Last month’s X-O Manowar was a “jumping on point”. I feel I referenced that a lot in that review and many subsequent reviews. This issue sort of makes the previous one totally irrelevant. I found far more satisfaction reading the old issues over jumping on that last issue. I recommend doing that, by the way, reading the older issues. It’s a very good series and especially those first 6 issues are fantastic stand outs. I pretty much learned all I needed to in those first 6 issues and was able to completely understand last month’s issue. Of course reading the whole series is the most helpful. This month we get right into the action as X-O, the titular Manowar, flies off into space to confront a new enemy. Last month it showed HOW he knew where to go and why it’s not needed to enjoy what’s happening here. This new enemy asks the question “What if Brainiac mated with the Borg?” The answer is a giant floating head made of robots that turns into a Deathstar. I don’t know about you but that’s pretty badass.

I don’t want to get into too much more but the interesting part of this enemy is how totally detached it is from emotion while our Manowar is almost entirely emotion. He’s hotheaded and eager for confrontation. He almost revels in it. The series has shown him evolve from someone who was combat avoidant to someone who is very comfortable in battle, perhaps only comfortable in battle. But here he comes across an enemy that judges him unnecessary to engage so it doesn’t. It just moves on and he can’t provoke a fight out of it. He can’t get any kind of response that isn’t a direct answer to his inquiry. It will not confront him simply because it doesn’t see a point in it. It does not NEED to confront him whereas he NEEDS to confront it. It is also the size of a planet so it will be interesting to see how the battle plays out. Manowar is a very powerful being but can he take on a planet sized chunk of robots? I guess we’ll find out.

Score: 4/5

X-O Manowar #34 Writer: Robert Vendetti Artist: Diego Bernard Colorist: Ryan Winn/Brian Reber Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 3/4/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital