A little backstory, a little action, but no nudity.
Creative Staff:
Story: Michael Moreci
Art: Nathan Gooden
Colors: Addison Duke
Letterer: Jim Campbell
What They Say:
More blood! More mayhem! More monsters! Will Owen storm the abbey with Soren the witch? Will axe get drunk on blood? Yes! And you’re going to love it.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The opening installment delivered a lot of what I was looking for in something like a classic swords and sorcery piece but modernized in the right spots. I’ve enjoyed a number of projects from Michael Moreci over the last few years and this is firing on all cylinders right out of the gate with its cast and design. Nathan Gooden and Addison Duke are on board for the artwork for it and through them, we get some fantastic character designs and a great sense of power to it overall that really delivers. There is a ton of material here and it works incredibly well to deliver a cohesive, coherent, and engaging world to sink our teeth into.
With the first issue focusing almost exclusively on Owen and how he ended up in the place that he is with the weapon that he has, the second issue expands on all of this in a good way. His meeting Soren at the end of the first issue allows the two of them to have some pub time here where she gets a few questions in and then launches into her own past. It’s certainly interesting enough in that she was someone who was tied to necromancy since a child, seeing the death of her father before it happened, and eventually ending up in this monastery looking for help from the Abbott that was well-known to operate in this rea. Her time there did not go well, however, as they refused to let her see him and she eventually discovers one night that he basically leads a cult of undead/vampires or some such similar. Hence her flight that lead her into Owen.
Owen’s not terribly pleased to be working with a necromancer or anyone magical, but the two do manage a kind of agreement for the moment since she’s going to go no matter what and Owen’s not stupid. The problem is that the monastery isn’t what it was as those that were evil within it have killed off many in ice throughout and the Abbott makes it clear that he intends to eliminate them all upon finding them in his place. It’s a good bit of fighting that we get here that lets all sides shine well and there are some fun quips to be had that flow naturally. I continue to love Axe and just how he operates, especially in battle against the supernatural, but his downtime side and snark is a lot of fun as well.
In Summary:
Barbaric opened strong and carries that energy and enthusiasm smoothly into the second issue here. Moreci’s script covers a lot of ground with a lot of dialogue and information coming out but he also knows when to shut up and just let the action flow or the expressions convey what needs to be said. Gooden’s artwork is once more fantastic and I really like what Duke is bringing to the color design, especially with Soren’s flashback sequences. A little more background for the present story makes its way here but I really like how well the relationship dynamic is set for the two characters here as it avoids being fully antagonistic or instant friends as well. I like both, and I love Axe, so I’m excited for what’s next.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: Vault Comics
Release Date: July 28th, 2021
MSRP: $3.99
