4001 AD X-O Manowar Discussion

[Keith]

Gah! Too short, too short!!! Nice that it explains how/why the X-O Knight came to be, but it only raised more questions for me that are left unanswered.

How did Shanhara get caught? Is that even Shanhara, or is that Aric armor?
Where's Aric's daughter?

[Psiot X]

I still get the vibe from Valiant that the future is a big sci fi Japanese Anime with a multinational cast and some western flavor. The art is good but serviceable and held upright by the color. I like the red text boxes. I was actually reminded of some older anime mecha toons.

To me that big bulky dome headed knight armor with big shoulder pads? It makes me want to call it a juggernaut. Seems like every nation built one. I liked that some nations colored their unit in the national flag colors. This left me surprised the US unit was colored like Aric's old armor rather than red, white, and blue. They were knights...

How did they get Aric's armor for test components?

Somehow, I love the idea of a hacking attack supported by a strange… energy being translating into the command center through machines connected to the net to wipe out the control staff and disable the knight armors. Was that the very first RAI?

Surely, Dawes did more.

Ugh… WAY too short. !SQUEE!

This needed to be a bigger story and I am not sure how I feel about it as a result. I liked the concepts but...

Edit: I am struggling with the words here. I think that it is I expected a tie in issue to be more complete, to answer more questions than it leaves me with. I am wondering why this wasn't a flashback contained in the bigger story too. It's not bad but it left me wanting...

[Keith]

Somehow, I love the idea of a hacking attack supported by a strange… energy being translating into the command center through machines connected to the net to wipe out the control staff and disable the knight armors. Was that the very first RAI?

AHHHHHHH <armor hunter> CHOOOOO!!

Ugh… WAY too short. !SQUEE!

This needed to be a bigger story and I am not sure how I feel about it as a result. I liked the concepts but...

Edit: I am struggling with the words here. I think that it is I expected a tie in issue to be more complete, to answer more questions than it leaves me with. I am wondering why this wasn't a flashback contained in the bigger story too. It's not bad but it left me wanting...

Sad to say I agree. I think there would have been enough material here to cover a three issue mini-series. As a result, I'm a little concerned that I'll be feeling the same about the other 4001 AD one shots.

[Brapbrap]

did NOT expect helix, i wonder why she's aligned with Father??

[jmatt]

Well, I guess if in one issue you have to tell the story of a giant warrior robot that never gets off the ground, that's about it.

Kinda thin. I liked the aging across the centuries at the end.

But you would think that with as little plot as it had, they could have squeezed in something to explain who Helix is to new readers.

And Father just swatted them away like flies. I wonder what the story is with Shanhara being back on Earth after Aric released her when he passed on.

[nonplayer]

I had no complaints till I read here. I really liked it and ya it just explain why there was a giant unused mech. So are we to expect helix got out when gingr died? Wouldn't it be neet if Dysart finished off Imperium with Harada moving back to Japan to come up with a new plan since his plan failed. His new plan is to start father with livewire help maybe even helix. kinda interesting Rai goes all digital through new Japan and helix can do that too perhaps live wire takes helices powers or something. Cool

[agent_graves]

Gah! Too short, too short!!!

+1 Nothing happened.

[Psiot X]

I am now wondering if this is Helix as we know or father modified strange Helix?

[grendeljd]

If anyone would like to hear our OTV:VCR podcast discussing/reviewing this issue (& Ninjak #15, & A+A #3), please follow the link;

http://onlythevaliant.com/episodes/vcr64/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks to any who listen in

[Sven the Returned]

Am i the only one who felt the art was a bit bland but like everything else?

[Dallow Spicer1]

Am i the only one who felt the art was a bit bland but like everything else?

+1

I agree. I'm not a fan of Henry's art. Not saying it's bad, it's just a bit pedestrian. I'm used to it on A&A and Timewalker but really don't enjoy it on XO or Rai (FCBD).

Have to disagree with everyone on the story, I really liked it for a one shot and it made 4001ad make more sense in terms of the XO armour and why it was in the cave.

3.75/5

[jmatt]

it made 4001ad make more sense in terms of the XO armour and why it was in the cave.

No doubt, it filled a backstory gap that required filling.

[jmatt]

If anyone would like to hear our OTV:VCR podcast discussing/reviewing this issue (& Ninjak #15, & A+A #3), please follow the link;

http://onlythevaliant.com/episodes/vcr64/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks to any who listen in

Listening now. I'm always amazed at how much more depth and understanding I can glean by listening to three other Valiant nuts dissect each issue. Many thanks!

[Dallow Spicer1]

If anyone would like to hear our OTV:VCR podcast discussing/reviewing this issue (& Ninjak #15, & A+A #3), please follow the link;

http://onlythevaliant.com/episodes/vcr64/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks to any who listen in

Listening now. I'm always amazed at how much more depth and understanding I can glean by listening to three other Valiant nuts dissect each issue. Many thanks!

+1

Podcasts like OTV definitely enhance the reading experience. Very different to way back in the mid/late 90's when I didn't know there were other humans who still actually read Valiant nerve undo gear their crazy theories!

[String]

Slightly disappointed.

The story itself was decent, rather short. Maybe it was just me though but the impression I got from 4001 #1 was that these X-O Knights were feared and held in awe either from what they accomplished or from the destruction they unleashed.

Here though, they did nothing except fly up to get ripped to shreds. Some lost potential there I think in that 9 different countries created X-O mechs so I have to wonder if they were all the exact same or did each have their own special capabilities or focus? (And the other 8 countries in question make for an interesting list. It almost looks like a listing of nuclear powers here, even with Iran being in the hunt these days supposedly)

And yes, some background info on Helix for any new readers would have been nice. Otherwise, the cool surprise of Father using an Armor Hunter to take down armors is overlooked.

As it relates to this particular mech, good story. But I feel like that it could've been more.

[agent_graves]

Slightly disappointed.

The story itself was decent, rather short. Maybe it was just me though but the impression I got from 4001 #1 was that these X-O Knights were feared and held in awe either from what they accomplished or from the destruction they unleashed.

Here though, they did nothing except fly up to get ripped to shreds. Some lost potential there I think in that 9 different countries created X-O mechs so I have to wonder if they were all the exact same or did each have their own special capabilities or focus? (And the other 8 countries in question make for an interesting list. It almost looks like a listing of nuclear powers here, even with Iran being in the hunt these days supposedly)

And yes, some background info on Helix for any new readers would have been nice. Otherwise, the cool surprise of Father using an Armor Hunter to take down armors is overlooked.

As it relates to this particular mech, good story. But I feel like that it could've been more.

+1

[QUARTZ]

It was thin, but I liked it more than the main 4001 title. It presents many questions though, hoping all the dots connect when they go back and map out the timeline for these characters years from now.

[Joshua]

I loved tbe art. I disliked the story. Very anti-climactic to me. Great to see Helix but if you were a new reader, you have no idea who it is since they didn't bother putting a name anywhere.

[Big Red]

Wow. what kind of firepower does Father have?

I actually really enjoyed this.

[grendeljd]

Wow. what kind of firepower does Father have?

I actually really enjoyed this.

I missed it the first time I read the book, but later picked up on the fact that Helix must have screwed with all the giant XO's, not just the American one. That enabled Father to destroy them all relatively easily...