I loved the intro of the zero issue inside of the X-O Manowar comic. I'm not sure why - but I remembered seeing it somehow or somewhere in something. I'm certain I'd stopped reading by this point, but still... The comic is pretty good. The writing on this one has gotten more and more solid as the months have gone by. Fave part was when Gunny re-approached Aric behind the scenes later on. Nice touch. As for the story - pretty good. Classic mis-understanding conflict of one character against another to battle and decide supremacy, but I like the back door dealings.
Origins
This book does a great job of telling a sort of tired kind of story - the origin to an imprisoned foe. Mandarin is revealed to have a murky past - filled with suspicion and change in family. Superstition, and problems. Idols fall on parents, etc. But it makes Mandarin a much more complex dude than just the Commie Red China villain. The Cap story is yet another groaner. Can't he get a good dude to fight? This is pathetisad. Even the book refers to a few months ago when he fought the other lame villains in an example and beat em. What's this month? Same thing.
If not for Cap
I'd give it to Tales. But X-O is better, yet again.