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Armor Hunters #1-4
Armor Hunters
Earth will be the greatest hunt of all…
When Aric of Dacia returned to Earth with the stolen X-O Manowar armor of an alien race, he thought he’d finally found a weapon to guard the peace and kingdom he’d struggled so long to secure. But now, a relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the armor and all like it – have found their fi nal target. The Armor Hunters are coming. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar armor’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.
In the tradition of the universe-shaking Harbinger Wars, be here when New York Times bestselling writer Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Green Lantern) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (Unity, Justice) launch Valiant’s biggest heroes into the year’s blockbuster crossover event – Armor Hunters!
Collecting: Armor Hunters 1-4, Aftermath
When Aric of Dacia returned to Earth with the stolen X-O Manowar armor of an alien race, he thought he’d finally found a weapon to guard the peace and kingdom he’d struggled so long to secure. But now, a relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the armor and all like it – have found their fi nal target. The Armor Hunters are coming. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar armor’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.
In the tradition of the universe-shaking Harbinger Wars, be here when New York Times bestselling writer Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Green Lantern) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (Unity, Justice) launch Valiant’s biggest heroes into the year’s blockbuster crossover event – Armor Hunters!
Collecting: Armor Hunters 1-4, Aftermath
128 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2014
7 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Robert Venditti
795 books391 followersRobert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League, Superman ’78, Hawkman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior for Valiant Entertainment, and the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus novels, as well as Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures, and his work on The Flash was the basis for season three of the CW television series.
Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.
Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 29, 2014
Following suit with the comics big boys, Valiant have done their own summer event comic, this one called Armor Hunters – and, surprisingly for an event comic, it’s actually not bad!
The Armor Hunters are a group of mercenaries flying through space in a giant robot on an unending mission to destroy every single piece of Manowar armor in the universe ‘cos they’re dangerous. Now they’ve come to Earth to separate Aric from Shanhara – but he don’t WANNA! Time for lots of smashy-smashy action between toy-like figures with many things going BOOM!
Yeah, this ain’t the smartest of books but, like a big dumb action movie, it’s enjoyable enough while it lasts. There’s lots of ‘splosions, violent superhero fights, and the kind of destruction that puts Valiant on par with Marvel or DC when they come to their event comics. Except this one, due to its brevity (5 issues), has a snappier pace to it that comics like Forever Evil or Original Sin lack.
Despite the title, this is essentially another XO Manowar book with some cameos from Unity. The Armor Hunters themselves are little more than ciphers – if you were expecting backstory and character development, there’s none of one and very little of the other.
It’s also guilty of that most damning of superhero stories: fight first, talk later. If the Armor Hunters and MERO and co. had talked about their goals and what they were aiming for, rather than immediately launching into hitting each other as hard as possible, they could’ve avoided a LOT of pointless deaths. But then there’d be no story, etc., so you have to accept that this is Valiant/Robert Venditti being dim on purpose to do their best Michael Bay-iest/money-making impression.
The ending is predictable and the after-effects of the event (EVERY event comic has to have these to overstate their IMPORTANCE) are a bit weak, but, despite its faults, I was into the story. I know my brain was eating junk but sometimes a Whopper is just what you want! Armor Hunters was a flashy superhero thing that told its story concisely and straightforwardly, and that’s all an event comic really needs to do.
Armor Hunters is no classic in the making, or even one of Valiant’s best titles of the year, but it’s a decent event comic that’s fun enough to make it worth a read if you’re in the mood for something unchallenging and silly.
The Armor Hunters are a group of mercenaries flying through space in a giant robot on an unending mission to destroy every single piece of Manowar armor in the universe ‘cos they’re dangerous. Now they’ve come to Earth to separate Aric from Shanhara – but he don’t WANNA! Time for lots of smashy-smashy action between toy-like figures with many things going BOOM!
Yeah, this ain’t the smartest of books but, like a big dumb action movie, it’s enjoyable enough while it lasts. There’s lots of ‘splosions, violent superhero fights, and the kind of destruction that puts Valiant on par with Marvel or DC when they come to their event comics. Except this one, due to its brevity (5 issues), has a snappier pace to it that comics like Forever Evil or Original Sin lack.
Despite the title, this is essentially another XO Manowar book with some cameos from Unity. The Armor Hunters themselves are little more than ciphers – if you were expecting backstory and character development, there’s none of one and very little of the other.
It’s also guilty of that most damning of superhero stories: fight first, talk later. If the Armor Hunters and MERO and co. had talked about their goals and what they were aiming for, rather than immediately launching into hitting each other as hard as possible, they could’ve avoided a LOT of pointless deaths. But then there’d be no story, etc., so you have to accept that this is Valiant/Robert Venditti being dim on purpose to do their best Michael Bay-iest/money-making impression.
The ending is predictable and the after-effects of the event (EVERY event comic has to have these to overstate their IMPORTANCE) are a bit weak, but, despite its faults, I was into the story. I know my brain was eating junk but sometimes a Whopper is just what you want! Armor Hunters was a flashy superhero thing that told its story concisely and straightforwardly, and that’s all an event comic really needs to do.
Armor Hunters is no classic in the making, or even one of Valiant’s best titles of the year, but it’s a decent event comic that’s fun enough to make it worth a read if you’re in the mood for something unchallenging and silly.
July 17, 2019
Fun story and I liked Primary's Captain Ahab-esque antics, I also liked Livewire and Lady Colonel but I honestly find the trio of Eternal Warrior, Ninjak and Blooshot to be tremendously boring and interchangeable.
Also, Aric's despairing turn seemed out of character for me- isn't this the same guy who endured years of brutal slavery to an alien culture? You'd think he'd have a little more resolve than wanting to surrender after the first loss, horrible as it may have been.
