Tag Archives: the mighty barbarians

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Titans #1

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Arcade Kings #1 (Skybound/Image Comics) – This throwback to the arcades of old has us excited to revisit the type of place we spent a lot of time in.

Avengers #1 (Marvel) – It’s a new creative team and a new Avengers team and after the massive run and epic before, we’re interested in the fresh and new start.

Batman: Brave and the Bold #1 (DC Comics) – This anthology sounds exciting and lets be honest, the title has a lot of prestige about it.

Cyborg #1 (DC Comics) – It’s a new status quo for the character that sends him home. In such an odd age of technology in the real world, how will this series stand out?

Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #1 (Marvel) – Danny was the Ghost Rider we grew up with so we want to see what this series has for us in nostalgia factor.

Dark Ride #6 (Skybound/Image Comics) – This has been a great horror series and we’re sucked in more and more into the weirdness.

Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1 (IDW Publishing) – The first “Dark Spaces” anthology was solid. This new story focuses on a supernatural conspiracy that may expose a town’s historical sins.

Disney Villains: Maleficent #1 (Dynamite) – The Scar villains series has been great so far, so we’re absolutely excited to see more of what Dynamite does with Disney’s characters. So far, so good!

Fear of a Red Planet #4 (AfterShock) – The series has been a solid sci-fi detective series and we’re sucked in and want to know who did it!

The Gimmick #3 (AHOY Comics) – The series is an interesting mix of wrestling and super powers that has us sucked in.

Guardians of the Galaxy #2 (Marvel) – The first issue was a hell of a new direction and we want to explore more of it. What the hell is Grootfall!?

Hulk Annual #1 (Marvel) – Found footage horror mixed with the Hulk? How has this idea not been done before!?

Jinx: Cursed Life (Archie Comics/Archie Horror) – Archie has done a hell of a job with their horror line, so any new entry has us excited to see what they’re up to.

Mighty Barbarians #2 (Ablaze) – The first issue was solid mixing classic fantasy with a bit of a more modern comic style.

Titans #1 (DC Comics) – With the Justice League sidelined, we want to see how this team stands up in their absence.

The Vigil #1 (DC Comics) – We don’t know a ton about this series and its characters but we’re always intrigued by new characters.

The Mighty Barbarians #1 gathers warriors from across reality to save existence

The Mighty Barbarians #1

When an unstoppable force starts consuming one world after another, sorceress Morgan Le Fey uses her magic to assemble a team of skull-cracking warriors who must somehow work together to save all of existence. There’s the young trickster Anansi, Viking shield maiden Birka, the shape shifting Nanook, and their leader, heir to a fallen kingdom and mightiest of warriors, KULL! The Mighty Barbarians #1 kicks off an uneasy alliance to take on a mutual enemy and leave a path of ruin through everything that stands in their way to do so.

Writer Michael Moreci is one of those creators whose projects I want to check out when I see their name on them. Moreci’s Barbaric, published by Vault Comics, has taken the sword and sorcery genre and infused it with a lot of new and interesting elements that has made the series stand out. So, going into The Mighty Barbarians #1, I was intrigued to see what Moreci might do with another sword and sorcery fantasy series and how it’d be different. The answer is simple, by playing it relatively straight.

The Mighty Barbarians #1 has existence being threatened by the Aleph forcing Morgan Le Fey to travel across worlds and recruit a team to stop them and save existence. Moreci in the setup has taken a concept and opening that feels like it’d be quite at home in any of the superhero team comics by the big two. It’s a start that’s familiar, we’ve seen so many times. The difference is the fantasy setting and characters that have been established on their own through their various publishing/storied histories. The team brings together characters and personalities we might have not seen interact before setting up a very intriguing and entertaining potential.

At it’s heart, the story feels like a traditional superhero comic in concept, with a fantasy setting. Scenes feel right at home in the Avengers or Justice League and you could see those characters replacing these easily. Hell, with “snake men” being the villains, it feels like a side companion to the recent Savage Avengers run. But what’s interesting is how Moreci makes the comic different from all of those and Barbaric. Despite the setup and imagery, the comic plays things rather straight. There’s little comedy. There’s little jokes. It feels like a fantasy comic in every way. Unlike Barbaric which pokes fun at tropes and norms of the genre, The Mighty Barbarians #1 feels like it leans into them a little, though doesn’t play them up. This is a team fantasy adventure so far, no more, no less.

