Tag Archives: Bill Crabtree

A Satisfying Conclusion? A Review of BRZRKR Volume 3

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We’ve reached the end! Well we’ve reached AN end. There is, of course, still the Bloodlines spin-off comic (2 vol?), and The Book of Elsewhere (the whole reason we’re in this to begin with lol), but Volume 3 presents the close of one major arc and so I think we can feel a just a little accomplished at completing one part of the journey.

Without getting too much into spoilers, I’ll say that I felt this end was a bit wonky. The way in which the story sets up some potential future villains was very satisfying in a classic superhero comic book type way, but what’s going on with “good guys” at the end of the story is a bit more confusing, and I’ll admit, I feel like I may have lost the plot a bit.

I’d say where Volume 3 distinguishes itself from the other volumes I’ve read so far (check out my reviews of BRZRKR Volume One and BRZRKR Volume 2) is in its use of a bit more color. There is still plenty of red ink, but with some depictions of a “higher plane of existence” in the beginning, and some god-like shows of power during — and leading up to — the fight with the final baddie, Volume 3 isn’t quite as monochromatic as the previous iterations.

There’s a panel in the first couple of pages in which B sorta “touches the face of god” so to speak and I think we’re meant to feel as if the very essence of his being is somehow being pulled apart, stretching to its absolute limit. I just adored this panel because of how chaotic it appears and yet there is also an obvious and painstaking level of craftsmanship in its detail.

Aside from just a general kind of confusion about what was going on, I think my only real critique lies in the kind of onomatopoeia used in many of the panels. At many points in the story, characters are kind of brimming with power and making guttural noises to express the strain of it. In every case, I feel like they probably sounded good in the mind, but would sound pretty laughable if read aloud.

I understand that these types of “sounds” are a staple of the comic book genre, and my critique is little different than the shade which has been thrown at “POW”, “BOOM”, and “WHAM” since time immemorial. However, it seemed to me that an infinitely powerful being destroying a corrupt military compound could sound a little better than: “GRRRR . . . GRAAAHH . . . GRAHHRR!”

Diana really comes into her own in this volume, which was a delight to see as she’s been kind of relegated to a pseudo-narrator up until this point. I’m certainly curious to see how she might progress. I’m not sure if — or how — we might see her again though given that the story is finished.

Finally, I’ve mentioned that the real fun of these pieces is seeing B in previous historical contexts. This element is more or less missing from the finale. The sort of prehistoric setting returns here and there, but gone are the scenes of B in some exotic ancient location like ancient Greece or medieval Japan. It makes sense from a story perspective that they wouldn’t focus on that, however, it was the part I liked best.

Give BRZRKR Volume 3 a Read?

I think it’s worth reading at the very least to close out the story and get answers to the questions we’ve been wondering about since the beginning of the series. Volume 3 may not have quite the philosophical depth as Volume 2, but it certainly is an improvement upon Volume 1 in terms of its use of color and the craftsmanship of its artwork. Story wise, some parts were a bit hard to follow, and I wish we’d seen a few more historical periods before the close, but ultimately I’m feeling good about the ending, and interested in pursuing the spin-offs and still hype to read Book of Elsewhere when it’s time.

That’s all I have this week. Has anyone read this one yet? The rest of the series? What’s your favorite volume so far? Which villains are you most excited to see pop up in another BRZRKR story? What’s next for Diana?

Leave your thoughts in the comments! Looking forward to talking about this one!

Until next time . . .

On the Purpose of Violence: A “Philosophical” Review BRZRKR Volume 2

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I have to admit, when I first set out to begin this post, I had fuck-all to say. In my review of BRZRKR Volume One I had asked if Keanu Reeves’ comics debut was anything more than an excuse to spill red ink, and ultimately came to the conclusion that there was intrigue worth pursuing in the main character, but that if one was wholly opposed to the depiction of gratuitous violence on the page, there was no unique or captivating theme present that would justify pushing through (for the sake of ‘Literature’ so to speak).

BRZKR Volume 2 seems to reverse that polarity somewhat, though I only began to realize this upon the reflection inherent in the review process. Initial impressions were that this piece traded in the same stock as its predecessor: B has a mysterious and tragic existence, he kicks ass against impossible odds (and gets completely messed up while doing it), we get some flashbacks of B throughout history, a dark and nefarious cabal surrounds B seeking to exploit his power. A lot of blood and guts are spilled.

But as I considered what to write about this, I decided that there WAS more going on than I’d initially realized and that while the intrigue surrounding B seemed a bit less interesting in this volume, the broader story around him was beginning to grow in depth and meaning. Here’s what I mean:

The story opens with Diana (B’s doctor/psychiatrist/a thousand other things) at B’s home, in what seems like something of a half-hearted attempt at seduction. B is almost comical in his commitment to the ‘strong and silent’ type in this scene but Diana puts on a record and gets him talking, and he goes on something of a rant about how all songs — throughout humanity’s entire history — are about one thing.

For B, music’s only purpose is to bring people together to satisfy a “universal urge” for “it” (and then because B is tragic: “. . . or the loss of it”). When Diana suggests “it” might be love, B responds stoically that he doesn’t do that anymore. But given the panels we see about the women B is with losing their children, I might venture that “it” is more likely sex, or becomes so over time.

I don’t think the character work here is particularly interesting; stoic, jaded, and emotionally unavailable action heroes are more plentiful than grains of sand at the beach, but this inquiry into the purpose of music IS something the reader can sink their teeth into.

