Matt Kindt And Tomas Giorello Relaunch ‘X-O Manowar’ With ‘Soldier’ In 2017 [Exclusive Art]

When Valiant Entertainment relaunched its comics line in 2012, X-O Manowar was the flagship book. It makes sense that it would be, too --- not only did the book center on one of the greatest high concepts ever brought to the comics page, essentially asking, "What if Conan the Barbarian was also Iron man," it had the talents of Robert Venditti and Cary Nord behind it. Now, after 50 issues, Venditti's run as writer has ended, and so has that volume of X-O Manowar.

But in March of 2017, Aric of Dacia is returning for an all-new series by Matt Kindt, Tomas Giorello, Diego Rodriguez, and cover artist Lewis Larosa, launching with a series of stories that will take him from "Soldier" to "General" to "Emperor" to "Visigoth." Check out the official announcement below, along with two exclusive new pages from Giorello!

X-O MANOWAR (2017) #1
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by TOMAS GIORELLO
Cover A by LEWIS LAROSA
Cover B by KENNETH ROCAFORT
Pre-Order Edition Cover by TOMAS GIORELLO
Interlocking Variant by MICO SUAYAN
X-O Manowar Icon Variant by J.G. JONES
TOP SECRET Variant Cover by MONICA PALOSZ
$3.99 | T+ | 40 pgs. | On Sale MARCH 22nd (FOC - 1/16/2017)

A stunning new beginning for Valiant’s most enduring icon starts here on March 22nd, 2017 with part one of “SOLDIER” – a punishing, three-issue introduction that will push Aric of Dacia beyond the farthest limits of our galaxy…and into the brutal opening salvo of the ultimate X-O Manowar tale ever told!

Born under the oppressive thumb of the Roman Empire, Aric of Dacia learned warfare at an early age. It was amid such violence that he was abducted by an alien race. Forced into slavery, he survived where others perished. His escape would come from bonding with a weapon of immeasurable power: the X-O Manowar armor. With it, he returned to Earth...only to find himself stranded in the modern day.

But that was a lifetime ago.

Now, far from home on a strange and primitive new world, Aric has begun a new life. Liberated from his past, he tends to his crops. Free from war. Free from violence. Free from the armor.

But the machinery of death marches his way once again. Conscripted into an alien army and thrown into an unforgiving conflict, the fury inside him finds voice as he is forced to embrace the armor once more. With it, he will decimate armies, topple empires and incite interplanetary warfare as he rises from SOLDIER to GENERAL to EMPEROR to VISIGOTH. They wanted a weapon. He will give them war!