What do you think?
Rate this book
Barbaric (collected editions) #1
Barbaric Vol. 1: Murderable Offenses
Owen the Barbarian is under a witches' curse to make amends for his murderous past. His bloodthirsty talking Axe is his moral compass. And he'll do whatever it takes to do good, even it if it means cleaving a few skulls. Even if it means helping a witch.
OWEN THE BARBARIAN HAS AN AXE. AND HE'S GONNA DO GOOD WITH IT IF HE HAS TO KILL SOMEONE.
Owen the Barbarian has been cursed to do good with what remains of his life. His bloodthirsty weapon, Axe, has become his moral compass with a drinking problem. Together they wander the realm, foredoomed to help any who seek assistance. But there is one thing Owen hates more than a life with rules: Witches.
Welcome to the skull-cracking, blood-splattering, mayhem-loving comic brave enough to ask: How can a man sworn to do good do so much violence? Hah! F***ing with you. It’s just…BARBARIC.
Collects #1 to #3 of the multi-part series.
OWEN THE BARBARIAN HAS AN AXE. AND HE'S GONNA DO GOOD WITH IT IF HE HAS TO KILL SOMEONE.
Owen the Barbarian has been cursed to do good with what remains of his life. His bloodthirsty weapon, Axe, has become his moral compass with a drinking problem. Together they wander the realm, foredoomed to help any who seek assistance. But there is one thing Owen hates more than a life with rules: Witches.
Welcome to the skull-cracking, blood-splattering, mayhem-loving comic brave enough to ask: How can a man sworn to do good do so much violence? Hah! F***ing with you. It’s just…BARBARIC.
Collects #1 to #3 of the multi-part series.
104 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2021
22 people are currently reading
260 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moreci
422 books208 followersMichael Moreci is a bestselling comics author and novelist. His original works include the space adventure novels Black Star Renegades and We Are Mayhem, as well as the comic series Wasted Space, The Plot, Hexagon, Curse, Archangel 8, and more. The Plot appeared on numerous best of 2019 lists, and Wasted Space has been hailed as one of the best comics of the past decade. Moreci's comic trilogy Roche Limit was called one of the best sci-fi comics of all-time by Paste Magazine, and Black Star Renegades was an Audie Award finalist for best sci-fi of 2018.
Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.
He lives outside Chicago with his family.
Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.
He lives outside Chicago with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
February 16, 2022
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
Barbaric is volume 1 in the Murderable Offences comic book series and didn't disappoint.
We follow Owen (the Barbarian), who was cursed by three witches for making a huge mistake. Instead of killing him, they cursed him to help anyone who asks him for help no matter who they are - as long as they're good people. This book was jam-packed with action, and I loved the fact he could talk to his trusty Axe, and the Axe gets drunk off blood!
Owen meets a witch who asks for help - he despises witches, but this one has goodness in her. He saves her life, and together, they go to fight a bigger battle. I loved Owens devotion to her and how he didn't give up on her even when she got enraptured by the malevolent forces.
This was such a fun read, and the artwork is stunning! Gorey, yes, but stunning. If you love comic books, you really need to pick this one up! I wish I had book two to start as the book ends at such a fantastic spot, and I'm dying to follow on to what happens next.
I loved the posters at the back of the book of the covers! They're absolutely amazing!
Barbaric is volume 1 in the Murderable Offences comic book series and didn't disappoint.
We follow Owen (the Barbarian), who was cursed by three witches for making a huge mistake. Instead of killing him, they cursed him to help anyone who asks him for help no matter who they are - as long as they're good people. This book was jam-packed with action, and I loved the fact he could talk to his trusty Axe, and the Axe gets drunk off blood!
Owen meets a witch who asks for help - he despises witches, but this one has goodness in her. He saves her life, and together, they go to fight a bigger battle. I loved Owens devotion to her and how he didn't give up on her even when she got enraptured by the malevolent forces.
This was such a fun read, and the artwork is stunning! Gorey, yes, but stunning. If you love comic books, you really need to pick this one up! I wish I had book two to start as the book ends at such a fantastic spot, and I'm dying to follow on to what happens next.
I loved the posters at the back of the book of the covers! They're absolutely amazing!
February 8, 2022
A pretty run of the mill story. This barbarian has been hit with a curse that says he has to always help people who are in need. Odd curse but ok. The art was solid and there was a lot of blood and body parts being hacked up but the story was super simple. No character development and no world building. At no point did I find myself invested in anybody in this book. That stems from it being so short. Read through this in like 30-40 mins. Definitely not enough time to build anything up.
December 9, 2021
This has to be one of the funniest comics I've read all year.
Owen is a Barbarian, and he does what a Barbarian does. He fucks, he kills, he steals. Well I should say, that's what he USED to do. See, Owen screwed up and pissed off the wrong people, and now he is cursed to help whoever askes him for help as long as they are good people. He has a trust axe to aid him in murdering the bad people...oh did I tell you that his Axe talks? And he loves blood? Yep.
This is fantastic. My only real negative is it's only 3 issues (Long issues but still). Throughout this comic I was cracking up as Owen argued with his axe, told people to "fuck off" and dealt with his new companion, a witch who was almost burnt at the stake. You have a lot of wonderful characters in this with some excellent art and great fight scenes. If you want a action packed adventure with laughs, look no further.
A 5 out of 5.
Owen is a Barbarian, and he does what a Barbarian does. He fucks, he kills, he steals. Well I should say, that's what he USED to do. See, Owen screwed up and pissed off the wrong people, and now he is cursed to help whoever askes him for help as long as they are good people. He has a trust axe to aid him in murdering the bad people...oh did I tell you that his Axe talks? And he loves blood? Yep.
This is fantastic. My only real negative is it's only 3 issues (Long issues but still). Throughout this comic I was cracking up as Owen argued with his axe, told people to "fuck off" and dealt with his new companion, a witch who was almost burnt at the stake. You have a lot of wonderful characters in this with some excellent art and great fight scenes. If you want a action packed adventure with laughs, look no further.
A 5 out of 5.
April 12, 2023
Una historia de espada y brujería con un punto de humor y un giro simpático.
September 14, 2022
Barbaric Vol. 1 Murderable Offenses collects issues 1-3 of the Vault Comics series written by Michael Moreci and art by Nathan Gooden.
Owen the Barbarian used to spend his days fighting, drinking, and f******. After three witches place a curse on him, Owen is forced to do good and help those in need while aided by his trusty talking axe with a unquenchable thirst for blood.
The story is rather generic but the humor and sarcasm in the book are fantastic. The creators know what they want this book to be and are unapologetically violent and vulgar (but not to point of being truly offensive). The art is cartoony but perfectly matches the vibe of the story. Strangely though, the axe looked out of focus in a lot of the art. Not sure if that was on purpose or not. My one slight issue with the book is that it is so short. It is only three issues. I would have loved to see more issues collected here. I am hoping we get plenty more adventure of Barbaric to come!
Owen the Barbarian used to spend his days fighting, drinking, and f******. After three witches place a curse on him, Owen is forced to do good and help those in need while aided by his trusty talking axe with a unquenchable thirst for blood.
The story is rather generic but the humor and sarcasm in the book are fantastic. The creators know what they want this book to be and are unapologetically violent and vulgar (but not to point of being truly offensive). The art is cartoony but perfectly matches the vibe of the story. Strangely though, the axe looked out of focus in a lot of the art. Not sure if that was on purpose or not. My one slight issue with the book is that it is so short. It is only three issues. I would have loved to see more issues collected here. I am hoping we get plenty more adventure of Barbaric to come!
February 4, 2023
A super fun sword and sorcery tale about an amoral barbarian cursed to follow the path of virtue - in an extremely violent manner.
What's good about this comic? Pretty much everything. The pacing is super tight. The characters are fun and likeable. The humour works. The dialogue is smooth and modern - no pseudo-archaic nonsense. In short, one of the best fantasy comics I've read in ages. Looking forward to volume 2!
What's good about this comic? Pretty much everything. The pacing is super tight. The characters are fun and likeable. The humour works. The dialogue is smooth and modern - no pseudo-archaic nonsense. In short, one of the best fantasy comics I've read in ages. Looking forward to volume 2!
August 9, 2023
Lobo the Barbarian
Imagine Lobo but he's starring as Conan in a Conan story and you get a sense of this comic. I usually prefer my heroic fantasy to be deadly serious. I like when a writer just buys into the concept and tries to present (what is often pretty goofy stuff) with a straight face. This is not that! This is goofy to the max. Owen makes a deal with 3 witches to avoid going to Hell he wields a talking Axe and only kills bad people.
