X-O #2 DISCUSSION THREAD - SPOILERS!

[Dr. Solar]

I'm too impatient. I bought the digital copy. Read it on my iPhone.

This one felt like a lot more straight ahead action than the first issue.

So, the Vine are using hu-mons as slave labor.

I liked the divisions in the Vine, That they don't all think the armor is all that.

That red robe Vine was bowing down to Aric in the end

[depluto]

Wow! Great read!

It mentioned some of the other prisoners were from Ghana and Mayapan. Didn't those civilizations exist hundreds of years after 402 AD? If so does that mean that time moves differently wherever Aric and the others were being held? Or am I on the wrong track?

[myron]

Wow! Great read!

It mentioned some of the other prisoners were from Ghana and Mayapan. Didn't those civilizations exist hundreds of years after 402 AD? If so does that mean that time moves differently wherever Aric and the others were being held? Or am I on the wrong track?

just that they were picked up at a different time...we don't know if they were in any kind of stasis...which they may well have been...

[Dr. Solar]

It's my guess that it is present day, or nearly present day on earth as of the end of issue 2, so 1600 years of earth time have occurred between the end of issue 1 and the end of issue 2. I guess the Vine could have made some trips to earth and picked up some more folks in that time.

[myron]

It's my guess that it is present day, or nearly present day on earth as of the end of issue 2, so 1600 years of earth time have occurred between the end of issue 1 and the end of issue 2. I guess the Vine could have made some trips to earth and picked up some more folks in that time.

that's what I was trying to get to...

[kevinbastos]

It's my guess that it is present day, or nearly present day on earth as of the end of issue 2, so 1600 years of earth time have occurred between the end of issue 1 and the end of issue 2. I guess the Vine could have made some trips to earth and picked up some more folks in that time.

Some serious cruising so far.

[dbngaa]

Just read this and Harbinger during lunch. Had to read it fast (will re-read them both tonight). Did the Vine's garden remind anyone of Plasm? Maybe just the color scheme. And I agree with Dr. Solar, I liked seeing that not all members of the Vine believe in the armor. And I guess that would imply that there hasn't been one around in a long time (or maybe ever). Looks like Aric may be getting the regrown hand this time around. Really enjoyed it!

[Dr. Solar]

Or maybe the armor has been around forever, and just never did anything?

The splash panel of the garden was beautiful. Even when reading it on my iPhone.

[tchalla8]

Or maybe the armor has been around forever, and just never did anything?

I like this theory the most. Much like a deity, there are those who have lost faith that it is a power worth worshipping.

[etos45]

Just finished reading it and I'm loving the pacing of the story. I couldn't believe it when they cut Aric's hand off! The revolt was awesome and completely sucked me into the story. I wanted to cheer when Aric got the armor and started shooting up the Vine.

Anyone know what the deal with the garden is? The Vine treat the fruit like it might be their offspring or something.

[kevinbastos]

Anyone know what the deal with the garden is? The Vine treat the fruit like it might be their offspring or something.

I am comparing them to the Spider-aliens of the past. I know. They aren't.

I see them as worshiping green, for whatever reason. It grows, it lasts..

But think about our custom of burying our dead. Could be the same with Vine.. Except now, the burial literally becomes more plants.

The vine I see as carnivorous and cannibalistic, much like the old Spider-aliens. Since the species worships plants, they are forced to conquer other societies for nourishment. If they protect plant life in all forms, no lower animals can exist, save cannibalism and reaching out to other worlds.

Just speculating...

[etos45]

But he was calling what appeared to be a ripe fruit something along the lines of "their young". It also looks like the dead humans are turned into compost, so I'm not sure where they'd be getting their meat from.

It may be simple plant worship, like you said, but it just feels like they're going to take it deeper than that. We'll see.

[400yrs]

This was good. A solid 4.5/5. I liked commander Trill's comment about the armor and priests.

However, I gotta say.... between this issue and #1, I'm thinking I may eventually end up on trades on these. At $4 a pop, these are a bit story-lite.

[etos45]

This was good. A solid 4.5/5. I liked commander Trill's comment about the armor and priests.

However, I gotta say.... between this issue and #1, I'm thinking I may eventually end up on trades on these. At $4 a pop, these are a bit story-lite.

I would think a better argument for going with a trade is that I believe these will work better as a full story arc. Every time I get drawn into the story, BAM it's over.

[400yrs]

This was good. A solid 4.5/5. I liked commander Trill's comment about the armor and priests.

However, I gotta say.... between this issue and #1, I'm thinking I may eventually end up on trades on these. At $4 a pop, these are a bit story-lite.

I would think a better argument for going with a trade is that I believe these will work better as a full story arc. Every time I get drawn into the story, BAM it's over.

