X-O Manowar Volume 7: Armor Hunters

As others have said despite being billed as X-O Manowar Volume 7 the title character has little more than a fleeting appearance in this story. Instead we get the back story on  X-O Manowar Volume 6: Prelude to Armor Hunters  villain Malgam and The Armor Hunters, stars of Valiants 2014 Event Series. In that comic, the Armor Hunters seem quite cold and brutal, their sole purpose to destroy the Manowar Armor wherever it may appear in the Galaxy. This volume adds depths to the characters, as Reebo & Malgam are humanised and we see why Reebo has become the cold hearted killer he is in the main event and why Malgam has also become a Monstrous bearer of his own Armor.Vendetti has created some interesting new villains here, and as the last story in this volume shows they may well end up being a recurring team of villains in this new Valiant Universe. Overall a good solid storyline, and well worth reading if you enjoyed the 'Armor Hunters' event series, it may have been better to advertise the series as "Armor Hunters: Origins" rather than including it in the X-O Manowar monthly title, but since Aric was so heavily featured in the main book itself this can be forgiven. X-O Manowar Volume 6: Prelude to Armor Hunters

I feel the Armour Wars storyline was presented quite confusing. I read the X-o Manowar, Unity, and this volume, in sequence, and I was left feeling that the story did not read across straight( the time in the different titles did not seem to flow into one another).I think that valiant may have rushed this series into being, and may have been a better series had Valiant slowly integrated the story into the Valiant universe at large. I feel that I finished reading the story and never really felt a sense of urgency by the characters, or a sense of impending disaster for the planet Earth. The villians( the armour hunters) could have really used some more time to flesh them out, and make them seem as serious threats.

Where we left off: If you have read any of the other Armor Hunters series, you are aware that this group of alien Hunters have travelled to Earth in search of their quarry… the X-O Manowar armor currently bonded to Aric of Dacia. But just who are these Hunters?Vol. 7 of X-O Manowar seeks to provide some background on the Hunters. The first three issue of the trade paperback take place in the past over an undefined period before the events we see in the main trade. The fourth issue of the trade takes place between the fourth issue of the Armor Hunters series and the Aftermath issue.With a majority of the trade recounting past events, it is important to note that Aric of Dacia features very little in this book. The focus, rather, is on the Hunters Reebo and Malgam: who they were, their first encounter with an X-O armor, their joining the Armor Hunters and, sadly, the events behind Malgam’s infection by an armor. Robert Venditti gives us tantalizing glances into the more cosmic nature of the Valiant Universe, but only just glances as there is still much more story to be told. What is done most effectively, though, is that you can’t help but get the sense that these Hunters are fighting an increasingly losing battle.The fourth issue than jumps forward to the current time, and is used to tie up a loose end from the whole event – Malgam’s fate. Last seen trapped in the demolished M.E.R.O headquarters during the AH: Bloodshot mini-series, we learn that there are perhaps other unidentified forces in play that have designs on Malgam.All in all, this trade paperback is a great addition for anyone enjoying X-O Manowar and the Armor Hunters event. While it does not necessarily move the overall narrative forward much, it does provide enjoyable glimpses into parts of the Valiant Universe not yet explored, and appears to be laying the groundwork for more stories down the line!

I LOVE XOMAN!!!