As is often the case with these sort of "Events" I stumbled into it reading trades from related titles and as a result wound up reading the "main" story last, which in a way made me appreciate the antagonists more as I had already read all their backstories. It's usually a bad sign when the villains are the most interesting characters in a storyline, but for the most part it worked for me.
Also, Aric's despairing turn seemed out of character for me- isn't this the same guy who endured years of brutal slavery to an alien culture? You'd think he'd have a little more resolve than wanting to surrender after the first loss, horrible as it may have been.
As is often the case with these sort of "Events" I stumbled into it reading trades from related titles and as a result wound up reading the "main" story last, which in a way made me appreciate the antagonists more as I had already read all their backstories. It's usually a bad sign when the villains are the most interesting characters in a storyline, but for the most part it worked for me.
March 6, 2016
I have enjoyed just about every
Valiant comic I've read
This was a special treat because it
not only combines most of the
major characters from the Valiant line of comics
but it does so in a way that gives each a chance to shine
In what should be YET ANOTHER
alien invasion / super hero team title
becomes something more in the hands of
author Robert Venditti
Valiant comic I've read
This was a special treat because it
not only combines most of the
major characters from the Valiant line of comics
but it does so in a way that gives each a chance to shine
In what should be YET ANOTHER
alien invasion / super hero team title
becomes something more in the hands of
author Robert Venditti
August 12, 2020
*this review will encompass the main event as well as all tie in TPBs*
This was a spectacular crossover event. Everything felt appropriately built up. The way each player entered the scene was artfully done in a way that maximized excitement, seemed necessary and natural, and didn’t feel like a cheap, exploitative excuse to bludgeon people with recognizable IP.
The main event was a dramatic and high energy masterpiece. The X-O Manowar tie-ins added some much needed world building and context, the Bloodshot tie-ins were straight-up BADASS, Unity was probably the most essential piece outside the main event mini, and the Harbinger book, while good, was probably the weakest addition.
There were many climaxes. It’s great to see Valiant come into it’s own like this, showing that a Valiant event can indeed stand toe to toe with the biggest big two events.
I plan on reading this again. I’d like to own the hardcover that compiles all of these issues, but first I need to arrange more shelf space!
Definitely get into Valiant so you can enjoy this shit!!
This was a spectacular crossover event. Everything felt appropriately built up. The way each player entered the scene was artfully done in a way that maximized excitement, seemed necessary and natural, and didn’t feel like a cheap, exploitative excuse to bludgeon people with recognizable IP.
The main event was a dramatic and high energy masterpiece. The X-O Manowar tie-ins added some much needed world building and context, the Bloodshot tie-ins were straight-up BADASS, Unity was probably the most essential piece outside the main event mini, and the Harbinger book, while good, was probably the weakest addition.
There were many climaxes. It’s great to see Valiant come into it’s own like this, showing that a Valiant event can indeed stand toe to toe with the biggest big two events.
I plan on reading this again. I’d like to own the hardcover that compiles all of these issues, but first I need to arrange more shelf space!
Definitely get into Valiant so you can enjoy this shit!!
December 9, 2017
This was a great crossover. We find out the X-O Manowar armor can become sentient and literally wipe out entire worlds. A group has formed that tracks the various armors across the universe and kills them before they can spread. One of their own members gets infected by the armor and ends up on Earth, and of course they also target Earth's X-O armor.
Pretty much all of the Valiant heroes show up at some point. The story is very tight and the art is exceptional. Just a very strong crossover with a good beginning, middle and end and of course seeds are planted for future stories.
I have been very impressed with the "new" Valiant Comics and this story is some of the best of the new company. If you were ever a Valiant fan you really should check out the new comics because I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Pretty much all of the Valiant heroes show up at some point. The story is very tight and the art is exceptional. Just a very strong crossover with a good beginning, middle and end and of course seeds are planted for future stories.
I have been very impressed with the "new" Valiant Comics and this story is some of the best of the new company. If you were ever a Valiant fan you really should check out the new comics because I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
March 11, 2015
Armor Hunters is something of a turning point for the new Valiant Comics.
As Valiant headed toward its third anniversary, Armor Hunters wasn’t its first crossover event. That distinction goes to Harbinger Wars. But Harbinger WarsArmor Hunters was a different animal. It brought Toyo Harada, the Renegades, Bloodshot, H.A.R.D. Corps and Generation Zero into one larger umbrella story. But the plot was compartmentalized so that readers really didn’t get all those characters on the field at the same time.
Armor Hunters arose from X-O Manowar and fairly quickly brings Bloodshot and the members of Unity into the main action. The core plot focuses on a band of space hunters who roam the universe looking for armor like X-O’s. In an intriguing twist, the Armor Hunters insist that the X-O armor is part of a sentient, parasitic species that uses human hosts to replicate, laying waste to entire planets in the process. The Armor Hunters undertook the mission to travel the universe, destroying the armors they could find and wiping out any civilizations that had come into contact with an armor, to stem the “infection.”
When X-O refuses to turn over his armor, the Armor Hunters make moves with devastating consequences for the people of Earth. Fierce battles ensue, before a final showdown in L.A. that incorporates X-O, Ninjak, Eternal Warrior, Bloodshot and Livewire into one massive melee. In the aftermath, the Valiant Universe sees the founding of G.A.T.E., the Global Agency for Threat Excision (their very own version of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and the public unveiling of the world’s heroes.
Robert Venditti, the writer of X-O Manowar and a key creative contributor to Valiant, penned Armor Hunters and does a great job upping the drama and global stakes. While Venditti clearly has a good grasp on X-O and his supporting cast, he also does a nice job with the other prominent heroes. Livewire especially emerges as a central character in the Valiant Universe. The founding of G.A.T.E. is a watershed moment for Valiant that creates new directions for many characters and embraces the concept of public, high profile heroes.