This book is pretty quick, but after setting up the premise we quickly jump into a quest where Owen and a good witch go to a temple and fight a bunch of undead monsters and a wizard of sorts. The artwork is great throughout. I liked the dialogue between Owen and the Axe.
The next volume sets up Owen vs a vampire - so I'll probably pick up that volume if I see it. I always need more heroic fantasy in my life.
Imagine Lobo but he's starring as Conan in a Conan story and you get a sense of this comic. I usually prefer my heroic fantasy to be deadly serious. I like when a writer just buys into the concept and tries to present (what is often pretty goofy stuff) with a straight face. This is not that! This is goofy to the max. Owen makes a deal with 3 witches to avoid going to Hell he wields a talking Axe and only kills bad people.
This book is pretty quick, but after setting up the premise we quickly jump into a quest where Owen and a good witch go to a temple and fight a bunch of undead monsters and a wizard of sorts. The artwork is great throughout. I liked the dialogue between Owen and the Axe.
The next volume sets up Owen vs a vampire - so I'll probably pick up that volume if I see it. I always need more heroic fantasy in my life.
February 22, 2022
Based on a true story. I think
November 2, 2024
Ça, c’est définitivement une BD qui me sort de ma zone de confort! 😅
C’était un bon divertissement! Très violent, mais de l’action d’un bout à l’autre! Et un brin comique.
C’était un bon divertissement! Très violent, mais de l’action d’un bout à l’autre! Et un brin comique.
August 28, 2021
In the vein of Conan and Head Lopper, this is a great and exciting take on barbarian fiction. It’s got crass and vulgar language, extreme violence, a talking bloodthirsty axe and lots of heart. Nathan Gooden’s art is beautiful!
September 8, 2025
Fun, definitely entertaining. I love Axe, he makes the entire concept, though both Owen and Soren are decent characters with fun traits and strengths. Story is fine, lots of bloody action, superb dangerous sorcery, good sexy-boozy-bawdy battle fun and challenges. Art is mostly fun, though some of the blood-soaked cells are too solid red to really distinguish particulars. I like Soren's tattoo weapons, always a cool idea. Owen makes a great barbarian, but Axe rules.
August 25, 2022
Worthwhile comics deserve multiple readings. For as simple and straight-forward as BARBARIC is, I've read my single issues of this three times, laughed all over again, and still came away satisfied despite my knowing how the story turns out.
BARBARIC utilizes familiar trappings of the barbarian/gladiator/mercenary sword-and-sorcery genre. What the creative team does with those trappings makes this a fresh take on what is sometimes an over-worked genre. (As good as those Barry Windsor-Smith, Roy Thomas/John Buscema, Timothy Truman Conan and Kull comics were, I grew weary if I read too many of them.)
Wisely, I believe, the story of Barbaric is going to be broken up into short mini-series and one-shots, and not an ongoing monthly title. However, I don't expect to grow weary of stories with Owen (unusual name for a barbarian, don't you think?) and his bloodthirsty axe, who he engages in private and amusing banter with (that no one else can hear so they think him crazy).
What makes this fresh is the curse placed on Owen by a trio of witches: "Henceforth, you live in servitude, and all the world is your Master. Any cry for help, any haven under siege, any beggar in distress you must aid."
In this first series, Owen saves Soren, a maiden accused of witchery, and then returns with her to the abbey where she lived before she exposed the rituals of a corrupted monk who then accused her of witchcraft and left her for the manipulated townsfolk to deal with. Plenty of blood, and plenty of severed limbs and decapitations later the story concludes, but not before foreshadowing the next threat (which also marks a departure from standards as this kind of monster doesn't always surface in sword-and-sorcery fare).
The blazing artwork of Nathan Gooden and lush color work from Addison Duke elevate the story to the next level of premium quality. I'll be following this one for a bit longer.
BARBARIC utilizes familiar trappings of the barbarian/gladiator/mercenary sword-and-sorcery genre. What the creative team does with those trappings makes this a fresh take on what is sometimes an over-worked genre. (As good as those Barry Windsor-Smith, Roy Thomas/John Buscema, Timothy Truman Conan and Kull comics were, I grew weary if I read too many of them.)
