Let's talk about the hand...

[jmatt]

I have to say that when I got to the panel where Aric's left hand is lopped off, I stopped reading for a moment. Totally surprised. Then excited. It indicates that V-ditty isn't afraid to take this title in totally new directions.

So what does it portend? I immediately drew parallels to Ken Clarkson losing his hand in VH1.

Will the armor now command Aric much as Aric commanded Ken? What if it turns out that the armor has as much a say in what Aric does as Aric does the armor?

Or will a hand created by the armor simply act much as the ring did, as an integrated ring that can never be removed?

Can the armor crunch itself down into the hand so it is never apart from Aric?

This all assumes Aric gets an "X-O" hand replacement instead of the armor just helping him grow a new one made of flesh and bone (which is just as likely).

[Elveen]

I loved that part.

It's all up in the air with V Ditty at the helm.

[Blood of Heroes]

This all assumes Aric gets an "X-O" hand replacement instead of the armor just helping him grow a new one made of flesh and bone (which is just as likely).

I guess it'll be one of the two. My first thought was the armor would grow him a new hand. If he has an XO armor hand permanently, it would serve to bond him to the armor kinda like the ring did. Only he can't take it off.

But when he was wearing the armor, he had a stump. It didn't automatically give him an 'armor hand'. We'll have to wait and see what happens when he takes it off.


Interesting...

[400yrs]

He should just keep a stump for a while like Rick. It could make for some interesting story points. Then, eventually have him figure out how to get the armor to give him a robo-arm.

[BugsySig]

I immediately thought of the parallel to Ken as well and like the idea of the armor hand acting in place of the ring.

[Chiclo]

I thought of Armor from Continuity Comics.

[bribri]

The covers of the X-O books haven't quite been "accurate" in that the first issue showed Aric in the armor and with a sword (neither of which happened) and the second issue showed Aric battling The Vine in space (which also did not occur).

Nevertheless, the covers of issues 3 and 4 show Aric with both of his hands... Is it safe to assume he grows it back in issue 3? Based on my first sentence, I suppose not.

[400yrs]

Based on my first sentence, I suppose not.

That's my guess too.


That's why I liked the Harbinger #1 regular cover with all the thought bubbles. It's exactly what you get in the book.

[betterthanezra]

I immediately drew parallels to Ken Clarkson losing his hand in VH1.

I thought the same thing I wonder if this is one of those little Easter eggs they say will be sprinkled throughout the books. Casual readers have no idea who Ken is... we obviously do.

Either way I stopped reading at that moment and went

-Brian

[jmatt]

The covers of the X-O books haven't quite been "accurate" in that the first issue showed Aric in the armor and with a sword (neither of which happened) and the second issue showed Aric battling The Vine in space (which also did not occur).

It looks to me that VEI is treating the early X-O covers more as cool poster art than anything else, ie the cover art is not really tied to the book interior. If it was, the Lozzi second printing cover of X-O #1 would have been the regular cover.

[etos45]

I'm sure losing his hand has to have some kind of significance. I'd rather see a robo-hand than it growing back, because if anything Aric loses can just grow back, it kind of reduces the "penalty" of any injuries he gets.

[greg]

I immediately drew parallels to Ken Clarkson losing his hand in VH1.

I thought the same thing I wonder if this is one of those little Easter eggs they say will be sprinkled throughout the books. Casual readers have no idea who Ken is... we obviously do.

Either way I stopped reading at that moment and went

-Brian

I had the same thoughts, the same reaction, and then I said to myself... "Man, does Dino like Star Wars or WHAT?!?"

[jmatt]

I'm sure losing his hand has to have some kind of significance. I'd rather see a robo-hand than it growing back, because if anything Aric loses can just grow back, it kind of reduces the "penalty" of any injuries he gets.

Yeah, well we saw VH1 Aric get nearly snapped in half by a bionosaur and the armor helped heal him from that... of course it took 1600 years...

Current medical technology is probably only 50 years away from being able to regrow organs etc with stem cell technology, one would think Shanhara would be light years beyond that.

I get what your saying though.

But since I mentioned it, we didn't ever really get to know anything about Shanhara as a character, per se. I mean, it's not just armor, it has a name. It's more of a symbiote, really. I dunno, it might be cool if at some point we get to know more about its origin.