Doug Braithwaite handles the art for the main series, collaborating with superstar colorist Laura Martin. Braithwaite is an expressive artist who really captures the turbulent emotions of the characters. He crafts some dynamic action sequences, including a couple of really impressive splash pages. Martin wraps everything in a moody palette that captures the suffocating nature of the proceedings, but explodes into bright flashes at the appropriate moments. Armor Hunters is a really beautiful series to look at. Cafu steps in for the epilogue and adds some dynamism to what’s essentially a talk piece, especially with a killer final page.
Armor Hunters is further proof of the care and planning that’s gone into the re-launched Valiant Universe. It’s a vital event series that delivers and makes meaningful change to the publishing line. And it makes for an excellent entry point for new readers.
This review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
As Valiant headed toward its third anniversary, Armor Hunters wasn’t its first crossover event. That distinction goes to Harbinger Wars. But Harbinger WarsArmor Hunters was a different animal. It brought Toyo Harada, the Renegades, Bloodshot, H.A.R.D. Corps and Generation Zero into one larger umbrella story. But the plot was compartmentalized so that readers really didn’t get all those characters on the field at the same time.
Armor Hunters arose from X-O Manowar and fairly quickly brings Bloodshot and the members of Unity into the main action. The core plot focuses on a band of space hunters who roam the universe looking for armor like X-O’s. In an intriguing twist, the Armor Hunters insist that the X-O armor is part of a sentient, parasitic species that uses human hosts to replicate, laying waste to entire planets in the process. The Armor Hunters undertook the mission to travel the universe, destroying the armors they could find and wiping out any civilizations that had come into contact with an armor, to stem the “infection.”
When X-O refuses to turn over his armor, the Armor Hunters make moves with devastating consequences for the people of Earth. Fierce battles ensue, before a final showdown in L.A. that incorporates X-O, Ninjak, Eternal Warrior, Bloodshot and Livewire into one massive melee. In the aftermath, the Valiant Universe sees the founding of G.A.T.E., the Global Agency for Threat Excision (their very own version of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and the public unveiling of the world’s heroes.
Robert Venditti, the writer of X-O Manowar and a key creative contributor to Valiant, penned Armor Hunters and does a great job upping the drama and global stakes. While Venditti clearly has a good grasp on X-O and his supporting cast, he also does a nice job with the other prominent heroes. Livewire especially emerges as a central character in the Valiant Universe. The founding of G.A.T.E. is a watershed moment for Valiant that creates new directions for many characters and embraces the concept of public, high profile heroes.
Doug Braithwaite handles the art for the main series, collaborating with superstar colorist Laura Martin. Braithwaite is an expressive artist who really captures the turbulent emotions of the characters. He crafts some dynamic action sequences, including a couple of really impressive splash pages. Martin wraps everything in a moody palette that captures the suffocating nature of the proceedings, but explodes into bright flashes at the appropriate moments. Armor Hunters is a really beautiful series to look at. Cafu steps in for the epilogue and adds some dynamism to what’s essentially a talk piece, especially with a killer final page.
Armor Hunters is further proof of the care and planning that’s gone into the re-launched Valiant Universe. It’s a vital event series that delivers and makes meaningful change to the publishing line. And it makes for an excellent entry point for new readers.
This review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
July 3, 2021
This was an okayish event. It was supposed to be epic but ended up being meh.
Its basically the invasion from the stars by the Armor Hunters consisting of Primary, helix and Quartz and others. They destroy a city to show how serious they are and then we follow our crew as they try to fight them off but at loss. Aric sees his people getting slaughtered and he couldn't fight them and then we have Livewire engage it and she takes the fight to them by targeting their space vessel Gin-GR. And more battles and losses happen. Ninjak, Bloodshot and Eternal warrior are all roped it until Aric finally decides to go after them and he fights them being the hero he is and accepting the consequences.
We learn of the aftermath and the world is forever changed but the unity team reveals themselves to the world. New threats from above. Aric revealing himself to the world. The birth of X-O Manowar. Its a fun series and has great action sequences and just shows the interstellar invasion and what it could look like and how heroes will rise to meet the challenge. The writer uses DC/Marvel Invasions as base for its storytelling but shows real consequences and doesn't hold back from killing major characters and big things happen. The future of Valiant is changed going forward. Good volume and the art is fine for the most part.
Its basically the invasion from the stars by the Armor Hunters consisting of Primary, helix and Quartz and others. They destroy a city to show how serious they are and then we follow our crew as they try to fight them off but at loss. Aric sees his people getting slaughtered and he couldn't fight them and then we have Livewire engage it and she takes the fight to them by targeting their space vessel Gin-GR. And more battles and losses happen. Ninjak, Bloodshot and Eternal warrior are all roped it until Aric finally decides to go after them and he fights them being the hero he is and accepting the consequences.
We learn of the aftermath and the world is forever changed but the unity team reveals themselves to the world. New threats from above. Aric revealing himself to the world. The birth of X-O Manowar. Its a fun series and has great action sequences and just shows the interstellar invasion and what it could look like and how heroes will rise to meet the challenge. The writer uses DC/Marvel Invasions as base for its storytelling but shows real consequences and doesn't hold back from killing major characters and big things happen. The future of Valiant is changed going forward. Good volume and the art is fine for the most part.
November 10, 2015
Of the three events Valiant has done now, Armor Hunters is hands down the best of the three. In all honestly, this book is really X-O Manowar Vol. 7 rather than the Armor Hunters' backstory that is presented in the actual vol. 7, but that is why is works. X-O is a solid title and Venditti is Valiant's best writer in my opinion, and here he tells a complete story from start to finish that never feels as though it is missing something without the tie-ins.