Wisely, I believe, the story of Barbaric is going to be broken up into short mini-series and one-shots, and not an ongoing monthly title. However, I don't expect to grow weary of stories with Owen (unusual name for a barbarian, don't you think?) and his bloodthirsty axe, who he engages in private and amusing banter with (that no one else can hear so they think him crazy).
What makes this fresh is the curse placed on Owen by a trio of witches: "Henceforth, you live in servitude, and all the world is your Master. Any cry for help, any haven under siege, any beggar in distress you must aid."
In this first series, Owen saves Soren, a maiden accused of witchery, and then returns with her to the abbey where she lived before she exposed the rituals of a corrupted monk who then accused her of witchcraft and left her for the manipulated townsfolk to deal with. Plenty of blood, and plenty of severed limbs and decapitations later the story concludes, but not before foreshadowing the next threat (which also marks a departure from standards as this kind of monster doesn't always surface in sword-and-sorcery fare).
The blazing artwork of Nathan Gooden and lush color work from Addison Duke elevate the story to the next level of premium quality. I'll be following this one for a bit longer.
November 18, 2023
Absolutely awesome!!!
I don't know how it is that I'm just now reading this, but I'm jazzed that I did.
If sword-and-sorcery tales with a bad@$$ brute that is so hard that even his one-liners kick@$$, this is your jam.
I don't know how it is that I'm just now reading this, but I'm jazzed that I did.
If sword-and-sorcery tales with a bad@$$ brute that is so hard that even his one-liners kick@$$, this is your jam.
November 18, 2024
Such a fun read, very D&D the idea of barbarian that can talk to his cursed axe that gets drunk on the blood of his adversaries and they have to be bad. Also his curse is that he must do good and hep people in need. So fun!
October 15, 2022
(Zero spoiler review)
What if Conan the Barbarian, but more modern... and shit. That could be the tagline of this grossly overrated little tale. A tale that was one issue worth of story, unecessarily stretched out over three, despite never using the additional time to flesh anything or anyone out, beyond the absolute bare minimum.
Sure the art was good, though it did fade away a bit in the later issues. but that might have been because I was losing interest more and more by the page. That and the modern colours didn't help matters much either.
This book was a mixed bag in all the wrong ways, trying to be toom many things at once. A jack of all trades, master of none, (or should that be Jill of all trades, given the at times cringeworthy modern titbits from the writer). It's humour didn't land, and only ruined any serious tone it was trying to build. It tried to be violent and edgy, but the modern themes, and the critical role esque blandness of the plot washed away any credibility the blood and boobs might have built up. I didn't care about any of the characters, especially the female 'witch'. Everything from her dialogue to her design rubbed me the wrong way, to the point where I wanted to tear the pages out of the book she appeared on, which sadly, was just about all of them. This really feels like what happens when 90's D&D nerds go progressive.
This came fairly highly recommended, so I was as disappointed as anyone to be disappointed by it. This doesn't hold a candle to even the shittest Conan stories from decades past. It is a foul blight on the true sword and sorcery tales of old, and I never want to think about it again. What a crap way to spend a Saturday night. At least it was short. Now I need a palette cleanser. 2/5
OmniBen.
What if Conan the Barbarian, but more modern... and shit. That could be the tagline of this grossly overrated little tale. A tale that was one issue worth of story, unecessarily stretched out over three, despite never using the additional time to flesh anything or anyone out, beyond the absolute bare minimum.
Sure the art was good, though it did fade away a bit in the later issues. but that might have been because I was losing interest more and more by the page. That and the modern colours didn't help matters much either.
This book was a mixed bag in all the wrong ways, trying to be toom many things at once. A jack of all trades, master of none, (or should that be Jill of all trades, given the at times cringeworthy modern titbits from the writer). It's humour didn't land, and only ruined any serious tone it was trying to build. It tried to be violent and edgy, but the modern themes, and the critical role esque blandness of the plot washed away any credibility the blood and boobs might have built up. I didn't care about any of the characters, especially the female 'witch'. Everything from her dialogue to her design rubbed me the wrong way, to the point where I wanted to tear the pages out of the book she appeared on, which sadly, was just about all of them. This really feels like what happens when 90's D&D nerds go progressive.