The art by Giuseppe Cafaro fits the feel Moreci goes for perfectly. The character designs have both a fantasy feel but also a little bit of a “superhero” vibe to it all. The images are full of excitement and energy as the team is assembled and the short segments of battle introduces us to each member. Like the tone of the comic itself, the look has more in common with the Avengers than it does with Conan. That’s not a bad thing as it helps deliver a pop of a start that’s energetic and makes the comic stand out a bit.

The Mighty Barbarians #1 is a fun start. It takes the traditional fantasy adventure and mixes it with a more modern sense and style. While the comic itself doesn’t blaze any really new paths, it does deliver an entertaining start that fans of the characters or fantasy adventure will want to check out.

Story: Michael Moreci Art: Giuseppe Cafaro
Story: 8.1 Art: 8.15 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Buy

Ablaze provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicscomiXology/Kindle

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

The Expanse: The Dragon Tooth #1

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Abolition of Work (Floating World Comics) – Bob Black’s essay from 1985 gets a graphic adaptation.

All Eight Eyes #1 (Dark Horse) Jaws meets Arachnophobia in a new vision of creature-feature terror.

Avengers Assemble Omega #1 (Marvel) – It’s the finale to the epic Avengers storyline!

The Boxer Vol. 2 (VIZ Media) – Though the story is about boxing, there’s so much focus on psychology and the characters, boxing is secondary. Watch our review.

Cult of That Wilkin Boy (Archie Comics) – Archie has been putting out some great horror comics and we’re excited to see what this musician gone wrong tale brings.

Darkwing Duck #4 (Dynamite Entertainment) – We’re big fans of the series which picks up on the classic and beloved animated series.

The Expanse: The Dragon Tooth #1 (BOOM! Studios) – Fans of The Expanse won’t want to miss this series which fills in gaps of the television series.

Harrower #3 (BOOM! Studios) – The horror series has been fantastic with a nice mix of modern slasher classics and a modern sensibility and style.

The Mighty Barbarians #1 (Ablaze) – It’s classic fantasy with a modern sensibility about it. Check out our review!

Soko #1 (Sumerian Comics) – A routine traffic stop for two Serbian beat cops quickly descends into corruption and betrayal as a dark trail of evidence leads to the discovery of unimaginable depravity. Sounds like the out of control cop story we enjoy.

Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 (DC Comics) – The Superman family memeber gets the spotlight in this series as Connor heads out on his own.

Terrorwar #1 (Image Comics) – Blue City was the last livable place on Earth. Now it’s crawling with Terrors-creatures that transform into their victims’ worst fears. Humanity’s last hope? Muhammad Cho and his overworked, underpaid crew of freelance Terrorfighters.

Early Review: The Mighty Barbarians #1 gathers warriors from across reality to save existence

The Mighty Barbarians #1

When an unstoppable force starts consuming one world after another, sorceress Morgan Le Fey uses her magic to assemble a team of skull-cracking warriors who must somehow work together to save all of existence. There’s the young trickster Anansi, Viking shield maiden Birka, the shape shifting Nanook, and their leader, heir to a fallen kingdom and mightiest of warriors, KULL! The Mighty Barbarians #1 kicks off an uneasy alliance to take on a mutual enemy and leave a path of ruin through everything that stands in their way to do so.

Writer Michael Moreci is one of those creators whose projects I want to check out when I see their name on them. Moreci’s Barbaric, published by Vault Comics, has taken the sword and sorcery genre and infused it with a lot of new and interesting elements that has made the series stand out. So, going into The Mighty Barbarians #1, I was intrigued to see what Moreci might do with another sword and sorcery fantasy series and how it’d be different. The answer is simple, by playing it relatively straight.

The Mighty Barbarians #1 has existence being threatened by the Aleph forcing Morgan Le Fey to travel across worlds and recruit a team to stop them and save existence. Moreci in the setup has taken a concept and opening that feels like it’d be quite at home in any of the superhero team comics by the big two. It’s a start that’s familiar, we’ve seen so many times. The difference is the fantasy setting and characters that have been established on their own through their various publishing/storied histories. The team brings together characters and personalities we might have not seen interact before setting up a very intriguing and entertaining potential.