March 1, 2017
It was actually a bit depressing what happened to the armor hunters, especially considering how well their backstory had been set up in XO. Obviously I didn't want them to blow up Earth, but I kinda wanted them to win, or to come to some kind of compromise, maybe learn that the armor plague could be cured and take that knowledge out into the universe. Now the other armors are still out there spreading without this knowledge on how to stop them safely. I'm kinda bummed.
November 8, 2019
A very good collection. I have already read the Bloodshot
and the X-O Manowar Prelude collections:
Both excellent sci-fi and heroes reads. Valiant did a great job. A nice classic battle to the finish involving several of the Unity heroes. Reminds me of some of the old classic Avengers storylines from the 70's. 4 stars indeed.
I still have to read the Unity and Harbinger Armor Hunters tie-ins, and I will get to them next week and complete this massive saga.
and the X-O Manowar Prelude collections:
Both excellent sci-fi and heroes reads. Valiant did a great job. A nice classic battle to the finish involving several of the Unity heroes. Reminds me of some of the old classic Avengers storylines from the 70's. 4 stars indeed.
I still have to read the Unity and Harbinger Armor Hunters tie-ins, and I will get to them next week and complete this massive saga.
November 17, 2017
This review covers the entirety of the Armor Hunters event, including all of the tie-ins.
The Main Event - Robert Venditti + Doug Braithwaite - 4 stars
The Armor Hunters have made it to Earth, and they want to kill Aric of Dacia - and they're not going to let anyone get in their way.
What surprised me most about this event is the fast pace. In a world where most events are 6-12 issues long, Armor Hunters is four issues and an aftermath, all of which take place over a matter of days. Each issue has some huge revelations involved, and some devastating events that echo out across the Valiant Universe. I think some of the impact of the series might be lost if you've not read X-O Manowar up to this point, but it does stand very well on its own. It's nice to see that Venditti can spin a tale that puts Aric on the world stage (again) without alienating new readers, and tell a complete story in four issues (although some of the tie-ins are pretty important).
Both here and in the Unity issues, we're reminded just how god damn powerful Livewire is as well, and I'm seriously surprised she hasn't had her own ongoing series at this point. There are some real fist-pump moments, especially in the final issue, and I had a smile on my face when I finished this, which is always a good sign (and not something I can say about a lot of events recently either). There's also a lasting impact, which is something else I haven't said much recently either; Unity and X-O Manowar have very different status quos on the other side of Armor Hunters than they did before, and it's not something they can instantly go back on, which is great. The Valiant Universe always feels like it's evolving rather than regressing or staying the same, and this is a good reason why.
I've made no secret that I really like Braithwaite's art; I find that it works a lot better on more mystical or supernatural books because of the wispiness to his linework, but he really manages to hammer this one home and solidify himself in my mind as an artist that can tackle anything.
X-O Manowar - Robert Venditti + Diego Bernard - 4 stars
These tie-in issues tell the secret origin of the Armor Hunters, as we witness the rise of Primary and the fall of Malgam.
There's not a lot of relevance to the main storyline, which is fair since a lot of Venditti's plot points take place in the Armor Hunters mini itself, so these issues offer some much needed background that paints the Armor Hunters in a very different light, almost justified in what they've been doing across the universe. Of course, they still want to kill our main characters so there's got to be a twist, but even so, they're effective at enhancing the main story.
The focus remains on Malgam for the final issue as well, as we see his final fate in the wake of the battle in Armor Hunters; it shows just how compassionate and caring Aric is, and why he's such a good leader and king. Good character work, for a constantly evolving character.0
I mentioned Diego Bernard in the prelude volume, and he continues strongly here. He fits the Valiant house style very well, and really makes these characters his own.
Unity - Matt Kindt + Stephen Segovia - 4 stars
If X-O Manowar can't stop the Armor Hunters, maybe Unity can? But even with Bloodshot to bolster their ranks, the Eternal Warrior, Livewire, and Ninjak may have bitten off more than they can chew.
These issues serve more to fill in the gaps that the Armor Hunters series doesn't get to touch on; we see some more of Unity fighting against the Hounds, and the emotional toll that the battle takes on Livewire, as well as some backstory on GIN-GR which I wasn't expecting in this book either. The story does jump around a bit, because it tends to cliffhanger on things that are then followed up in another book, so this one doesn't really stand well on its own, but as part of the Armor Hunters package I'd call it almost essential reading.
There's also some time for some humanization of the characters which I also didn't expect - Ninjak gets a lot of heart put into him, which we haven't see a lot of in his other appearances, while I've already mentioned how good Livewire is. If anything, you'd have thought Kindt might have leaned into the Eternal Warrior's battle expertise a bit more, since he seems a bit superfluous, especially once Bloodshot shows up.
Stephen Segovia's artwork is instantly recognizable from his distinct facial expressions, but he slots himself nicely into the series - there's an almost entirely silent issue that wouldn't work half as well without a good artist, and yet there's no lack of clarity at all.
Armor Hunters: Harbinger - Joshua Dysart + Robert Gill - 3 stars
This three issue mini-series features Generation Zero, as well as Faith and Torque (since the Renegades have kind of broken up at this point), and deals more with the fallout of the main book than anything else, including the recovery effort.
The first thing I noticed about this book was how well it highlights the differences between GenZero and what's left of the Renegades; they may all be psiots, but their upbringing and their relationship with their powers puts them at odds with each other, and the Mexican authorities as the two groups are forced to team up to stop an infestation as a result of the events of the main Armor Hunters book.
This one's hardly essential to the overall story, but it's a fun addition that shows a little more of how the Armor Hunters 'disinfect' the worlds tarnished by the Armors, and since there wasn't an ongoing Renegades book at this point, it would have been nice to see the characters again.
I like Robert Gill's art, but the real star of the show here is Romulo Fajardo on colours, who adds some impressive depth and detail to the proceedings, especially the giant bug monsters. Very, very pretty bug monsters.
