I'd like to think that I'm pretty polite most of the time, but I'll admit that I have no idea what's expected of me in extremely formal situations. I mean, it was only a few weeks ago that I learned that there's actually a huge (and sometimes insulting) difference between addressing someone as "your highness" and "your majesty," so in the unlikely event that I ever actually meet a king or queen, I'm going to be at a loss.

I do, however, know one thing about meeting royalty: You don't spit on them. Especially if the royalty in question is a barbarian king from the fifth century. Especially if it's Aric of Dacia, a barbarian king from the fifth century who is also wearing a suit of high-tech armor that recently allowed him to defeat an entire alien army pretty much singlehandedly. That's... that's not going to work out well, and it's a hot tip that you could probably share with the cast of X-O Manowar #40, by Robert Venditti and Rafa Sandoval. Check out a preview below!

 

X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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X-O Manowar #40, Valiant Entertainment
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And here's the official solicitation, which tragically misses the opportunity to call this story "X-O-dus":

 

X-O MANOWAR #40
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover A by RAFA SANDOVAL (JUL151685)
Cover B by TOM FOWLER (JUL151686)
Variant Cover by ROBERT GILL (JUL151687)
“EXODUS” – PART 2! Two peoples. One world. Can a man of war broker peace between Earth and the alien nation it now harbors?
In the aftermath of a horrible tragedy, Aric is trapped between the two worlds he’s sworn to protect. As X-O Manowar, he has made it his mission to protect the Vine’s mass of alien refugees…but his people want them dead…and G.A.T.E. wants them gone! Now, an old enemy will attack Aric at his weakest moment – and the Earth may pay an impossible price for Aric’s loyalty.
EXODUS unleashes a monumental new chapter as New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern) and Rafa Sandoval (X-Men: Legacy) continue the series-defining X-O Manowar epic of the year!
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | On sale SEPTEMBER 2

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