the fact that they tend to be used as quick ways to make a buck off of popular characters, though this one is fairly enjoyable. Through all the action you can still find yourself humbled by the way Aric's past shaped the way he is now. Read Full Review

This zero is a great one that does more than simply get the job done; we get to delve a little more into Arics history as we see just who he is and what he has been through. This issue then shows us the present day, where we see a man unchanged by the trials and tribulations of love, death and war. This issue is the perfect break between arcs as it not only entertains it also educates. Read Full Review

Aric's shift from protecting a small group of people to all people was something that Armor Hunters was partially about, and we get that told in a different way here. Going back to his past, showing how he went from being protected to being engaged in protecting others was the kind of trial by fire that forges many warriors over the centuries. Aric, as we know him in the present, is ideally suited for it and far more adaptable than many of his brethren would likely ever be. The past is handled quite well and you feel he's more humanized in a way that we didn't truly see in Armor Hunters since that was filled with so many characters. Add in a nice couple of pages to cement things in the present and the commitments, he has there, and the influence he has as well on the next generation, and you can see how he'll have a lot to live up to in the years to come. Read Full Review

X-O Manowar # 0 is a great attempt to captivate new readers. The combination of stunning artwork and simple plot can attest to that. I, personally, got hooked into X-O Manowar because of it and I'm reading back-issues because of it and will definitely watch out for upcoming issues. I wanted to give this a highly recommended rating but I didn't like the plot/story progression. The story feels cramped and forcefully contained to not affect current and planned plots. If there was a X-O Manowar # 0.1, I would definitely read it just to see where the story goes. Read Full Review

Instead, the story cleverly transitions not to present day but to the near future, foreshadowing future events in the series, accompanied by another pair of superb splash pages by Mann, Mann and Fajardo. "X-O Manowar" #0 isn't an essential issue to have, but all creators involved make a great case to pick it up anyway; in the wake of the excellent "Armor Hunters," this issue is a nice bridge between that event and upcoming issues, making this a good place for new readers to take a look, and for existing ones to settle in for what's next. Read Full Review

So overall its a good issue in that I ended up caring about the character in the past. But would I want to read about the different person we meet at the end, who makes up the rest of the season? I'm not so sure. Read Full Review

Good, but skippable

Mann's art elevates an otherwise very generic issue

A decent issue, even if the price should be lower. Its a good back-history tale that has some guts to show the hero in the light that it does. Humanizing and worthwhile for character development alone.

A story about Aric's personal history and motivations is a welcome way to settle out of the bloated action of Armor Hunters. It's a timely issue to bring in new readers who may be curious after reading Armor Hunters but I wouldn't say that this is a must read, due to the inconsequential, self-contained nature of the story. In fact, regular readers wouldn't even miss this if it were absent from their collection.