Armor Hunters: Bloodshot - Joe Harris + Trevor Hairsine - 3 stars
I was a little confused at first as to why this series exists, since Bloodshot is a main player in both the main Armor Hunters book and the Unity tie-in, so there's a bit of overlap here.
This is mostly just an excuse for Bloodshot to be Bloodshot and murder his way through the Armor Hunters' forces, and it's pretty impressive. It reads a bit like the end of the first Terminator movie, with Bloodshot using whatever he can to take down Lilt and recapture Malgam while escaping the MERO base.
The artwork in this one feels a little rushed and scratchy; I'm not sure what Hairsine was going for, but it doesn't match up to the consistency of the other Valiant books, or even Hairsine's contributions elsewhere. Bloodshot's torso is out of control in certain panels too; he's ripped, but he's not meant to be top heavy.
Like Harbingers, this one's not essential reading, but it's fun.
The Main Event - Robert Venditti + Doug Braithwaite - 4 stars
The Armor Hunters have made it to Earth, and they want to kill Aric of Dacia - and they're not going to let anyone get in their way.
What surprised me most about this event is the fast pace. In a world where most events are 6-12 issues long, Armor Hunters is four issues and an aftermath, all of which take place over a matter of days. Each issue has some huge revelations involved, and some devastating events that echo out across the Valiant Universe. I think some of the impact of the series might be lost if you've not read X-O Manowar up to this point, but it does stand very well on its own. It's nice to see that Venditti can spin a tale that puts Aric on the world stage (again) without alienating new readers, and tell a complete story in four issues (although some of the tie-ins are pretty important).
Both here and in the Unity issues, we're reminded just how god damn powerful Livewire is as well, and I'm seriously surprised she hasn't had her own ongoing series at this point. There are some real fist-pump moments, especially in the final issue, and I had a smile on my face when I finished this, which is always a good sign (and not something I can say about a lot of events recently either). There's also a lasting impact, which is something else I haven't said much recently either; Unity and X-O Manowar have very different status quos on the other side of Armor Hunters than they did before, and it's not something they can instantly go back on, which is great. The Valiant Universe always feels like it's evolving rather than regressing or staying the same, and this is a good reason why.
I've made no secret that I really like Braithwaite's art; I find that it works a lot better on more mystical or supernatural books because of the wispiness to his linework, but he really manages to hammer this one home and solidify himself in my mind as an artist that can tackle anything.
X-O Manowar - Robert Venditti + Diego Bernard - 4 stars
These tie-in issues tell the secret origin of the Armor Hunters, as we witness the rise of Primary and the fall of Malgam.
There's not a lot of relevance to the main storyline, which is fair since a lot of Venditti's plot points take place in the Armor Hunters mini itself, so these issues offer some much needed background that paints the Armor Hunters in a very different light, almost justified in what they've been doing across the universe. Of course, they still want to kill our main characters so there's got to be a twist, but even so, they're effective at enhancing the main story.
The focus remains on Malgam for the final issue as well, as we see his final fate in the wake of the battle in Armor Hunters; it shows just how compassionate and caring Aric is, and why he's such a good leader and king. Good character work, for a constantly evolving character.0
I mentioned Diego Bernard in the prelude volume, and he continues strongly here. He fits the Valiant house style very well, and really makes these characters his own.
Unity - Matt Kindt + Stephen Segovia - 4 stars
If X-O Manowar can't stop the Armor Hunters, maybe Unity can? But even with Bloodshot to bolster their ranks, the Eternal Warrior, Livewire, and Ninjak may have bitten off more than they can chew.
These issues serve more to fill in the gaps that the Armor Hunters series doesn't get to touch on; we see some more of Unity fighting against the Hounds, and the emotional toll that the battle takes on Livewire, as well as some backstory on GIN-GR which I wasn't expecting in this book either. The story does jump around a bit, because it tends to cliffhanger on things that are then followed up in another book, so this one doesn't really stand well on its own, but as part of the Armor Hunters package I'd call it almost essential reading.
There's also some time for some humanization of the characters which I also didn't expect - Ninjak gets a lot of heart put into him, which we haven't see a lot of in his other appearances, while I've already mentioned how good Livewire is. If anything, you'd have thought Kindt might have leaned into the Eternal Warrior's battle expertise a bit more, since he seems a bit superfluous, especially once Bloodshot shows up.
Stephen Segovia's artwork is instantly recognizable from his distinct facial expressions, but he slots himself nicely into the series - there's an almost entirely silent issue that wouldn't work half as well without a good artist, and yet there's no lack of clarity at all.
Armor Hunters: Harbinger - Joshua Dysart + Robert Gill - 3 stars
This three issue mini-series features Generation Zero, as well as Faith and Torque (since the Renegades have kind of broken up at this point), and deals more with the fallout of the main book than anything else, including the recovery effort.
The first thing I noticed about this book was how well it highlights the differences between GenZero and what's left of the Renegades; they may all be psiots, but their upbringing and their relationship with their powers puts them at odds with each other, and the Mexican authorities as the two groups are forced to team up to stop an infestation as a result of the events of the main Armor Hunters book.
This one's hardly essential to the overall story, but it's a fun addition that shows a little more of how the Armor Hunters 'disinfect' the worlds tarnished by the Armors, and since there wasn't an ongoing Renegades book at this point, it would have been nice to see the characters again.
I like Robert Gill's art, but the real star of the show here is Romulo Fajardo on colours, who adds some impressive depth and detail to the proceedings, especially the giant bug monsters. Very, very pretty bug monsters.
Armor Hunters: Bloodshot - Joe Harris + Trevor Hairsine - 3 stars
I was a little confused at first as to why this series exists, since Bloodshot is a main player in both the main Armor Hunters book and the Unity tie-in, so there's a bit of overlap here.
