Advance Review: ‘Barbaric: The Harvest Blades’ One-Shot
by Olly MacNamee
Owen is living a life of relative peace and tranquility when we catch up with him in Vault Comic’ Barbaric: The Harvest Blades One-Shot. But that doesn’t mean to say he isn’t missing those bloody and brutal days of yore. But, thankfully it’s not long until a challenge stops up that requires his particular skills. Whether he wants it or not. After all, as the contingency from the kingdom of Irik know, Owen and his axe are cursed with having to help others. And, just like that, off he sets on another adventure involving magic, sex, swearing and, of course, violence. But, more than that, one of this new travelling companions is in possession of the Harvest Blades featuring in this one-shot’s title.
Of course, this isn’t just a straight forward sword and sorcery tale, and soon we get the real story behind the land of Docimel’s place in the Irik kingdom; colonialism. A colonialism the possessor of the Harvest Blades has a plan to overturn.
It’s a solid enough tale from writer and co-creator of Barbaric, Michael Moreci, but the mediocre artwork of artist Robert Wilson IV is no match fro the art of fellow Barbaric co-creator, Nathan Gooden. It just doesn’t do the script justice with layouts that don’t bring the required energy and dynamism for such as tale.
What it does do is build on the savage world Owen lives in, and introduces an interesting enough bold new female character that we will no doubt see again at some time down the road. But, as a one-shot, this may only appeal to fans of the original mini-series.
Barbaric: The Harvest Blades is out Wednesday 13th July from Vault Comics
Summary
Foul-mouthed barbarian Owen and his axe are back in a one-shot that has a solid script but is let down by the artwork. He is on a mission to save Docimel from a forthcoming threat, but not all is as it seems.