At it’s heart, the story feels like a traditional superhero comic in concept, with a fantasy setting. Scenes feel right at home in the Avengers or Justice League and you could see those characters replacing these easily. Hell, with “snake men” being the villains, it feels like a side companion to the recent Savage Avengers run. But what’s interesting is how Moreci makes the comic different from all of those and Barbaric. Despite the setup and imagery, the comic plays things rather straight. There’s little comedy. There’s little jokes. It feels like a fantasy comic in every way. Unlike Barbaric which pokes fun at tropes and norms of the genre, The Mighty Barbarians #1 feels like it leans into them a little, though doesn’t play them up. This is a team fantasy adventure so far, no more, no less.

The art by Giuseppe Cafaro fits the feel Moreci goes for perfectly. The character designs have both a fantasy feel but also a little bit of a “superhero” vibe to it all. The images are full of excitement and energy as the team is assembled and the short segments of battle introduces us to each member. Like the tone of the comic itself, the look has more in common with the Avengers than it does with Conan. That’s not a bad thing as it helps deliver a pop of a start that’s energetic and makes the comic stand out a bit.

The Mighty Barbarians #1 is a fun start. It takes the traditional fantasy adventure and mixes it with a more modern sense and style. While the comic itself doesn’t blaze any really new paths, it does deliver an entertaining start that fans of the characters or fantasy adventure will want to check out.

Story: Michael Moreci Art: Giuseppe Cafaro
Story: 8.1 Art: 8.15 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Buy

Ablaze provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicscomiXology/Kindle

ABLAZE reveals its May 2023 and beyond releases!

ANIMAL CASTLE VOLUME TWO #1

story by Xavier Dorison, art by Felix Delep · SRP: $3.99 · Available May 3rd

The acclaimed series returns!
On the Farm all animals were equal. In the Castle some are more equal than others.

Animal Castle Vol. 2 picks up shortly after the events of Vol. 1 with Miss B trying to convince the animals not to use violence, to end Silvio’s reign.

At the castle, the dictatorship continues. Thanks to the efforts of Miss B and her friends, the animals attempt to remobilize the pacifist movement of the Daisies. But Silvio the bull dictator is trying to keep them under his hoof to keep his power. Helped by his cruel canine militia, he decides to have the rebellious animals imprisoned in the dungeon. But Miss B and her friends will respond once again with trickery…and solidarity!

ANIMAL CASTLE VOLUME TWO #1

LOVECRAFT: UNKNOWN KADATH TP

by HP Lovecraft, Florentino Flórez, Guillermo Sanna and Jacques Salomon · SRP: $19.99 · 200 Pages · ISBN: 978-1-68497-133-6 ·  Available May 17th 

“I think it is beyond doubt that H. P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.” —STEPHEN KING

Randolph Carter, a traveler to dreamland, tries not to wake up before reaching his goal, the elusive Kadath: the home of the gods, a place of fantasy and overflowing imagination. Carter walks through a world full of threats and abominable monsters, but also of palaces, exuberant cities, and geographies that remind man of his insignificant role on the gigantic cosmic chessboard.

What are the reasons to keep going when everything around us is terrifying and lethal? Kadath may offer some answers to this question!

An adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath unlike anything you’ve read before. Collects the complete 8-issue series, plus cover gallery, bonus material, and the original prose story!

LOVECRAFT: UNKNOWN KADATH TP

FAMILY TIME TP

story by Lily Windom, Robert Windom, art by Asiash Fulmore · SRP: $14.99 · 132 pages · ISBN: 978-1-68497-132-9 ·  Available May 17th  

The O’Connell family (Lily – age 13; Tyler – age 11; and their parents) are vacationing in Ireland when they encounter an old man with a mysterious crystal that seemingly teleports them 1,000 years back in time. Unsure whether they have stumbled into a historical re-enactment, the family must befriend Rory, a timid local, battle a medieval tyrant named Ciaran and his henchmen, and figure out how to get back to the present, while Lily learns to use her newfound superpowers.