Personally, I disagree with B and think there is more to music than the joy of getting to smash, or the sorrow of no longer being able to. B himself almost has it when he muses how music brings people together — forms connections. But it is only half-formed since for B, there is only the one type of connection which matters.

This opening inquiry into the purpose of music is just a taste of the types of questions asked throughout the volume, which indeed seems to be centered around defining purpose (you may even say it is the volume’s . . . purpose lol). While wandering in the woods after surviving a helicopter crash, B questions his own purpose in one of the more interesting character moments for B as he carries one of his squad members with him, in essence saving the man despite how seemingly cheap life should be for B.

And finally, the true thematic work of this piece comes to the foreground as villain Caldwell discusses an artifact recovered on B’s last mission (the reason they had to trapse around in the woods). Caldwell has been tracking the progress of technology in relation to B’s movements and suggests that while death and destruction assuredly follow him wherever he goes, so does information. B remembers the knowledge and technological advancements of lost societies and so those cultures live on. Every place he visits, be brings with him every place he’s been and so cultures mix and humanity progresses technologically through a kind of cross pollination. Caldwell suggests this is B’s true purpose.

At this point, it is not unreasonable to see B as a metaphor or personification of the concept of war and Caldwell’s explanation of B’s purpose as a commentary for the true (and perhaps essential) purpose of war itself. It would be hard for me to believe that this comic is written as a justification for war, but I’m uncertain that it fully succeeds as a condemnation of it. The cost paid for eternal violence is focused around one person, the hero, and his unbearable burden; yet the disruption, pain and sorrow — in my opinion the true cost of war — for everyone in B’s path is more or less unexamined.

I’ve spent a lot of time discussing theme and some of the more weighty parts of this work, but I’d also like to point out that there are some things within these pages that are just enjoyable for their own sake, and not for what they state about the human condition. For me, the “fun” part of this series has always been B’s relationship with history and the glimpses of the past we see through his memory. B is shown in many recognizable eras, and I was pleased to see a few panels placing B in Ancient Egypt.

So, Give ‘BRZRKR Volume 2‘ a Read?

For this installment, I can more whole-heartedly commit to yes. I still have the same caveats (or perhaps trigger warnings) as BRZRKR Volume 1, but I think the added thematic work present in BRZRKR Volume 2 — surrounding the purpose of more abstract concepts such as music, and especially war — elevates this sequel above its first installment and generally makes all the blood, guts and violence more endurable.

That’s all I have for this week. Has anyone read this yet? What do you feel is the purpose of music? How about war? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Looking forward to discussing this one!

See you next time . . .

More than Gore? I Can’t Yet Tell – A Review of Keanu Reeve’s BRZRKR Vol 1.

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We’re back in the comic book realm this week, which I apparently haven’t visited since July of 2023 when I reviewed Age of Reptiles Ancient Egyptians Issue 2. Wow time is passing quickly.

In any case, BRZRKR caught my attention for several reasons, all of which are basically the same reason, which is that it has to do with KEANU REEVES!! A few months back, during #Blaugust, I posted that The Matrix was something of a formative experience for me and as such, Keanu Reeves is something of an important figure to me. Though I have not written about him (hardly at all) on the blog, I’ve watched a ton of his movies and enjoyed nearly every single one of them.

So I about near lost my mind when I saw he’d written a book with China Mieville, and that a series of related comics (this series lol) had already been out in the world since March of 2021!

I knew when I eventually read through the series, I’d be writing about it here, so I held off pursuing it because I wasn’t sure how much other Keanu content I wanted to work through as reference before jumping in. But then a few weeks ago, The Book of Elsewhere just “fell” into my cart at Target, and I knew then and there I just needed to run this gauntlet. There would always be more time to talk about Keanu on the blog later hahah.

While I had been abstaining from the series, I mostly managed to avoid spoilers, but I could not tune out other’s opinions completely and so when I finally picked up the comic I had an idea that it would be somewhat “R rated” mostly because of gore and violence.

It was way more brutal than I could have ever imagined.

I had thought PRIMAL and Age of Reptiles were vicious experiences. I had thought Warren Ellis’ take on Moon Knight was too violent . . . These stories would cringe and turn away at the violence on offer in BRZRKR.

I’ll admit that I found myself mostly skimming these ultra-violent scenes, not because I’m particularly squeamish, but because they can often become monotonous rather quickly. I was far more interested in the main character’s inner battle, revealed in layers through a kind of “voice over” in which he is interviewed by some kind of doctor or psychiatrist.

The main character, known as B, is seemingly immortal and has existed since man’s earliest days (strong Conan The Barbarian vibes during this part of story). We are slowly given more and more of his backstory, but even so, B’s god-like status lends him a kind of mystique reminiscent of the main character in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. He is quite compelling.

It seems likely I’ll continue the series and I will be doing so mostly because of this character, B, in who we can see the goal of many stories — immortality — as an unending burden and real tragedy.

Give ‘BRZRKR Volume 1‘ a Read?

I would say yes? But with the HUGE caveat that if you don’t like gore and violence, this one is not going to be for you. So far, the main character B is a compelling mystery and certainly the main draw of the story. Time will tell, but I don’t think there is any unique theme, or new philosophical question that would make it worth pushing through if you are really opposed to gratuitous violence.

I found myself skimming a lot of the scenes, and focusing more on the characters than the liberal use of crimson ink.

As far as BRZRKR being necessary reading for The Book of Elsewhere? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

That’s all I have for this week. What are y’all’s thoughts on this one? Too violent? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Looking forward to talking about this one!