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4001 A.D: X-O Manowar #1
Kareem Ali 3.5

4001 A.D: X-O Manowar #1

 

  • The good

    Interesting to see the attempts to replicate the armor technology and the world uniting

  • The bad

    Haphazard plan made the armors seem worthless. Backstory to Father's alliance with Helix?

  • The ugly

  • 4001 A.D: X-O Manowar #1 is a one-shot issue about the origin of the X-O Manowar armor being operated by Rai against Father. This issue opens up 100 years in the future when Father first launched New Japan leaving a trail of destruction caused by the sheer force of the launch. Millions of lives perished as a result, and the United Nations convened to discuss a response to Father’s actions and New Japan floating above them all. Since Earth’s heroes are all gone, the plan was to duplicate the technology from the dormant X-O Manowar armor, and eventually they were able to get a big enough sample from it to create their own armors. Nine nations would create their own armor and designate a pilot to participate in a coordinated attack against Father. The United States selected Major Dawes to lead the charge, and he’s more than ready to go. But can this army of X-Os defeat Father or will they just cause him to retaliate again in kind?

    4001 A.D: X-O Manowar #1
     

    Since 4001 A.D. #1 was such an entertaining issue I was looking forward to reading this issue and seeing how the X-O Manowar armor would factor into the equation. And considering Ninjak wanted Rai to bring one of the armors back to life to utilize as a weapon against Father I wanted to see the origin of it. This issue did show the origin of that armor thoroughly, which I appreciated, however the events connected to it weren’t impressive so instead of raising the value of the armor it actually made me question the usefulness of it. Of course it would be different under Rai’s control since it’s more than just machine but the overall plan of attack against Father was also perplexing. And an opportunity to add more depth to the 4001 A.D. story arc was squandered.

     

    I enjoyed the way this issue started with the way it showed the impact of Father launching New Japan on Earth and the need for a response. The launch was covered in the Book of Death series so it was good to see the perspective of those still on Earth. It gave a sense of connection to the people and therefore Major Dawes’s motivation was clear. And the process to utilize the armor and recreate more was actually intriguing. I didn’t have a problem with multiple giant armors being created from it initially despite the lack of a symbiotic relationship. I was engrossed in the issue up to this point and I was anxiously awaiting the showdown with Father. But instead of a big showdown there was a failure to launch. Literally.

    4001 A.D: X-O Manowar #1
    A lot has been mentioned about a second Armor Hunters war so it wasn’t surprising to see Helix make an appearance. The assumption was since Helix is opposed to armors it would make sense to be on Father’s side but no light was shed on any of this. I won’t give away any spoilers but I was expecting a more intense battle or at least a deeper story connected to these final events. It did set up successfully the origin of the armor including the reason Rai was able to locate it the way he did. And enough was left in the air to justify Rai’s ability to utilize the armor in ways others couldn’t. So I am looking forward more to 4001 A.D. #2 to see exactly what it could do.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    4001 A.D. X-O Manowar #1 is an okay issue that successfully establishes the X-O Manowar armor piloted by Rai but the circumstances aren’t truly compelling. The process used for the creation of these behemoth armors is impressive and the need for the Earth’s response is made clear. However, the showdown is so lackluster that all the momentum is squandered and it results in it feeling like nothing more than a relic collecting dust. I do enjoy one-shot issues that add to the overall understanding of a major event but this one almost takes away from the impressive conclusion to 4001 A.D. #1.

     

    Release Date: 5/11/16

    Writer: Robert Venditti

    Artist: Clayton Henry

     

     

  • Rating ( 7 )
  • Total score 7.0

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