This is mostly just an excuse for Bloodshot to be Bloodshot and murder his way through the Armor Hunters' forces, and it's pretty impressive. It reads a bit like the end of the first Terminator movie, with Bloodshot using whatever he can to take down Lilt and recapture Malgam while escaping the MERO base.
The artwork in this one feels a little rushed and scratchy; I'm not sure what Hairsine was going for, but it doesn't match up to the consistency of the other Valiant books, or even Hairsine's contributions elsewhere. Bloodshot's torso is out of control in certain panels too; he's ripped, but he's not meant to be top heavy.
Like Harbingers, this one's not essential reading, but it's fun.
May 1, 2016
One thing about formatting - I understand your trade paperbacks are supposed to be quick turnover collections, but it looks really bad when you leave the preview sections of other, completely unrelated, series in the middle of your book. I can kind of understand a preview of Armor Hunters: Bloodshot, but Dr. Mirage? Poor form.
Aside from that, this is a pretty good crossover. Even though it doesn't include all the related issues, the main story is complete here, so you can get the important plot points and action sequences without feeling like you're missing something, although you also get the impression the added issues would flesh out the story well. A team of aliens with super powerful tech come to Earth to reclaim the X-O armor, claiming it is a plague. And Earth fights back. Well, Unity fights back, most of Earth's forces are supremely unprepared for the battle, and serve as cannon fodder. But the Unity team members actually do make some good plans and decisions, and are able to believably challenge (and, spoiler, defeat) the Armor Hunters. It feels like the Hunters could have been fleshed out more, but they feel like real threats, and the stakes feel sufficiently high for this kind of crossover event. I think it worked a bit better than the Harbinger wars, with all the related characters feeling more involved in the actions. Valiant has really done a good job of integrating their series together, and crossover events like this are the payoff as well as the proof that they're really doing their planning.
Aside from that, this is a pretty good crossover. Even though it doesn't include all the related issues, the main story is complete here, so you can get the important plot points and action sequences without feeling like you're missing something, although you also get the impression the added issues would flesh out the story well. A team of aliens with super powerful tech come to Earth to reclaim the X-O armor, claiming it is a plague. And Earth fights back. Well, Unity fights back, most of Earth's forces are supremely unprepared for the battle, and serve as cannon fodder. But the Unity team members actually do make some good plans and decisions, and are able to believably challenge (and, spoiler, defeat) the Armor Hunters. It feels like the Hunters could have been fleshed out more, but they feel like real threats, and the stakes feel sufficiently high for this kind of crossover event. I think it worked a bit better than the Harbinger wars, with all the related characters feeling more involved in the actions. Valiant has really done a good job of integrating their series together, and crossover events like this are the payoff as well as the proof that they're really doing their planning.
July 19, 2016
I want to begin this review by saying I know virtually nothing about Valiant Comics or their current line of titles, but Armor Hunters was part of this month's Comic Bento, so here we are. And I have to say, through the lens of a newcomer, I may not have the best grasp of who some of these characters are--even after reading this collection--but I enjoyed my time with them. On that note, the team of heroes taking center stage here consists of a Visigoth king from 1600 years ago who's acquired some sort of parasitic space armor, a shirtless soldier whose body is infused with nanomachines, a rich British ninja (with the unfortunate monicker of "Ninjak"), a woman who can control and talk to any machine, and a...Medieval-looking guy with axes and guns. Out of all of them, I feel like I've learned the least about him.
Anyway, the story centers around a group of aliens who have been systematically going across the galaxy, eliminating other copies of the armor that Aric (the Visigoth king) wears. Obviously this doesn't go over well, and a knock-down, drag-out fight ensues. There's a lot of action, some great artwork, and enough world-building that I didn't feel lost, despite this being my first exposure to Valiant's characters. I have a lot of questions now, but rather than feeling frustrated by them, I find myself wanting to learn more. As such, I can't say how this collection holds up in the greater context of the Valiant universe, but as an introduction, it succeeds quite well.
Anyway, the story centers around a group of aliens who have been systematically going across the galaxy, eliminating other copies of the armor that Aric (the Visigoth king) wears. Obviously this doesn't go over well, and a knock-down, drag-out fight ensues. There's a lot of action, some great artwork, and enough world-building that I didn't feel lost, despite this being my first exposure to Valiant's characters. I have a lot of questions now, but rather than feeling frustrated by them, I find myself wanting to learn more. As such, I can't say how this collection holds up in the greater context of the Valiant universe, but as an introduction, it succeeds quite well.
September 22, 2016
I am continually impressed with the quality of the books from Valiant. This one came in the June 2016 Comic Bento box, which features a long time Valiant hero, X-O Manowar. He is a Visigoth from the 5th century that wears a suit of alien armor, which gives him incredible abilities. In this book, a group of hunters that have been tracking down these suits of armor comes to Earth.
There is a lot of action in this book. It moves along very quickly without sacrificing the story. The bad guys do represent some common tropes to superhero comics, but their motives for coming to Earth make sense. Their abilities and actions match perfectly for their mission. Never did they feel incapable or like they were pushovers.
This is an "event" book, which means that there are other Valiant titles that tie into this story. It stands well enough on its own that you probably don't need to read those other books. I liked this one so much that I plan to pick up those other books just to see how the rest of the story plays out. For the sake of saving space, some of the action takes place off screen and probably gets featured in one of those other books. I've read some books that take place after this one, and it's great to see that what happens here carries through to future books.
I loved the art. It is part of what was so engrossing about the book. I wanted to keep reading partly because there are some gorgeous drawings, even when it includes destruction. I'll admit that there were a few that struck me as odd, but they never got in the way of my enjoyment of this book.
There is a lot of action in this book. It moves along very quickly without sacrificing the story. The bad guys do represent some common tropes to superhero comics, but their motives for coming to Earth make sense. Their abilities and actions match perfectly for their mission. Never did they feel incapable or like they were pushovers.
