I received this DRC from NetGalley.

3.5 rounded up.

The first story was unintentionally, I think, a bit funny in that Keanu and his servant speak with modern language in a historical time. That combined with the weird drawing style of the blood (which matters since there's a lot of it) made it feel cheap. And throughout the whole comic, the amount of Keanu-ness of the character varies, which I thought was odd. I did like the second story, which made me give it an overall higher score. The ending was brutal, in a good way.

Thanks Netgalley for the advance copy of BRZRKR: Bloodlines.

Very Heavy Metal Magazine. At times something very corny and unbelievably Keanu unexpectedly sneaks it's way in. I didn't mind at all. It doesn't take itself too seriously in Poetry of Madness, which had Cthulu and a lot of one liners. There are plenty of memorable, high detail sick close-up frames that I think wow! this is badass (which allows me to forgive some of the blood just drawn as wiggly meat in the first story)

Fallen Empire is really what won me over. I enjoyed this story much more than the first, it felt more polished and well crafted. I liked the art which was more expressive. (There is a distinct difference in art style between both stories.) Of the two in this volume, Fallen Empire had me more invested in BRZRKR. The concept of an immortal through the ages destined to wander leaving carnage in his wake is great. A few times I found myself thinking "this would make one really cool movie." It reads like a storyboard for one.

It's not all too deep. I'm a very take it or leave it kind of reader and a fan of the actor as well as his enthusiasm for this universe. I'll take it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity. This will be available 4/2/24!

I dug the art. I really really enjoyed the art. I however had issues following the story.

BRZRKR follows our main male character, Unute, as we recount his past. In this installment we see two different times in his life. First, the time when he was the guardian of the king of Atlantis, and second, when he was sold as a slave to fight to the death in the arena of Olso. Each installment is just as gory as the last. I’m a sucker for Keanu Reeves. Is the story a bit redundant at this point? A little. Am I going to stop reading them? NOPE! The artwork is amazing. The story is entertaining enough for me to pick up the next volume. I love it all!

Ahead of the novel with China Mieville, and having wrapped up the main series, Keanu Reeves demonstrates that famed amiability and lets some other creative teams have a go on his toys, specifically Unute, the immortal killer with a distinct resemblance to his creator, and whose timeline would definitely accommodate John Wick as having represented a few quiet months. Steve Skroce was an obvious first choice for the gig - besides having long been a natural with scenes of epic carnage, storyboarding The Matrix demonstrates a track record of making the boss look good. And in Poetry Of Madness he excels himself, showing how the fall of Atlantis came down to - SPOILER - Cthulhu thinking he was hard enough to take Keanu. Schoolboy error. Loses points for spelling Aklo wrong, but otherwise, no notes.

Unfortunately, that's followed by Mattson Tomlin and Rebekah Isaacs with Fallen Empire. Wasn't the first story about a fallen empire? Yep. Specifically, a towering city which grew too arrogant behind its walls, with a foolish king, and a female narrator who was the sole survivor. And despite the character meaning you can go pretty much anywhere in or before recorded history, so is this one! The duplication can't necessarily be blamed on the creators, if they weren't gently steered elsewhere, but the comparative lack of wit and excitement can, likewise the two twists that are obvious from a mile off. About the only entertainment came with the keepers of the world's history being the scowling Acastan monks, meaning I of course translated them all into James Acaster having a big Taskmaster sulk. I didn't recognise Mattson Tomlin's name - and indeed would probably have guessed him to be a teammate of Bobson Dugnutt - but apparently he's doing the BRZRKR film, about which I am now appreciably less excited.

(Netgalley ARC)

Ok.
So this is a thing, I guess?
It's not good. But you probably knew that already if you've read the main title. That was sketchy enough without trying to milk the storyline for prequels.

The problem with this is that there just isn't enough story. Or maybe it's that they aren't taking the time needed to set up anything in the story for you to care about it.
It is literally Great Value Keanu Reeves popping up at different times in the past, going on a BRZRKR rage, and killing everyone in sight.
And I completely missed this part of his "origin" in the first three volumes, but apparently he not only can't stop himself once he gets going, but he has some kind of an inner timer ticking down that makes him lose control after it goes ding! that can't be stopped, either.
I mean...what?
IF he can slaughter an entire kingdom in one rage?
And IF he's on some kind of a countdown as soon as he's done with said slaughter?
And IF that countdown is as fast as it appears in the second story (a month or so)?
Then there's no way humanity manages to survive to the present day. He's already killed everyone off long before the Dark Ages saw the Renaissance on the horizon.
Or.
Maybe I missed something.
But if you are willing to ignore the wonky bits and just dive in, this has a story about Unute's time in Atlantis & the time he fell in love with a king's wife.
Both end in about the same amount of disaster and carnage that you would imagine.