What if we get to hear it "speak" to Aric? What if he can have dialogue with it? That would be a big new wrinkle in the concept.

[jmatt]

I immediately drew parallels to Ken Clarkson losing his hand in VH1.

I thought the same thing I wonder if this is one of those little Easter eggs they say will be sprinkled throughout the books. Casual readers have no idea who Ken is... we obviously do.

Either way I stopped reading at that moment and went

-Brian

I had the same thoughts, the same reaction, and then I said to myself... "Man, does Dino like Star Wars or WHAT?!?"

OMG, the armor is Aric's real father?

[BugsySig]

One thing that was cool about the original was that the armor was often separated from Aric, like old school Iron Man pre-Extremis. Often inconvenient and created some real drama at times. I hope that continues in the new version and the suit doesn't just spread out from Aric's "hand".

[jmatt]

One thing that was cool about the original was that the armor was often separated from Aric, like old school Iron Man pre-Extremis. Often inconvenient and created some real drama at times. I hope that continues in the new version and the suit doesn't just spread out from Aric's "hand".

I agree. I toss up ideas, good and bad, for consideration.

[The Dirt Gang]

I'm wondering if Aric's injury could be why the armor chooses him. Didn't the Vine mention in #1 that the armor had killed some of their best? Does the armor need a way to "bind" to the wearer?

[Blood of Heroes]

I'm wondering if Aric's injury could be why the armor chooses him. Didn't the Vine mention in #1 that the armor had killed some of their best? Does the armor need a way to "bind" to the wearer?

Interesting thought. You may be on to something.

[greg]

Possibly, though I prefer to think it reads the wearer's mind and decides whether it will allow itself to be worn.

[Blood of Heroes]

Possibly, though I prefer to think it reads the wearer's mind and decides whether it will allow itself to be worn.

Yeesh. He bought the armor dinner. Talk about high maintenance...

[BugsySig]

Possibly, though I prefer to think it reads the wearer's mind and decides whether it will allow itself to be worn.

Yeesh. He bought the armor dinner. Talk about high maintenance...

I never put on a high powered organic suit of alien armor until at least the third date.

[jmatt]

I never put one high powered organic suit of alien armor until at least the third date.

Huh, I never thought of it like that. No wonder he calls it "the Good Skin".

[caniac]

I never put one high powered organic suit of alien armor until at least the third date.

Huh, I never thought of it like that. No wonder it calls it "the Good Skin".

[BruceReville]

The covers of the X-O books haven't quite been "accurate" in that the first issue showed Aric in the armor and with a sword (neither of which happened) and the second issue showed Aric battling The Vine in space (which also did not occur).

Nevertheless, the covers of issues 3 and 4 show Aric with both of his hands... Is it safe to assume he grows it back in issue 3? Based on my first sentence, I suppose not.

Could they be pulling a Solitaire?! Solitaire 1-5 had its covers be a 5 panel story that took place between issues 5 & 6 -- I know grasping but you never know.

[Phoenix8008]

Wow, this is all pretty cool. I still haven't gotten my X-O #2 or Harby #1, but all this sounds awesome!

So Aric gets his hand cut off before getting ahold of the armor, huh? I would also expect that they do something along the lines of the Ken artificial hand like people have suggested. Does the suit compress to attach itself to Aric in place of his missing hand, or just give him an artificial one as a replacement? Does this hand act as the control ring ala VH1? If so, who is controlling who? All these ideas have been brought up by others above, but here's a new one: If the armor needed the injury to Aric in order to bond with him or control him, but he gets an artificial hand like Ken got in VH1 then what happens at the end of the process? You remember what happened with Ken? Eventually the artificial limb regrew a fully human arm in its place beneath the surface before being shed and falling away! And if Aric needs the loss of limb to act as an anchor point to bond with the armor, but then it regrows his hand for him, does it then leave him to go find/wait for another appropriate subject to bond with?

Not to mention the possible storylines of getting into the armor as a character in and of itself. Does it have its own motivations or goals? Does it control Aric or does he control it? Could be some twinges of the old Spider-Man/original symbiote black suit storylines?

Whatever happens, I'm looking forward to reading this issue next week and continuing to read into the future!