This is an "event" book, which means that there are other Valiant titles that tie into this story. It stands well enough on its own that you probably don't need to read those other books. I liked this one so much that I plan to pick up those other books just to see how the rest of the story plays out. For the sake of saving space, some of the action takes place off screen and probably gets featured in one of those other books. I've read some books that take place after this one, and it's great to see that what happens here carries through to future books.
I loved the art. It is part of what was so engrossing about the book. I wanted to keep reading partly because there are some gorgeous drawings, even when it includes destruction. I'll admit that there were a few that struck me as odd, but they never got in the way of my enjoyment of this book.
July 2, 2017
The hunters touch down in Russia and lay waste to a military installation where researchers tried to replicate Aric's armor. They soon find Aric's location. When the leader of MERO, Aric's handlers, is contacted she refuses to give up the armor, so the hunters obliterate Mexico City. Their next attack is on the locations where Aric visited. Hound-like creatures are sent to Romania, Italy, the MERO headquarters, UK and US. They all suffer heavy losses.
January 25, 2015
Armor Hunters is everything an event comic needs to be It's clean, contained, and meaningful to the universe in which it takes place. Each of the Armor Hunters are carefully designed, each highlighted in unique ways. Instead of reading as one-off antagonists, they instead are infused with the Valiant universe as moving pieces, aiding in both the cosmic world building, and cast building of an already impressive setting. Doug Braithwaite is one of Valiant's big guns right now, and he's fired off impressively on this greatly satisfying story. The nature of the conflict is unique, the antagonists are breathing characters with sympathetic motivations, and the resolution is bittersweet and grey, falling in formation with the line's themes and motifs. Both the visuals and the writing are excellent, the story is concise, and the aftermath opens the door for a meaningful, new chapter in the Valiant universe.
Armor Hunters is an absolute win.
Armor Hunters is an absolute win.
May 1, 2017
The solid heart of the Armor Hunters series, but it's more an X-O Manowar comic than anything else. That means it's got the great characterization that Venditti has been pushing throughout the X-O, but all moved to an even more global stage than the comic has ever seen before, as Aric deals with a menace to the whole world. It's a great comic that continues to show Venditti's strengths (and nicely dovetails into Unity at the end, really showing how well connected the Valiant universe is, which has always been its strength, back to VH1 days).
July 24, 2016
Despite a dumb title, this Valiant book wasn't bad at all. Then again, most of Valiant's stuff tends to be fun. Aliens looking to exterminate the sentient armor worn by time-displaced Visigoth Aric, AKA X-O Manowar, have come to Earth and looking to take the armor down. They actually have good reason to do so, but they're also mistaken about a few things. Featuring guest appearances by Bloodshot, Ninjak, Livewire, and the Eternal Warrior, like most Valiant works it was a quick four or five issue story arc that actually advanced a story.
February 20, 2017
Another great crossover event. Well done Valiant !
February 23, 2019
The team on this event, or miniseries, is the same as the regular XO Manowar team, and for all intents and purposes, this is like a Manowar collection.
February 26, 2019
Great crossover arc.
Fantastic if you read all the books in order . Jump from one plot to the next and it feels like a truly global story.
Fantastic if you read all the books in order . Jump from one plot to the next and it feels like a truly global story.
December 17, 2018
Me encuentro ante una serie limitada de cuatro entregas. Esta serie enlaza su trama en otras dos miniseries y en ciertos números de X-O Manowar y Unity.
Solo con leer esta frase, si no conoces el universo Valiant, es como para echarse atrás. Nuestra mente empezará a pensar en casos como Crisis en las Infinitas Tierras de DC Comics o Secret Wars de Marvel. La conclusión previa a la inmersión en estos números es del estilo “si no conozco casi a estos personajes, me van a hacer leer un montón de números y me voy a enterar de la mitad de lo que pasa con suerte”.
Pero uno que es kamikaze en sus lecturas, se adentra en este laberinto de saga crossover y me llevo una sorpresa agradable.
Lo primero que descubro es que es una serie limitada que se puede leer sin que la lectura de los tie-ins de las otras series sea necesaria en absoluto.
La trama plantea la llegada a la Tierra de un grupo alienígena que se dedica a localizar las armaduras como la que lleva el protagonista de X-O Manowar. O la Tierra entrega la armadura, o destrozarán el planeta. Y para muestra, hacen volar Ciudad de México.
Son poderosos, y los héroes de la Tierra deberán hacerles frente. De este modo, los protagonistas serán los héroes de Unity: Eternal Warrior, Ninjak, Livewire y el propio X-O Manowar.
Pero el guión está tan bien escrito, que parece que nos estén presentando a todos los personajes por primera vez. La lectura es muy fluida y la acción es tan interesante que incluso lo previsible resulta divertido.
El dibujo de Doug Braithwaite es tan excelente como en todo lo que ha hecho en Valiant. Brillante en todo lo que se le puede pedir a un dibujante de alto nivel.
Robert Venditti lleva tiempo demostrando que es el guionista por excelencia de Valiant (o uno de ellos). Consigue unas historias que te da la sensación de que llevas décadas leyendo las aventuras de estos héroes. Y lo más importante, lo consigue son que se le pueda achacar en ningún momento estar haciendo una versión modificada de los universos Marvel o DC. Es absolutamente original y todo un fichaje que Valiant debería cuidar durante muchos años, pues es sinónimo de éxito.
En definitiva, una muy buena historia que a los lectores de cómic de superhéroes dejará un gran sabor de boca y en ningún momento les hará pensar en copias baratas de otros universos o sucedáneos de segunda fila.