This came fairly highly recommended, so I was as disappointed as anyone to be disappointed by it. This doesn't hold a candle to even the shittest Conan stories from decades past. It is a foul blight on the true sword and sorcery tales of old, and I never want to think about it again. What a crap way to spend a Saturday night. At least it was short. Now I need a palette cleanser. 2/5
OmniBen.
April 19, 2022
Firstly my apologies to the author for my late review. And once again thankyou for my copy and for introducing me to the wild world of Owen, and Axe who gets drunk drinking blood.
Murderous Offenses is book one in the three part Barbaric series. Packed full of action, some fantastic artwork by Nathan Gooden, fight scenes, loads of gory shit and vulgar language...and it was pretty awesome too!
Owen is a Barbarian who in his words "f***s, kills and steals. He's such a great character and I can't wait to read the others in the series.
Michael is no stranger to the comic book world, having written for Star Wars, DC and also adapting the Artemis Fowl book series into graphic novels.
Many thanks to the author for my gifted copy.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Murderous Offenses is book one in the three part Barbaric series. Packed full of action, some fantastic artwork by Nathan Gooden, fight scenes, loads of gory shit and vulgar language...and it was pretty awesome too!
Owen is a Barbarian who in his words "f***s, kills and steals. He's such a great character and I can't wait to read the others in the series.
Michael is no stranger to the comic book world, having written for Star Wars, DC and also adapting the Artemis Fowl book series into graphic novels.
Many thanks to the author for my gifted copy.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 13, 2023
Such great art and good writing. Laughed out loud at certain points. Can’t wait for next installment!
2023 reread
98
Old review is still accurate. One of my favorite books of all time.
2023 reread
98
Old review is still accurate. One of my favorite books of all time.
April 1, 2025
We join the eponymous barbarian in media res, already suffering from a curse that forces him to ack do good and help people. It also bequeaths him a talking battleaxe that tells him who he can and can't kill.
Such a fun, funny take on Conan. Owen the barbarian is constantly exasperated by his complete inability to be barbaric. His axe--named Axe--gets inebriated when it, you know, drinks too much blood. Hilarity ensues.
The illustration is hit and miss. People and creatures are reliably good and Axe looks downright badass, one blade deformed into a narrow fanged skull with glowing red eyes. But there's a surfeit of generic sweeping-axe raining-blood panels, and backgrounds are in short supply. Which makes the art look cheap.
-------------------------
"I can kill the murderer but not the thief."
"But you must! If peasants keep stealing from the rich, how will money ever trickle down?!"
Such a fun, funny take on Conan. Owen the barbarian is constantly exasperated by his complete inability to be barbaric. His axe--named Axe--gets inebriated when it, you know, drinks too much blood. Hilarity ensues.
The illustration is hit and miss. People and creatures are reliably good and Axe looks downright badass, one blade deformed into a narrow fanged skull with glowing red eyes. But there's a surfeit of generic sweeping-axe raining-blood panels, and backgrounds are in short supply. Which makes the art look cheap.
-------------------------
"I can kill the murderer but not the thief."
"But you must! If peasants keep stealing from the rich, how will money ever trickle down?!"
January 3, 2025
A fun, gory and wild ride!
November 4, 2022
A very fun, Heavy Metal-esque comic featuring a Conan pastiche wielding a talking axe. The axe is arguably the more fun character initially, with crass humor holding up much of the levity of the book. It does get old quick - the dialogue gets a little cringeworthy due to the sheer excess of jokes. This is just a fun, dumb adventure comic that is an easy, albeit forgettable read.
April 8, 2023
Tvůrce Wasted Space vytvořil regulérně jeden z nejvtipnějších komiksů posledních let. Barbaric je naprosto úžasná žánrovka. Příběh je totiž o Barbarovi co rád vraždil, měl se všemi sex a kradl. Jenže jednoho dne ho čarodejnice proklejí k tomu aby lidem pomáhal. Barbar Owen teď nemůže odmítnout žádnou žádost o pomoc a zabíjet může pouze zlé lidi a aby toho nebylo málo...jako sidekicka má mluvící sekeru co se opijí krví :D Tohle regulérně je fakt komiks kde každá stránka baví, jak už skvělou a dynamickou kresbou, tak neskutečně vtipným a hravým scénářem. Tohle je opomíjený klenot minulého roku a vy to musíte napravit. Nebudete litovat!
