VALIANT BEYOND: X-O MANOWAR #2 – New Comic Review

Valiant Beyond: X-O Manowar #2, by Valiant Comics on 10/29/25, finds Aric beating mechanical monsters and savage factions that collide in a comic that looks amazing but leaves logic bleeding out in the sand.

Credits:

• Writer: Steve Orlando
• Artist: Guillermo Fajardo
• Colorist: Lautaro Ftuli, Ludwig Olimba
• Letterer: Camila Jorge
• Cover Artist: Augustin Alessio (cover A)
• Publisher: Alien Books/Valiant Entertainment
• Release Date: October 29, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 22
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of VALIANT BEYOND: X-O MANOWAR #2:

First Impressions:

This book feels like being dropped into a post-apocalyptic brawl where the referee forgot to explain the rules. The art smacks you in the face with bleak grandeur, but the writing throws up more questions than answers. It’s spectacle over clarity, and boy, does it take commitment to keep up.

Recap:

The last issue opened on a shattered planet as Aric of Dacia, a displaced Visigoth, rescued refugee pilgrims from bloodthirsty marauders using the legendary X-O Manowar armor. After helping them reach a haven called The Punx – ruled by the iron-fisted Doctor Demolition – Aric’s chivalry backfired when nightfall brought old enemies seeking vengeance. Kidnapped by the remnants of his past foes and delivered to their leader, Asher Typhon, Aric was left paralyzed by forced terror as the story closed with our hero held captive, alone, and uncertain.

Plot Analysis:

The issue begins with Aric of Dacia trapped, physically battered and emotionally drained, enduring captivity at the hands of a grotesque new adversary named Typhon, the so-called Earth’s first Reborn. Typhon isn’t interested in mercy; he uses Aric and others as both bait and brutal entertainment, forcing them into a survivalist meat grinder in a desolate area called “The Scar.” The setting is grim: outcasts, debtors, and the unwanted are compelled to earn their place among the Earthborn through raw violence or die trying. Often both.

Aric is thrust into a sadistic endurance trial, barely clinging to his code of honor and humanity. The “test” involves crossing a muck-filled lake and facing engineered beasts. Aric is pitted against AFBs (Armored Fighting Beasts) and indoctrinated punks desperate for approval. The violence is unremitting, with Aric forming an uneasy alliance with Demolition and others who would rather rebel than rot, while Aztlan, a ritualist, brings another layer of desperation and moral ambiguity.

Much of what happens is stitched together with cryptic dialogue and chaotic action. There’s a murky subplot involving sacrifices that somehow power hearts and machines in this world, and talk of “Earthborn” and “newborns” achieving status through increasingly grim rites. Every confrontation is laced with riddles, tests of will, and bursts of violence. Allegiances form and break in the span of a page. The antagonists, especially Typhon and his thugs, are all attitude and muscle, but motives often feel as clear as mud.

By the final act, Aric survives (barely) after a gauntlet of savage melee, refusing to compromise his beliefs even when it means facing near-certain death. Demolition and Aztlan carve their own brutal paths, breaking the cycle of abuse, while Typhon – ever the sadist – surveys the carnage, setting the stage for further conflict. The issue ends with little resolved: Aric has defied Typhon’s expectations but remains a battered pawn in a never-ending game of survival, his larger purpose still maddeningly out of reach.

Story

Steve Orlando’s script doubles down on dense lore and gritty posturing, tossing slang, titles, and history at the reader with abandon. Conversations jump from cryptic threats to philosophical banter, rarely pausing for context or emotional connection. Instead of pulling the reader in, the labyrinthine plot invites only confusion, spinning its wheels in a world that feels all atmosphere and no anchor. Scene transitions are abrupt, and the onslaught of new jargon leaves newcomers lost. Even returning readers may find themselves rereading exchanges, hunting for clarity that never arrives.

Art

Guillermo Fajardo’s art is the real showstopper here. Every panel drips with post-apocalyptic energy: raw, muscular, and charged with danger. Characters leap and snarl in shattered wastelands, colors by Lautaro Ftuli saturate every page with gritty vibrancy, and the designs of the Armored Fighting Beasts and ragtag factions keep the book alive even when the story falters. Dramatic lighting, bold layouts, and expressive faces give emotion and gravity to every brawl and breakdown. If you want spectacle, this issue delivers.

Characters

Everyone in this book has a haunted past and a chip on their shoulder, but depth is hard to find beneath the scowling exteriors. Aric is a battered warrior clinging to honor; Typhon is a cackling villain reveling in cruelty; Demolition and Aztlan add interesting texture but get lost amid the chaos. Motivations, when explained, seem to change with the page, and so much of what could make these characters resonate is drowned in cryptic allusions and overwrought antagonism.

Positives

The visual craft behind X-O Manowar #2 is a feast for anyone who loves their comics grim and gorgeous. From thunderous splash pages to the grimy, layered battlefields, every frame is brimming with detail and creative world-building. The art nearly rescues the issue, lending weight and flair to a story fighting for coherence. If mood, motion, and menace are your thing, you’ll find plenty to savor.

Negatives

The story lurches from scene to scene, drowning under its own murkiness. Every explanation seems to birth a new riddle. Character motivations are murky, and the plot’s constant jargon makes following the action feel like deciphering an alien language. You’re not drawn into the story. You’re left stranded outside the fence, peering into a world that shouts but never explains. This isn’t enigmatic; it’s just confusing.

Art Samples:

Final Thoughts:

(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)

VALIANT BEYOND: X-O MANOWAR #2 is a gorgeous, gritty wasteland of wasted potential. The art sings, the world looks brutal and alive, but the story can’t decide if it’s a labyrinth or a landfill. If you came for drama and violence painted in vivid mud, you got your ticket’s worth. If you were hoping for a story where you actually know what’s going on, guess again. Bring a road map and a stiff drink.

---

---

---

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.