BARBARIC: HELL TO PAY #1 (VAULT COMICS)

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the comic book review blog to the ODPH Podcast!

For this entry, Vault Comics is touting 2023 as “the Year Of Axe” with one of its most popular franchises poised to have a monster year. The first two volumes have been huge hits and volume 3 is set to drop at the local comic shops on January 18th! Barbaric: Hell To Pay #1 by Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke & Jim Campbell continues the adventures of Owen, Soren, Steel and Axe with many eyes in the comic community chomping at the bit to check this book out. Let’s not wait any longer and see what kind of action and trouble the group has gotten into now, shall we?

vBarbaric: Hell To Pay #1 - On Sale January 18th, 2023

Creative: Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke, Jim Campbell

Credit: Vault Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

In case you’re new to the franchise, Barbaric centers around Owen, a a cursed barbarian with a partner in violence, his animated Axe! In their travels, Soren, a witch who’s a force pf nature in her own right and Steel, Owen’s old friend who’s a vampire warrior with a performance complex have come along for the thrills, chills and blood spills. Volume 1: Murderable Offenses and Volume 2: Axe to Grind are highly recommended and are very accessible to new readers.

Volume 3 opens up with Soren being used as a bargaining chip by Dalquist, a mysterious figure, to win over a creature known as Graavoth. Graavoth is willing to take the sacrifice until it realizes Soren is full of evil magic, and isn’t happy with the double-cross. Readers quickly see that Soren isn’t in this situation alone as Steel and Axe are lurking in the wings and strike! With Axe in hand, Soren takes the fight to Graavoth. This moment plays right into Barbaric’s strengths. It’s time to fight and who better than Soren. The action is very in-your-face and even Steel adds something to the fight, going full vampire on Graavoth’s “little helpers.”

Once the threat is dealt with, the revelation is unveiled with Soren demanding information from Dalquist on a lead for the whereabouts of Owen. The information (after some strong persuasion) puts them on a path to a lair of Orcs. The trio is met with some opposition until the Irikian army shows up and forces the Orcs to retreat. Soren isn’t scared of the odds and is ready to fight until the Irikian army captain leads a capture of the three once she recognizes Axe.

What is the mysterious connection between the Captain and Owen? Readers don’t wait long to find out this answer. What will shake them up more is the proposal for more information. Is Soren and company ready for what’s next? Plus, where is Owen?! Get ready for that answer to have fans excitied heading into the closing moments of this issue!

Moreci ushers in this latest volume with the great mix of humor and brutal action that has become this book’s trademark. Even without Owen being the focal character of this issue, the book doesn’t stray from what works. Where it taps into some great storytelling is shifting the focus on Soren and how she’s leading the group. Soren’s fearlessness in the challenges they come across shines through each panel. The interaction with the Irikian general is prime example of this. Without blinking an eye, Soren is ready to step up to any obstacles and win, even with Steel’s dreadful doubt looming. There’s another portion of the story where Soren and Steel chat about Soren being “evil” and without any pause, Soren lets loose on Steel of how strong she is handling it. Owen’s page time might have been small due to the story, but it didn’t lack in bringing the energy and fun to this series before closing this issue out.

Gooden and Duke bring the intense action right from the start and never let up when it’s showcased. The initial battle with Graavoth establishes this point. Mixing in Campbell’s lettering of the “little helpers” GURPs gave the scenes an interesting feel while all the carnage is breaking out. The panels where Axe attacks Graavoth stand out as well. Axe’s facial expressions after biting in before cutting thru illustrated that moment perfectly. The Barbaric world features many unique characters and readers meet each debut with their own distinct look and presence. It’s always a fun trip to see what visuals this team presents creating such a wild fantasy world.

FINAL POINT: The Year of Axe comes in swinging with an action packed debut from Barbaric: Hell to Pay #1 that will set a high bar for others to follow. Moreci, Gooden and the team pick right up with the action, humor and drama that can only be found in this book. Make no mistake about it, Barbaric is back and that’s a huge win for all comic fans. Don’t miss this book at your local comic shops for New Comic Book Day.

Hit me up on ODPH social media and let me know what you thought of Barbaric: Hell To Pay #1.

Thanks for reading.

BARBARIC: AXE TO GRIND #1 (VAULT COMICS)

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the complementary comic book blog to the ODPH podcast. For this edition, we’re checking out the return of one of the most anticipated returns to the comic shops in recent memory! Barbaric: Axe to Grind #1 by Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke & Jim Campbell for VAULT COMICS continues on the adventures of Owen, a cursed barbarian, his merry drinking partner…Axe, and Soren as they bring the action and insanity that only this trio can deliver on. How does this next chapter go? Let’s take a deeper dive into this latest adventure, shall we?