July 12, 2025
Barbaric: Murderable Offenses: From Vault Comics, 2023, Written by Michael Moreci, with artist Nathan Gooden, Colorist Addison Duke, and letterer Jim Campbell. Although the story is simple and a pretty standard kind of sword & sorcery tale, there are a few elements that make this work interesting above and beyond the story. First, the character, while a savage barbarian, is a good guy who helps those in need. He’s forced to be good by a curse from three witches. This is pretty unusual among today’s S&S characters, who are usually anti-heroes at best. The character, Owen, an unusual name for S&Sers, talks about how irritating it is to do good all the time but he doesn’t truly seem to mind.
Second, the language is mostly modern, with plenty of curse words, including the “F” word. This was a little disconcerting at first but I got used to it pretty quickly. Third, Owen has a talking axe—which appears to be part of his curse although I couldn’t follow how exactly. The axe has glowing eyes and a mouth that is always open showing lots of teeth and fangs. In the drawings, it actually looks kind of goofy to me but that may be intentional because the whole work is definitely played tongue-in-cheek. I feel confident in saying that the talking axe, which is constantly wanting the sweet blood of evil beings, is a literary descendant of Elric’s Black Sword, Stormbringer, from Moorcock’s work. The sentient and “talking” aspect of the axe leads to a lot of entertaining banter between Owen and his weapon. Overall, I enjoyed it pretty well,
Second, the language is mostly modern, with plenty of curse words, including the “F” word. This was a little disconcerting at first but I got used to it pretty quickly. Third, Owen has a talking axe—which appears to be part of his curse although I couldn’t follow how exactly. The axe has glowing eyes and a mouth that is always open showing lots of teeth and fangs. In the drawings, it actually looks kind of goofy to me but that may be intentional because the whole work is definitely played tongue-in-cheek. I feel confident in saying that the talking axe, which is constantly wanting the sweet blood of evil beings, is a literary descendant of Elric’s Black Sword, Stormbringer, from Moorcock’s work. The sentient and “talking” aspect of the axe leads to a lot of entertaining banter between Owen and his weapon. Overall, I enjoyed it pretty well,
September 5, 2022
From the jump, this series reminded me of Sam Delany’s Neverÿona series — steeped in high fantasy tropes but subverting them, telling a story about modernity through the lens of a medieval-ish world. Barbaric is not the masterwork of Delany’s series but it’s also not trying quite to reach those literary heights. Another way of saying that, positively, is that Barbaric is a lot more fun!
The Talking Axe Who Gets Drunk on Blood is definitely the highlight, the essential glue of the series, a chorus-line that adds commentary and humor. Plus, the axe is the crux of the action sequences, deliciously chopping ghouls and orcs limb from limb.
Little details of the illustration bring this weird world to life and distinguish it from your typical high fantasy - especially in how goons are dissected by the Axe. But seriously, little details in the design of the abbey, the taverns, etc (like the orbs of wine) are brilliant.
Although Barbaric is not as deeply philosophical as Delany, there’s still quite an intriguing narrative adding coherence to the absurdly grotesque battle scenes. The Barbarian cursed to do good is an interesting conceit in itself — but this is done in the service of a Nietzschean deconstruction of morality. Who decides what’s good? If we kill everyone who doesn’t do good, won’t we just end up killing everyone?
As our own, this is a civilization that’s one giant demon snake away from annihilation, and an Axe that gets drunk on blood is our best hope.
The Talking Axe Who Gets Drunk on Blood is definitely the highlight, the essential glue of the series, a chorus-line that adds commentary and humor. Plus, the axe is the crux of the action sequences, deliciously chopping ghouls and orcs limb from limb.
Little details of the illustration bring this weird world to life and distinguish it from your typical high fantasy - especially in how goons are dissected by the Axe. But seriously, little details in the design of the abbey, the taverns, etc (like the orbs of wine) are brilliant.
Although Barbaric is not as deeply philosophical as Delany, there’s still quite an intriguing narrative adding coherence to the absurdly grotesque battle scenes. The Barbarian cursed to do good is an interesting conceit in itself — but this is done in the service of a Nietzschean deconstruction of morality. Who decides what’s good? If we kill everyone who doesn’t do good, won’t we just end up killing everyone?
