I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
An immortal man who has known nothing but war and death all of his existence seeks a means of making himself mortal, and goes on a journey to discover more of his past in author Matt Kindt and debut comic book writer and acclaimed actor Keanu Reeves’s “BRZRKR”, the first volume in the new action series from BOOM STUDIOS!
The Synopsis
Keanu Reeves makes his comic book writing debut alongside New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt and acclaimed artist Ron Garney in a brutally violent new series about one immortal warrior’s fight through the ages.
A WAR WITH NO END. The man known only as B. is half-mortal and half-God, cursed and compelled to violence…even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, the Berzerker may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, B. will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence…and how to end it.
Keanu Reeves makes his comic book writing debut alongside New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Grass Kings) and legendary artist Ron Garney (Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man) in a brutally violent new series about one immortal warrior’s fight through the ages.
Collects: BRZRKR #1-4.
The Review
What a truly entertaining and mesmerizing graphic novel. The tone that the authors captured here felt like taking the biggest deep-dives into Marvel and DC’s biggest and grittiest action thriller series and ramping it up to ten notches. The balance found between the intensity of the action sequences and the in-depth character growth was so perfect in this story, and while the artwork (which was so visceral and amazing to see) was definitely raw and intense, the violence spoke to the themes of power corrupting those who wield it and the damage it does to the people or “living weapons” that are wielded by those in power.
The characters were the true driving force behind this narrative. The protagonist, known at the beginning of this story simply as B, was such an engaging character to discover. If someone were to blend Marvel’s Wolverine with DC Comic’s Vandal Savage and inject a hint of magic and action-movie style, they would get B. The interesting character study allows readers to see the brutality that he is born into and that which he causes, and yet the trauma that comes with being used time and time again as nothing more than a weapon, speaking to whether morality and choice are something we are born with or something that must be fought for.
The Verdict
A truly immersive, hauntingly entertaining, and gripping graphic novel, author Matt Kindt and Keanu Reeves’s “BRZRKR” is a must-read story in 2021. The perfect read for those who are looking to find comics outside of the mainstream studios and find a true action experience that fuses mythology, history, and chilling looks into the nature of war as a whole, this narrative ends on an interesting cliffhanger that will continue to draw readers into this universe. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Authors
Matt Kindt is a Harvey Award-winning and NYT Best-Selling writer and artist of comics and graphic novels. His work includes MIND MGMT, BRZRKR (with Keanu Reeves), Bang!, Eniac, Revolver, 3 Story, Super Spy, 2 Sisters, and Pistolwhip. He has been nominated for four Eisner Awards and three Harvey Awards (and won once). His work has been published in French, Spanish, Italian, and German. The author lives in St. Louis, MO, with his wife and Dept H. collaborator, the colorist and artist Sharlene Kindt.
Matt has been making comics all his life and has been doing it full-time as a “real” job since 2003. Seriously…he has the best job ever.
You can follow Matt below where he stays active on all social media platforms.
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