BARBARIC: AXE TO GRIND #1 - On Sale August 17th

Creative: Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke & Jim Campbell

Credit: VAULT COMICS

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

This issue kicks off with Owen and company doing what they do best: raising a bit of mayhem as they’re assisting an old friend, Steel with a problem. The problem: A Vampire lord and an army of not just any old vampires, but some that are literal GIANTS! If the lord is taken care of, Steel should be free of his curse of being a vampire. It’s a wild scene to open with but this type of action is nothing new to Owen. The battle sets the tone for the rest of the book and it’s resolution bears one notable surprise. Steel, who had been under the possession of the Vampire Lord has developed a complex where he struggles to fight. However they have no time to deal with that at the moment.

It is revealed to Owen that a familiar face has returned. it is one that strikes an odd reaction out of Owen. The name is Gladius, the orc warlord. Steel makes it known that the three of them have some history, but Owen does not want to entertain conversation about it, he’s rather inclined for a pint. Eventually the truth comes out and it’s a noteworthy reveal. From here, the group embarks on another journey. What lies ahead for Owen, Axe and Soren? What is REALLY Steel’s deal? And what about that last page? Readers will have much to enjoy when this issue drops.

Moreci picks right up with the strong elements of this story. the action, interactions and humor thrown in between the three major players is always an entertaining read. The trio has turned into a very dysfunctional family with how they’ve bonded over the adventures. This issue spends a good amount of time developing Steel and his “performance issues”. Owen’s attempts to understand what’s going on gave a nice counter to his usual brawling bravado. However, readers will be pleased that Axe and Soren maintain their banters that have made the characters such a hit with fans.

Gooden’s artwork continues to impress with this issue.The creatures readers see in this issue stand out and give a huge boost to the fantasy world we’re witnessing. From the vampire giants to the monster readers see later, the art steals scenes away. Take a look when Axe has its’ reactions to the fights they’re in for proof of this. The only thing that outshines those moments are ones with Owen’s reactions dealing with Steel and the return of Gladius. His pained and sometimes, fearful body language speaks loudly at the danger lying ahead. Trying to be undersanding of Steel’s situation is troubling to Owen, but the art makes it work for the overall narrative.

Overall, Barbaric: Axe To Grind #1 lives up to the standard this franchise has set. Action, Humor and Drama all make up the world of Owen, Axe and Soren. Readers get a front row seat thanks to Moreci, Gooden and company thanks to their excellent work. The book remains a must-read for these reasons, Don’t miss out on this issue at your Local Comic Shops this week.

Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you thought of Barbaric: Axe To Grind #1. Thanks for reading.

PARLAY POINTS: BARBARIC #2 (VAULT COMICS)

Welcome back for an all new edition of Parlay Points, the complementary blog of the ODPH Podcast. For this edition, I’m checking out a book highly recommended by our friends over at Comic Book Keepers: Barbaric #2 by Michael Moreci & Nathan Gooden for Vault Comics. Early spoiler: there is a LOT of great things with this book, so lets take a deeper dive into this series, shall we?

Image courtesy of Vault Comics

(Creative team: Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke, Jim Campbell and Tim Daniel).

Release date: July 28th $3.99

There might be partial spoilers here

“Barbaric” is the story of Owen, a barbarian with a curse & a bad ass Axe. The curse: to do good, even though he might not be a “good” person. The axe: is alive, named “Axe” & has an issue with drinking. The story: FAN-EFFING-TASTIC! Let the adventure begin!

As we jump into issue 2, we catch up Owen, Axe & Soren (a witch) recapping briefly previous events. Whee is this taking place? Inside of a pub. From here, Soren takes center stage & breaks down the threat they face along with learning more about her background. From there, we get taken on a wild ride thru the mission at hand & left with a solid cliffhanger for next issue.

There is a lot to enjoy with this book. Moreci’s writing flows so well with these characters. The back & forth between all 3 characters is so well done. The humor is well placed & it’s perfect pacing between the Soren flashbacks. Never once did the issue feel like i jumped around too much. Owen’s reactions to Soren’s magic talk is priceless. He might not be the perfect hero for the job, but you know he’s ready to step up for a fight. Readers will so appreciate Axe’s commentary as well.

The rest of the book delivers on BIG action. Gooden & Duke bring this magical world to life with ease. The action scenes carry that “big fight” feel on every panel. Even with the more emotional moments of Soren’s past, Gooden delivers strong work each page & perfectly compliments Moreci’s writing. I was a big fan of the detail with the church scenes. With all the action going on, everything was well presented.

Overall, DAMN, this was a fun book. Huge action, great banter & where we go from here is anyone’s guess. Moreci & Gooden put together a wild, unpredictable ride with very entertaining group to lead the readers on this adventure. Make a point to check this book out at your local comic shop. You won’t be disappointed. Barbaric #2 drops July 28th.

Let me know what you thought of the book on Twitter . Until next time, Thanks for reading.