Advance Review: Berserker Unbound #1 (of 4)
Possibly due the popularity of Conan and the seemingly ever present Red Sonja, it seems that barbarians are all the rage, so to speak. Thing is, I am not sure they have ever gone away. After losing Conan to Marvel, Dark Horse Comics are looking to redress the balance, albeit via Dynamite in a small way. To do that, they have turned to genre homage writer extraordinaire, Jeff Lemire.
The Mongrel King is a berserker, a fighter, but for whom does he fight? Following the greatest failure he comes across a startling discovery of himself an in the process is transported to a modern day metropolis. No, not that Metropolis! Now he must become himself and protect those around him against an evil and merciless wizard.
This mini series is written by Jeff Lemire, who I called an homage writer previously. Recently, Lemire has enjoyed success writing in style that is reminiscent of the old Justice Society, a fact I have mentioned more than once. With te ability to tap into that which was once great, Lemire is the perfect choice to bring Conan/not Conan to Dark Horse. The setup is relatively simple, though remains an engaging, though possibly quick read. The idea of the story, transplanted warrior in modern day settings, was done a couple years back with Amy Chu’s fantastic Red Sonja run. Where that run possibly faltered when Sonja returned to her own time; using the Dark Horse model of mini series format should mean that the Mongrel King doesn’t outstay his welcome. The monologue and dialogue is a terse as you’d expect for the most part, though there are quiet moments of introspection that help show the main character as more than just a warrior or slayer of mongrels.
Having spent some time with Conan on Savage Avengers, Mike Deodato Jr. steps up and takes on the pencil for the book. If you were impressed by Deodato Jr in the aforementioned Marvel book, prepare to be blown away with what he delivers without having to worry about editorial control over brand name characters. Here, Deodato art is just plain awesome. I challenge you to find a better looking book! Details are crosshatched in, giving the main character a world weary sort of demeanour. When the action starts it is bloody and violent; to be fair isn’t that what you would expect from a barbarian book? Despite all that, there is still time to enjoy the nuances in play. Deodato Jr. is joined in this endeavours by colorist Frank Martin who gives us a dirty old world scheme, cleverly utilising color choices as themes throughout the book. Finally, letterer Steve Wands produces a font that looks like it could have been taken from a scroll, without being to difficult to read; no mean feat. At this stage, it is worth pointing out that there is an alternative cover by Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart; it is totally dealers choice, though Mignola art is in short supply with no Hellboy around.
I can not stress how much fun this book is. True, there are enough elements to make you think of other characters, but in Lemire, you have a writer who seems to be able to fasten onto the core elements and vibes of what characters and stories tick, adding in a very well done classic touch.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Star
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Jeff Lemire
Art by; Mike Deodato Jr.
Colors by; Frank Martin
Letters by; Steve Wands
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Berserk Unbound #1 is out in your local comic book shop on 7th August
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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