Solo con leer esta frase, si no conoces el universo Valiant, es como para echarse atrás. Nuestra mente empezará a pensar en casos como Crisis en las Infinitas Tierras de DC Comics o Secret Wars de Marvel. La conclusión previa a la inmersión en estos números es del estilo “si no conozco casi a estos personajes, me van a hacer leer un montón de números y me voy a enterar de la mitad de lo que pasa con suerte”.
Pero uno que es kamikaze en sus lecturas, se adentra en este laberinto de saga crossover y me llevo una sorpresa agradable.
Lo primero que descubro es que es una serie limitada que se puede leer sin que la lectura de los tie-ins de las otras series sea necesaria en absoluto.
La trama plantea la llegada a la Tierra de un grupo alienígena que se dedica a localizar las armaduras como la que lleva el protagonista de X-O Manowar. O la Tierra entrega la armadura, o destrozarán el planeta. Y para muestra, hacen volar Ciudad de México.
Son poderosos, y los héroes de la Tierra deberán hacerles frente. De este modo, los protagonistas serán los héroes de Unity: Eternal Warrior, Ninjak, Livewire y el propio X-O Manowar.
Pero el guión está tan bien escrito, que parece que nos estén presentando a todos los personajes por primera vez. La lectura es muy fluida y la acción es tan interesante que incluso lo previsible resulta divertido.
El dibujo de Doug Braithwaite es tan excelente como en todo lo que ha hecho en Valiant. Brillante en todo lo que se le puede pedir a un dibujante de alto nivel.
Robert Venditti lleva tiempo demostrando que es el guionista por excelencia de Valiant (o uno de ellos). Consigue unas historias que te da la sensación de que llevas décadas leyendo las aventuras de estos héroes. Y lo más importante, lo consigue son que se le pueda achacar en ningún momento estar haciendo una versión modificada de los universos Marvel o DC. Es absolutamente original y todo un fichaje que Valiant debería cuidar durante muchos años, pues es sinónimo de éxito.
En definitiva, una muy buena historia que a los lectores de cómic de superhéroes dejará un gran sabor de boca y en ningún momento les hará pensar en copias baratas de otros universos o sucedáneos de segunda fila.
March 7, 2021
Putting together a How To Read the Armor Hunters crossover might be a fun project further down the line but, even having now read all of the books, it doesn't feel very intuitive. You'd certainly start with X-O Manowar, Volume 6: Prelude to Armor Hunters, X-O Manowar, Volume 7: Armor Hunters (though the final issue takes place near the end of the event), Unity, Volume 3: Armor Hunters (which is all over the place), Armor Hunters: Bloodshot (which takes place near the end of the event, this book, and then Armor Hunters: Harbinger, which takes place halfway through the event but doesn't really interact with the rest of the story.
Of all those books, this is the weakest entry. It's a very surfacey story of Huge Stakes and no real time to sit with any of the characters. The X-O Manowar entry, which was also penned by Venditti was an excellent character study of the antagonists of the event. Here we get jagged storytelling and no emotional investment. I really think you could enjoy this event without reading this main book.
If you're a completist, check it out, otherwise, this is skippable.
Of all those books, this is the weakest entry. It's a very surfacey story of Huge Stakes and no real time to sit with any of the characters. The X-O Manowar entry, which was also penned by Venditti was an excellent character study of the antagonists of the event. Here we get jagged storytelling and no emotional investment. I really think you could enjoy this event without reading this main book.
If you're a completist, check it out, otherwise, this is skippable.
October 24, 2020
Well, this doesn't read like an Event Comic. Partly because it feels as if you're actually getting the full story in these pages, and that any other books elsewhere in the Valiant Universe tied in with this through their subtitles aren't really necessary. Yes, the completist will wish to know why Bloodshot and Livewire are hanging out together, but the core of this is the alien race here to get the X-O Manowar armour off Aric. They think it's so bad it's worth destroying the world for – we've only just worked out how it's operating when it's healing battle wounds. You can see from that this is not going to be a book for everyone – some prior knowledge is needed, but the same can be said of everything after Valiant's second book ever. What does give these pages some of the epic is the upscaling in the death and destruction, and Aric's promotion yet again in the noble, regal, fighting-for-his-people way. It's not great, but as Event Comics go it's thankfully tidy enough to be easily taken on board, and provides the right level of drama. Three and a half stars.
January 10, 2021
I'm so confused by Valiant's editorial decisions. This is the Armor Hunters story however it doesn't collect the entire arc. Unity and X-O Manowar both have their own collections. We get a part of the story but it reads like half the story happens off panel. Its strange. The conflict is huge, the devastation is huge, the actual battle...tame. Its unfortunate. If this was just a story about Aric, I'd be down but its missing so much. The artwork by Doug Braithwaite is very good but I thought the designs for half the Hunters were pretty weak. Overall, this was fine but a disappointment.
April 12, 2020
This was a massive event touching base with each title in the Valiant line. This book holds the main story and boy it’s a cool one. The villains are only bad because they’ve lost so much protecting the universe from an unstoppable infection. I hope to read the other side books in this soon.
December 8, 2021
Yo me he leído el cómic en la edición tomo íntegro. Y sólo puedo decir que todo en este cómic es fantástico. La trama,el dibujo. Todo está bien y todo te hace disfrutar
December 18, 2016
Também aqui se embrulha e faz seguir bastas unidades de acção (começando a Livewire a gozar do protagonismo que há muito fazia sentido atribuir-lhe).
A coloração de Laura Martin tanto dota os painéis de uma candura improvável como os priva de dinamismo.
A coloração de Laura Martin tanto dota os painéis de uma candura improvável como os priva de dinamismo.
February 7, 2017
I borrowed this from Comixology completely by accident. I had never really read any Valiant titles so I didn't really know much of the background about this. But that aside it was a pretty decent story.
January 25, 2015
This was I really great volume set in the Valiant Universe and I hope they put out some more featuring the different people from the pages of various Valiant comics in the future.
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