As our own, this is a civilization that’s one giant demon snake away from annihilation, and an Axe that gets drunk on blood is our best hope.
July 1, 2023
Barbaric Murderable Offenses by Michael Moreci is about a Barbarian who is under three witches’ curse and his journey to find a way to unravel it. The witches have put Owen under the curse as atonement for his murderous past. To help him with his journey, he is accompanied by a literally bloodthirsty talking Axe that serves as his moral compass.
Owen is trying to be good even if it means leaving a bloody trail of bodies. When he comes across a witch that needs help, he is hesitant to help her since three witches put him in his current predicament. He will need to put his resentment aside because he is cursed to help whoever needs his help. Owen wants to reclaim his free will and to go back to his original nature. Will Owen be able to figure out a way to break the curse?
The graphic novel was filled with humor and action. I liked that the story was easy to follow and the author revealed the protagonist’s history early on. The author did leave a few things a mystery, which I don’t mind since that kept me hooked for the next book. The artwork is beautifully done and looks amazing. I can’t wait to read the next installment.
December 20, 2022
It's Conan the Barbarian meets Kill Bill. But I had a very middle-of-the-road reaction to Barbaric: Murderous Offenses. On one hand, I can recognize and appreciate that Owen is an anti-hero. There is some humor in the narrative (like the comments on the name Owen for a barbarian). Axe is the obvious comic relief in the sea of blood and carnage. I liked the art, etc. But on the other hand, there is just so much that is cliched here (and so little that is new). The background is littered with pointlessly bare tits; there is very little depth to the characters. The plot, so far, is literally just go here, dismember this; go there, kill that. There are hints that there might be more to the story eventually. But you don't see it here, and I was bored by it.
July 20, 2022
A very fun book with likable, interesting characters, and just enough of a twist in the rationale to make it stand out from “just another semi Conan” series. The writing is crisp, and the mystery behind the main character and his talking weapon is kept just hidden enough. However, this reads VERY quickly: I finished the entire volume in one sitting, all in far less than an hour. A lot of modern comics have this flaw, and this one is no exception. Try some narrative captions, people: they won’t bite, I promise! Great art, too, but I’d hesitate to pay full price for volume two. (Got this on sale for 3 bucks on ComiXology)
November 24, 2022
Barbaric (2021) by Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden (Vault)
I first took notice of this book when Wes from Thinking Critical rated it “Best Indie Comic of 2021”. This past week Don from Heroes & Villains in Warner Robins, GA said it was his favorite book right now so I picked it up.
I noticed Barbaric received a 4.1 on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon, and 9.2 Critic Rating on Comic Book Round Up.
I really enjoyed this book. The art was strong and reminded me of Once & Future. I can see why so many people enjoy both the tone of the story and the characters. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously which makes it easy to get into, enjoy, and get behind.
I first took notice of this book when Wes from Thinking Critical rated it “Best Indie Comic of 2021”. This past week Don from Heroes & Villains in Warner Robins, GA said it was his favorite book right now so I picked it up.
I noticed Barbaric received a 4.1 on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon, and 9.2 Critic Rating on Comic Book Round Up.
I really enjoyed this book. The art was strong and reminded me of Once & Future. I can see why so many people enjoy both the tone of the story and the characters. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously which makes it easy to get into, enjoy, and get behind.
March 28, 2023
This was a ton of fun. It's a twist on Conan the Barbarian. Owen was the baddest barbarian around until he was cursed to only do good and to aid anyone who asked for his help. Now he and his magic axe that only he can hear are forced to help those in need whether he likes it or not. I love how everyone thinks he's crazy when he talks to his axe (which also gets drunk off blood.) The art is great. The book is incredibly violent.The volume is short at 3 longer issues but I'm OK with that as long as it's fun all the way through. Next up is volume 2.
July 15, 2024
Good artwork by Nathan Gooden but that's about it for a recommendation from me. This has got to be one of the most over-hyped books in recent memory. Seriously, the worst Conan story is miles better than this. First off, it's not funny. Sure it's got a ton of profanity, but none of the 'jokes' land and the characters are all insuferable. It's meant to be a piss take on sword and sorcery tales but ends up just being a poorly written piece of crap with insufferable characters stuck inside a boring plot. Barbaric is a one-star book with decent artwork, and that's it's only saving grace.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews