@’s by Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons
& X-O MANOWAR Writer Robert Vendetti!!!
Hey Comicphiles, Optimous Douche here with news that has me more excited than being in a Batgirl/Jean Gray sandwich. Valiant Comics, that wonderful universe that set comics on its ears in the early 90s with its tight continuity, groundbreaking art and epic characters makes a return this year with X-O MANOWAR 1.I was able to steal a few minutes with Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons and X-O writer Robert Vendetti about this new X-O and what this rebirth will bring moving forward.
OPTIMOUS DOUCHE (OD): In X-O’s last iteration the major theme was a man out of time, since Aric was plucked from the age of the Visigoths and dropped into today with that wonderful toy the X-O Manowar armor. Is this new version playing off the same fish out of water theme?
ROBERT VENDETTI (RV): Absolutely. Without those key elements, he wouldn’t be Aric of Dacia. Plus, it’s already such a compelling core conflict, why change it? But we will be adding to the original storyline by expanding on that core concept and also reworking the aliens who capture Aric and are ultimately responsible for him getting the X-O Manowar armor. Now called The Vine, readers will see that our version of the aliens have motivations and a larger plan that makes them unique.
WARREN SIMONS (WS): Rob hit the nail on the head. The man-out-of-time element is part of the DNA of X-O MANOWAR, and while this is a new # 1 and a new jumping on point for readers we’re also tapping into the key elements that make Aric of Dacia such an extraordinarily popular character.OD: Visually, will The Vine be akin to the Spider-baddies from last generation, or will we have a new ocular horror for the 21st century?
WS: The Vine emanate from the dark psyche of Mr. Robert Vendetti. One of the things Rob and I discussed about X-O was his antagonists from the first run, and what their motivations were, why they were here, and what they wanted. As we'll see over the course of the first arc, Rob's put together a really wonderful method to their madness. They're not disposable antagonists hurtling through the Universe looking for things to conquer. They're not easily disposable. They have a wonderful plan, and when we get to issue 5, we'll see they're unlike anything we've seen before. I was lucky enough to have Jelena Jevic-Djurdjevic design The Vine, and I think -- as we see on the cover to X-O # 2 -- she did an amazing job with them. They're going to give Aric all he can handle.
OD: There will be a lot of old fanmen like myself that will be buying this book out of nostalgia. What’s the message you would deliver to us on picking up the new X-O, and how does that differ from the message you would send to new readers who are unfamiliar with X-O?RV: To longtime fans, I’d say that you’re going to find in this new series everything that made you a fan of the original X-O run. There are strong characters, entertaining stories, and above all, epic action. What Cary Nord is doing with these pages is really something to see. To new readers, I’d say the same thing, with the addendum that you don’t have to be familiar with the original run to enjoy what we’re doing. This is a jumping on point for everyone.
OD: X-O was always a story of man and machine enhancing the best of each other, but let's face it, the last run was twenty years ago. How do you guys plan to modernize both Aric and the Armor for 21st century sensibilities? Aric becoming a CEO as his alter ego in the post-Enron era would probably make him a villain more than a hero.
RV: I think it's just a matter of keeping the characters and stories relevant for today's audiences. The real world is a much different place--technologically, politically, sociologically--than it was during the original X-O run. The more we can weave those differences into the book, the more readers will be able to relate to it. We have some plans for making that happen, but to go into them now would be too spoilery. I will say, though, that we'll be introducing a new ability for the Manowar armor, and it will have a huge impact on the future of the series.WS: Three words for you: Lightning. Fucking. Sword. Ha! All joking aside, Rob's hit the nail on the head: we want our comics to be relevant and meaningful to today's incredibly savvy readership, and we feel like we have the characters and the creative teams to accomplish this.
OD: Valiant of yore set itself apart visually from the grotesque anatomy and visual background blandness of the 90s by giving readers a hyper-realistic view of the world. Same could be said for the stories that were told. How will the new Valiant differ from the other books of today?
WS: My goal is to put together titles that will be the best on the stands each and every month. As a company we're very hungry and very ambitious, and we're going to try to be innovative so we're not repeating the same stories over and over again. There's an incredible energy and sense of anticipation surrounding our titles and our launch, and the office is crackling like X-O's sword in a swimming pool full of aliens. At the end of the day, however, the proof is in the pudding. I've never been terribly concerned with looking over my shoulder to see what everyone else is doing. I just want us to put our heads down and do incredibly good work. We'll separate ourselves from the pack with our content.RV: He may be an established character, but it's been a while since readers have seen any new stories about X-O Manowar. The storytelling landscape is wide open, which allows us to take some risks that might not be possible with other books. It's a bit of a challenge, too, but challenges are what make the experience of writing fun.
OD: My favorite part of the old Valiant universe was the tightness of continuity between titles, especially the UNITY event. Will Valiant be producing titles beyond X-O, and will we see that same cross-pollination between titles to create a cohesive and interweaving universe?
WS: Yes. We have a pretty tight architecture in place. It’s going to be innovative and cutting edge, and a year from now the fans are going to be pretty blown away at how all of the pieces have worked together.OD: And what about characters like Solar and Turok that now live with different property holders? Has their loss given you more freedom to craft the new universe to your liking?
WS: Solar and Turok are great characters, but we certainly don’t need them. The Valiant Universe is bigger than any individual character. We’ve got the architecture of the Universe nailed down pretty tight at this point, and we’re putting together a pretty badass team with the players on our roster.
OD: So is it fair to say X-O is the jumping on point into the new Valiant U? Will we see any morsels of titles to come Easter egged into X-O #1?
RV: X-O MANOWAR is the starting point for the new Valiant line, but there will also be a Valiant preview book available on Free Comic Book Day, May 5th, that will give readers sneak peeks at some of the other titles Valiant will be relaunching throughout the summer. As for Easter eggs. . . another eternally popular Valiant character may or may not get a cameo in X-O MANOWAR #1. But I'll never tell.
WS: We call Rob the Easter Bunny around the office because he's so full of Easter eggs. But being a southern boy, he likes to call them Crunk eggs. Keep your eyes peeled in X-O 1. Someone might be running around...OD: There it is, folks. Personally speaking, I can’t wait until X-O starts hitting the shelves. If these guys can capture half the quality of the old Valiant Universe I’ll put down hard money that the other indies better start watching their backs.
Optimous has successfully blackmailed fellow @$$Hole BottleImp into being his artist on Average Joe. Look for Imp's forced labor on Optimous brain child in mid-2012 from COM.X. Friend Optimous on FaceBook to get Average Joe updates and because ceiling cat says it's the right thing to do.
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
