X-O Manowar #3 has Aric and his team attempting to take down the Cadmium president in the midst of war. The current rebellion has been brewing for a long time due to the Cadmium’s treatment of other races. The Royal Palace serves as a prime example of the way things are on the planet. The Cadmium’s experiments and genetic modifications on other races are solely to benefit the upper class. Even some Cadmiums are specifically groomed to create replacement organs for the President, resulting in his long life.

Despite mission orders, Aric’s goal is to eliminate the Cadmium President. He knows that the Cadmium army won’t stop fighting until the president is dead. Even though they’re closer to the Royal Palace than they’ve ever been, they’re still surrounded by soldiers. And since they were successful in taking down the last line of aerial defenses, they have to avoid the bombardment from their own forces. But even if Aric succeeds, is he just getting deeper into this conflict instead of being free?

For the first time, I actually cared about what was at stake in this conflict besides Aric surviving. The President was the perfect focal point in this story of all that was wrong with the Cadmium empire. So the team attempting to avoid the bombardment while pursuing the President was pretty engrossing. It didn’t feel like they were just chasing a random person. And Aric’s leadership skills were on full display. Especially when compared to the captain.

SUMMARY

X-O Manowar #3 takes the series to a new level by laying out Aric’s new situation in a riveting manner. This issue not only made me care about his team more but also the stakes in this conflict. And the action sequences are electrifying. The only thing missing from this series has been the deep connection between Aric and Shanhara. However, Aric’s conclusion has me excited more than before about the direction of this series.