Valiant is proud to announce a series of staggering plans marching toward September’s upcoming X–O MANOWAR #50 – a massive comics milestone that will conclude the epic, historic run of New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti on Valiant’s flagship series.
The countdown to X-O MANOWAR #50 begins with “LONG LIVE THE KING” – a striking cosmic showdown beginning this June in X-O MANOWAR #47 by Venditti and acclaimed artists Joe Bennett (52) and Roberto de la Torre (Daredevil) that will bring Venditti’s award-winning and critically lauded superhero saga to a world-shaking finale…and mark the beginning of an all-new era for the future of Valiant’s most powerful hero!
“Robert Venditti’s run on X-O MANOWAR is one of the finest in Valiant’s storied history,” said Valiant Editor-in-Chief Warren Simons. “From his very first issue with artist Cary Nord through PLANET DEATH, UNITY, ARMOR HUNTERS and beyond, Rob’s work on X-O MANOWAR helped cement Valiant as one of the leading publishers in comics today and his contributions to the fabric of the Valiant Universe will continue to resonate for decades to come. But he won’t be leaving X-O MANOWAR quietly. What we have in store for X-O MANOWAR’s grand finale as we head toward issue #50 might just be Valiant’s most audacious turn to date. As Valiant prepares to celebrate X-O Manowar’s 25th anniversary in 2017, ‘LONG THE LIVE THE KING’ will be a colossal turning point for the character…and foreshadow even bigger changes yet to come in the future.”
Born into battle, Aric of Dacia – heir to the throne of the Visigoth Empire – never knew peace. Raised under the oppressive thumb of the Roman Empire in fifth-century Europe, Aric’s entire existence was spent fighting a never-ending insurgency against history’s most brutal empire…until a far more terrifying enemy revealed itself and changed his destiny forever.
Abducted by a brutal race of extraterrestrials known as the Vine, Aric wad forced into slavery on an alien world. Torn from family, his people and his nation, he spent years plotting his escape…until the day came that he was able to seize a weapon of incalculable destruction – a sentient suit of alien armor – and become X-O Manowar!
Returning to Earth only to find that 1,600 years have passed during his journey across the stars, the world’s most primitive man now wields the universe’s most powerful weapon. Working in concert with Earth’s governments and other super-powered heroes like himself, Aric has defended the planet, brokered peace amongst the powerful, and even rebuilt his kingdom from the ashes of history.
But now he faces a unthinkable new foe far more terrible than any that have come before… They are The Torment – and their name means death. Thought to be a legend by the Vine, they have now become Earth’s violent reality. As old as the universe itself, they have traveled for eons to reach us…in search of Aric of Dacia and the unstoppable X-O Manowar armor. Can Aric challenge a seemingly omnipotent threat with motives beyond the comprehension of mortal men? Will the armor truly be our world’s salvation, just as the Vine’s myths foretold? And is this the beginning of the end for X-O Manowar – or the beginning of something even bigger?
The march toward the greatest Valiant milestone of all time starts here as Robert Venditti, Joe Bennett, and Roberto de la Torre begin “LONG LIVE THE KING” this June in X-O MANOWAR #47 – featuring covers by Kano (Swamp Thing), Phil Jimenez (Amazing Spider-Man), Khoi Pham (Mighty Avengers), Clayton Henry (ARCHER & ARMSTRONG), Rafa Sandoval (X-O MANOWAR), David Lafuente (Ultimate Spider-Man), and Jeff Lemire (Trillium)!
Plus: In celebration of X-O Manowar’s landmark issue #50 finale, Valiant is proud to reveal the X-O MANOWAR #50 COUNTDOWN GIVEAWAY – also beginning in June’s X-O MANOWAR #47! For no extra cost, each issue of “LONG LIVE THE KING” will come bagged with one of 50 exclusive, 4-by-6 inch “micro-prints” featuring the one and only X-O Manowar as realized by a sensational cast of comics’ biggest talents – or full-blown, beautifully rendered original artwork randomly inserted in each issue! The X-O MANOWAR #50 COUNTDOWN GIVEAWAY will continue all summer long across all issues of “LONG LIVE THE KING” – including the oversized, blockbuster issue #50 finale!
“X-O MANOWAR isn’t just the story of Aric of Dacia’s odyssey across time and space. It’s also the story of Valiant’s reemergence as the premier storytelling company in comics today, and Robert Venditti has been an integral member of the creative vanguard behind that success since day one,” said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani. “Over the course of 56 issues, we’ve cemented X-O MANOWAR to his rightful place in the pantheon of comics’ greatest heroes and X-O MANOWAR #50 is the ultimate celebration of that achievement. To officiate it, we’ve set out to invest an unrivaled amount of energy and attention into X-O MANOWAR’s final four issues and to formally recognize this as the culmination of one of the greatest, most nuanced character arcs in the history of modern comics. Now, as we march toward issue #50, we’re preparing even greater surprises for X-O MANOWAR’s future – including the anniversary cover to end all anniversary covers. X-O MANOWAR #50 will be a milestone accomplishment in every sense of the term.”
The countdown to X-O MANOWAR #50 represents the epic culmination of Robert Venditti’s unmatched, 56-issue tenure on Valiant’s leading character. Since the release of X-O MANOWAR #1 in 2012, Venditti’s work on the series – alongside a star-studded line-up of artists including Cary Nord, Lee Garbett, Trevor Hairsine, Diego Bernard, Robert Gill, and many more – has gone on to the become the single longest consecutive run from any creator in Valiant’s history, as well as one of the longest consecutive runs on a single series from any creator in the industry today.
In the wake of the series’ final issue in X–O MANOWAR #50, Venditti will continue to contribute to Valiant’s award-winning publishing line with WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR and other as-yet undisclosed projects.
Look for many more details on X-O MANOWAR #50 and the X-O MANOWAR #50 COUNTDOWN GIVEAWAY to be announced in the immediate future.
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