Yep. If you put X-O #1 and #2 together in a 40 page issue (cut out a few pages or a few more panels per page), that would've made a fantastic #1. Every comic fan knew that this issue was going to end with a shot of him in the armor on the last page so getting to the end is just filler. Yeah, there's some cool story stuff in there, but the endpoint of this one should've been the endpoint of #1, IMO.

Harbinger #1 was a much fuller read, thankfully, and ended at about the same point (story-wise) that X-O #2 did.

[BugsySig]

The Vine referred to the "fruit" as "offspring". That is ambiguous enough to mean their offspring or simply the offspring of plants.

I agree with the comment about making this and issue #1 one giant sized issue...that would have been killer. If they just removed the Harbinger preview, it wouldn't have been that many more pages.

That being said, even though (like every other reader, old or new) I knew the issue would end with Aric in the armor, I still found myself enthralled with the story leading to it. To me, that means the book is well written. Not as dense as Harbinger, but still very good.

[400yrs]

The Vine referred to the "fruit" as "offspring". That is ambiguous enough to mean their offspring or simply the offspring of plants.

I just read it as offspring of the plants which they worship.

[greg]

The Vine referred to the "fruit" as "offspring". That is ambiguous enough to mean their offspring or simply the offspring of plants.

I just read it as offspring of the plants which they worship.

Yeah, they either use "offspring" as the word for "seed", or they are actually talking about offspring.

It might explain why they are "the Vine"... do they start out as plants?

[etos45]

The Vine referred to the "fruit" as "offspring". That is ambiguous enough to mean their offspring or simply the offspring of plants.

I just read it as offspring of the plants which they worship.

Yeah, they either use "offspring" as the word for "seed", or they are actually talking about offspring.

It might explain why they are "the Vine"... do they start out as plants?

I just think the wording and the way the scene was set up suggested more than simple plant-worship.

[terreth]

This was good. A solid 4.5/5. I liked commander Trill's comment about the armor and priests.

However, I gotta say.... between this issue and #1, I'm thinking I may eventually end up on trades on these. At $4 a pop, these are a bit story-lite.

I would think a better argument for going with a trade is that I believe these will work better as a full story arc. Every time I get drawn into the story, BAM it's over.

Yep. If you put X-O #1 and #2 together in a 40 page issue (cut out a few pages or a few more panels per page), that would've made a fantastic #1. Every comic fan knew that this issue was going to end with a shot of him in the armor on the last page so getting to the end is just filler. Yeah, there's some cool story stuff in there, but the endpoint of this one should've been the endpoint of #1, IMO.

Harbinger #1 was a much fuller read, thankfully, and ended at about the same point (story-wise) that X-O #2 did.

I agree 100%

[Savant]

This was good. A solid 4.5/5. I liked commander Trill's comment about the armor and priests.

However, I gotta say.... between this issue and #1, I'm thinking I may eventually end up on trades on these. At $4 a pop, these are a bit story-lite.

I can see why you have that outlook, but the storyline seems compelling enough (Even though we sort of already know the story) to buy the monthlies rather than wait for the trade.

After the full story-arc is released, I'll re-read the issues in one setting and enjoy it even more.

[Zaphod]

The only real gripe I have with this issue is on the first page. Aric, in his dream, refers to Italy but wouldn't it be more likely back then for them to refer to it as the Roman Empire or perhaps by region rather than Italy?

I'm no historian.

Otherwise, I can understand why some comment that the story is moving too slow but I think it is paced perfectly. X-O #1(1992) moved too quick imo and that was the reasoning for X-0 #0 to elaborate on that in the first place.

The only other concern I have is that Aric seems to know how to use the armor a little quick. Hopefully they explain that in a panel or two in #3.

9.5/10

I've been out of comic collecting for nearly 20 years, it took Valiant to bring me back in to buying monthly pamphlets!

[Blood of Heroes]

I thought it was great. Sure, we all know the story up to this point. But now what??? Here's where it's going to get interesting.

Well, not here. Next month.

[BugsySig]

The only real gripe I have with this issue is on the first page. Aric, in his dream, refers to Italy but wouldn't it be more likely back then for them to refer to it as the Roman Empire or perhaps by region rather than Italy?

I'm no historian.

Yes. Italy would not become unified for hundreds of years, though many considered themselves Italian regardless of region. However, at the time, most would have refered to the area as Rome and themselves as Romans. I am sure there were exceptions, but that is my understanding.

[The Dirt Gang]

I'm really loving XO even if it is light on story right now. The issues have moved quickly but it appears to me that they are trying not to rush into the set-up and we'll get more story/dialogue as Aric enters the modern world and is trying to figure things out.

The Vine are beginning to remind me a lot of Warriors of Plasm. From the gardens on their ship to the constant references of composting people. I think WoP had some great ideas and I could see a number of them working well with the Vine.

Aric's hand getting chopped off was a real surprise. I loved it!

Valiant is doing a great job of setting the stage for this new universe.