Valiant’s most important first issue of all time is slamming into shelves early with a one-of-a-kind sneak peek in Diamond Comics Distributors’ December 2016 PREVIEWS catalog – available in comic shops everywhere tomorrow!

Before the all-new X-O MANOWAR #1 arrives in stores on March 22nd, experience the brutal journey that awaits Valiant’s most enduring icon in the December 2016 PREVIEWS catalog – featuring a stunning, six-page, 24″ x 11.5” gatefold insert, bound directly into Valiant Entertainment’s catalog listings! Find out everything you need to know about the FIRST ISSUE of THE EPIC NEW ONGOING SERIES from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Divinity, Ninjak, Mind MGMT) and a rotating cast of powerhouse artists – including Tomas Giorello (4001 A.D.: War Mother, Bloodshot Reborn), Doug Braithwaite (Armor Hunters, Bloodshot U.S.A.), Clayton Crain (Rai, Carnage), Ryan Bodenheim (The Dying & The Dead), and Mico Suayan (Bloodshot Reborn) – that together will span the series’ first year in 2017 and beyond!

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!

In the wake of “SOLDIER”’s staggering assault in issues #1-3, X-O MANOWAR then continues in 2017 and beyond as a superstar cast of Valiant’s most acclaimed artistic talents chart Aric’s path from SOLDIER to GENERAL to EMPEROR to VISIGOTH for a vicious, year-long journey of bone and bloodshed born from the battlefields of a herculean alien empire:

“Over the course of the winter and spring, Valiant will be putting an unprecedented amount of resources behind X-O MANOWAR #1 – a series that is already on course to become our single biggest launch title of all time,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce. “From editorial to marketing and sales, X-O MANOWAR #1 represents the largest and most aggressive coordinated effort we’ve ever undertaken, and with good reason: This is a damn good series, and we want everyone to be aware of just how exceptional X-O MANOWAR will be. As we push harder than ever to showcase this truly stunning title, you can rest assured that this gatefold insert is just one of the many exciting promotional plans we have in store.”

Packed with blistering artwork and a complete guide to innovative new offerings like the X-O MANOWAR #1-3 PRE-ORDER EDITION BUNDLE and X-O MANOWAR #1 BRUSHED METAL VARIANT COVER – printed via special process on real-life brushed aluminum – get the jump on the seminal series of 2017 as X-O Manowar’s journey from “SOLDIER” to “GENERAL” to “EMPEROR” to “VISIGOTH” starts here with this one-of-a-kind countdown to Valiant’s latest ongoing series – printed on a massive, six-panel gatefold and only available in PREVIEWS catalog #340!

Plus: Valiant is also rewarding fans who reserve copies of X-O MANOWAR’s complete opening story arc in advance with their local retailer with the X-O MANOWAR #1-3 PRE-ORDER EDITION BUNDLE!

Available only as a pre-order set, the X-O MANOWAR #1-3 PRE-ORDER EDITIONS must be ordered as a complete bundle at your local comic shop by the initial order date of January 26th, 2017! Released monthly from March through May, featuring exclusive covers by series interior artist Tomas Giorello and clocking in a colossal 48 pages each, every PRE-ORDER EDITION comes packed with trade paperback-style extras and bonus content, including creator commentary, behind-the-scenes looks at the creation of the comics, process character designs and artwork, and first looks at upcoming issues.

The only way to reserve these exclusive copies is by pre-ordering all three issues at your local comic shop by January 26th, 2017. Further copies will not be available beyond that date and subsequent issues will not be offered in later solicitations, so don’t miss your chance! Simply copy one of the pre-order coupons included in this month’s Previews catalog or in every issue of Valiant’s January-shipping comics releases and present it to your local comic shop to reserve your X-O MANOWAR #1-3 PRE-ORDER BUNDLE.

For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and ValiantUniverse.com.

For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com

X-O MANOWAR (2017) #1
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by TOMÁS GIORELLO
Cover A by LEWIS LAROSA (JAN172113)
Cover B by KENNETH ROCAFORT (JAN172114)
Interlocking Variant Cover by MICO SUAYAN (JAN172116)
X-O Manowar Icon Variant by J.G. JONES (JAN172117)
Brushed Metal Variant Cover by MONIKA PALOSZ (JAN172117)
$3.99 | 40 pgs. | T+ | On Sale MARCH 22nd (FOC – 2/27/17)

X-O MANOWAR #1-3 PRE-ORDER EDITION BUNDLE
Written by MATT KINDT
Art & Covers by TOMAS GIORELLO (JAN172115)
X-O MANOWAR #1 PRE-ORDER EDITION | On Sale MARCH 22nd (IOD – 1/26/17)
X-O MANOWAR #2 PRE-ORDER EDITION | On Sale APRIL 26th (IOD – 1/26/17)
X-O MANOWAR #3 PRE-ORDER EDITION | On Sale MAY 24th (IOD – 1/26/17)