From the writer/creator of Seven Sons, Robert Windom, and his eleven-year-old daughter, Lily, comes a fun, fantasy adventure. Featuring cover art by Jae Lee, as well as Art Direction and cover art by Sanford Greene (Bitter Root) – both Eisner-Award winning artists–and anime-inspired interior art by new talent and Greene-protege Asiah Fulmore (DC’s Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld).

FAMILY TIME TP

Also coming soon and now open for pre-order and advance solicitation:

CENTAURS, Vol. 1

story and art by Ryo Sumiyoshi · SRP: $12.99 ·
200 Pages · ISBN: 978-1-68497-136-7 ·  Available June 14th  

An epic fantasy adventure set in an alternate medieval Japan, where humans co-exist with the mythic half man/half horse beasts known as centaurs, or “jinba”. The centaur race was long revered as deities in ancient times; however, with the advent of the sengoku (warring states) period, humans started to enslave and use them for military purposes due to their speed, stamina, and ability to communicate in human language. Centaurs living in the plains were rapidly subjugated; in contrast, large numbers of centaurs living deep in the mountains were still free due to their relative isolation.

A wild and proud warrior jinba from the mountains named Matsukaze, known as the redheaded rock tiger, is caught while protecting his son. He is traded to a feudal lord and taken to his land. There he meets another centaur, named Kohibari, whose village was burned down as a child. He is a tame centaur, who had his arms amputated when he was captured, and has given up hope of escaping his human captors. If they can get over their differences and work together, they just might be able to return to the wilds as free centaurs.

CENTAURS, Vol. 1

THE BREAKER VOL. 1-5 OMNIBUS BOX SET

story by Jeon Geuk-jin, art by Park Jin-Hwan · SRP: $90.00 · 1,900 pages · ISBN: 978-1-68497-172-5 ·  Available July 12th  

The story of The Breaker follows Si-woon Lee, a timid high school student who becomes the disciple to Chun-Woo Han, an extremely talented martial artist who is an enemy to the secret martial arts society known as the Murim. However, Si-woon is naive and unaware of his master’s past and the unseen underbelly of the society. How will Chun-Woo manage to teach Si-woon and help him survive in the brutal world of Murim?

Jeon Geuk-jin and Park Jin-Hwan’s fighting manhwa has been praised for its sensational action and captivating storyline, with many charismatic characters and stylish martial arts techniques that will keep you glued to the page! The Breaker Vol 1-5 Omnibus Box Set contains all 5 volumes of the bestselling, critically acclaimed series, collecting them into a handsome box set compilation. Each omnibus contains two volumes, 10 volumes in all. Plus, a folded bonus poster!

THE BREAKER VOL. 1-5 OMNIBUS BOX SET

New May 2023 issues for continuing ABLAZE titles:      

TRAVELING TO MARS #6

story by Mark Russell, art by Roberto Meli · SRP: $3.99 · Available May 24th  

Roy discovers that he is not alone in space, forcing him and the rovers to improvise a strategy for survival.

Eisner award-winning writer Mark Russell and artist Roberto Meli bring you a compelling new sci-fi series…a riveting story of planetary exploration and of finding meaning in your final days.

TRAVELING TO MARS #6

THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #2

story by Michael Moreci, art by Giuseppe Cafaro · SRP: $3.99 · Available May 10th  

They’re barbarians. They loot, they plunder, they conquer. That’s what they do, and they do it alone…until NOW!

When an unstoppable force starts consuming one world after another, sorceress Morgan Le Fey uses her magic to assemble a team of skull-cracking warriors who must somehow work together to save all of existence. There’s the young trickster Anansi, Viking shield maiden Birka, the shape shifting Nanook, and their leader, heir to a fallen kingdom and mightiest of warriors, KULL!

Though their alliance is uneasy, they will do whatever it takes to cut the heart right out of their mutual enemy, leaving a path of ruin through everything and everyone that stands in their way!

Before The Avengers, The Justice League, The X-Men, before it all…stood The Mighty Barbarians! 

THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #2

Ablaze Dives Into Spring With New Graphic Novel Titles for April

THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #1

story by Michael Moreci, art by Giuseppe Cafaro · MSRP: $3.99 ·
On sale April 19th

They’re barbarians. They loot, they plunder, they conquer. That’s what they do, and they do it alone…until NOW!

When an unstoppable force starts consuming one world after another, sorceress Morgan Le Fey uses her magic to assemble a team of skull-cracking warriors who must somehow work together to save all of existence. There’s the young trickster Anansi, Viking shield maiden Birka, the shape shifting Nanook, and their leader, heir to a fallen kingdom and mightiest of warriors, KULL!

Though their alliance is uneasy, they will do whatever it takes to cut the heart right out of their mutual enemy, leaving a path of ruin through everything and everyone that stands in their way!

Before The Avengers, The Justice League, The X-Men, before it all…stood The Mighty Barbarians! 

THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #1

ELLE(S) Vol. 2: THE ELLE-VERSE TP

story by Kid Touissant, art by Aveline Stokart · MSRP: $10.99 · 104 Pages · ISBN: 978-1-68497-128-2 ·
On sale April 12th

After a family tragedy and a startling discovery, Elle will be forced to face down her greatest enemy: herself. Elle, the high school student with as many personalities as she has hair colors, finds herself trapped in her subconscious mind following a double psychological shock. That leaves her to navigate the hidden worlds of her various personalities in search of an escape route, while Blue—a sociable version of herself with a tendency to lie, cheat, and steal—takes full control over Elle’s life in the real world. Her friends start to suspect something isn’t right… but can they find a way to free Elle from Blue’s bonds?

ELLE(S) Vol. 2: THE ELLE-VERSE TP

TRESE Vol. 6: HIGH TIDE AT MIDNIGHT TP

story by Budjette Tan, art by Kajo Baldisimo · MSRP: $16.99 · 152 Pages ·
ISBN: 978-1-68497-129-9 · On sale April 12th

Monsoon season has arrived in Manila. Predators that used to hunt sailors in the open sea have found their way into the flooded streets of the city. The unceasing rain muffles the screams of the victims being pulled down into the murky waters.

In places too high to be reached by the flood, the party continues for the privileged, who indulge in a new designer drug which grants them the supernatural abilities of enkanto and aswang.

These are the murders and mysteries Alexandra Trese needs to solve as the tide continue to rise at the stroke of midnight.

TRESE Vol. 6: HIGH TIDE AT MIDNIGHT TP

HEAVENLY DEMON REBORN! VOL 2 TP

story by O’Emperor , art by Gom-Guk  · MSRP: $19.99 · 300 Pages ·
ISBN: 978-1-68497-138-1 · Advance solicit for May 17th on sale

Reborn as the lowliest member of the Heavenly Demon cult, Unseong embraces the ancient techniques and secrets they teach him to increase his abilities. Rising from the most likely to die in training to the leader of an elite squad, the members of the cult find that Unseong far surpasses anyone’s expectations, challenging even the cult’s leaders’ levels of power. And while he plans to use those powers to avenge his murdered master, Unseong may not be able to protect himself from the dangers of the demonic arts.

HEAVENLY DEMON REBORN! VOL 2 TP

New April 2023 issues for continuing ABLAZE titles:      

CHILDREN OF THE BLACK SUN #4

story by Dario Sicchio, art by Letizia Cadonici · MSRP: $3.99 · On sale April 12th

Is it fear or another impending black sun that has turned the town into a murderous mob? The children go into hiding with the hopes another dark dawn will come and save them, but the astrological event could spell doom for everyone.

CHILDREN OF THE BLACK SUN #4

LOVECRAFT: UNKNOWN KADATH #8

story by Florentino Flórez, H.P. Lovecraft, art by Guillermo Sanna & Jacques Salomon · MSRP: $3.99 · On sale April 26th

The Dreamer Randolph Carter’s quest comes to an epic conclusion when he meets one of the gods face to face. Will this encounter lead him to the place he has seen in his dreams, or back to the waking world? Will he live the rest of his days in a magical place beyond human comprehension, or lose it all back in his old life?

As a bonus, also includes the original prose story!

LOVECRAFT: UNKNOWN KADATH #8