Hardcore fans only.

This is a rather uneven collection of comics following the adventures of an immortal warrior. While the stories did keep my interest, I felt they were ultimately flawed. For one thing, the warrior's immortality leaves little doubt as to who will ultimately come out on top in the various battles. The character comes across as a serious Marty Stu, an impression heightened by the character being modeled on Reeves himself.

Second, the art style in some of the battle scenes leaves something to be desired, with the way the blood is drawn making it resemble curdled milk rather than actual blood spray. Also, at times the action is difficult to follow, as in one scene where a major character suddenly turns up dead when he doesn't appear to be dying in the previous panel he appeared in.

On the plus side, the book does slip in some fun references to Reeves's film work, such as having him wear armor in the first story resembling that worn by Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Also, the second story in the collection is significantly better than the first story, providing a much darker take on the character, although it does raise issues of inconsistent characterization.

All told, this is worth a read, but it's probably better if you can get it from a library.

First of all thanks to Steve Skroce and Mattson Tomlin and Rebekah Isaacs for this ARC.
This review feels weird for me, because not only is it the first ARC review i am thanking someone i am giving one star, but it's also the first review i am going to say some really mean stuff about the publisher of the Graphic Novel.
Boom studios are milking Keanu Reeves worse than what humans do to cows, Unless of course it's his request that his name be listed as a writer in a book he wrote not a single word of, in which case that would be really arrogant and an asshole thing to do.
I do know how big his name is, and that just putting his name first, gives all the writers and artists here more spotlight, people sell their souls for more Money, But i honestly think it's pretty disrespectful.
You could have listed him as creator, you could have said Keanu Reeves presents, you could have said from the mind of Keanu Reeves, and so on like so many way better way prominent comic writers before him, But no, He is listed first name on the cover, which probably forces librarians here on goodreads to put him first name on the book even though he wrote not a single word of this.
And btw i knew this reading the Graphic novel, because the credit page gives credit where credit is due, So this initial rant doesn't effect my rating for the stories in this volume.

Review for BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness #1 1/5 stars
<blockquote>Some wounds will never heal, Despite all the pain and suffering that he has endured, He still does not cry...</blockquote>
Nothing is faster than reading modern comics, old comics drag on, but modern comics feel like they are paying by the word and they are still cheap and don't want to pay the writer too much, not saying that this is really what's happening anyway.
So finally i am here reading BRZRKR which is funny i was never going to buy this to read it, i have no faith in actors becoming writers and making something worth while, but people encourage them to do that regardless.
While Keanu Reeves didn't write this, it's his character, it's his world, it's his brand of action.
A character that's in desperate need for an actual personality.
Action scene that are in desperate need of fight dynamics, not just a man cutting everything with no push back, splatter the entire screen with blood so that the readers don't realize just how superficial this is in fact.
I liked the story of Atlantis the king the cult.
I liked the art of how the protagonist looks, how the non action scenes look it's a good artist just lacking fight scene imagination to direct the scene and make it interesting, i also liked how Cuthulhu looked even though there should be enough material to support drawing it.
Believe it or not even after all this review i don't feel sorry to have read this, it was a good idea but bad production.

Review for BRZRKR: Fallen Empire #1 4/5 stars
This was actually way way better than poetry of madness that i had to go back and give poetry of madness 1 star lol
For some reason both tales feel devoid of originality, i don't know why i am getting this feeling, but i read a few Conan stories, maybe because they give the same feeling?
Anyway the worst thing in this story was Keanu Reeves John Wick acting, MC is still in need of a personality, and he is never going to get it, it seems!
This story though was dramatic, the twist wasn't insane or anything, but it made the story more dramatic.
The art was really good here also way better than poetry of madness even though i liked the art not the direction of the art over there, there was actual action scenes, the fights conveyed what really happened, even though the story wasn't full on mayhem like Poetry of Madness.
Issue is where does it stop? because both stories pretty much have the same premise, Old civilizations destroyed by the immortal because he crossed paths with them, and they were assholes to him, you can make tons of these stories, Bring out your Ubar, Sodom and Gomorrah and so on, and put this guy smack dab in the middle of destruction.
Even though following friends reviews at the time, the ratings were higher for early BRZRKR and lower for the following volumes, i think maybe i want to give it a chance to see how Keanu is any better than these writers.

Overall rating 2.5/5 stars i was planning on rounding this up to 3, but after being pissed off on the entire Keanu Reeves being falsely credited on goodreads and the cover, i won't be doing that anymore.

This is the second BRZRKR graphic novel that I have read and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. Is it over the top with violence and gore? Yes it is, but with a main character who is basically immortal and full of a berserker rage, I think it's to be expected.
In this volume, we see a glimpse into Unute's past, and some of his most impactful relationships. We see the loss of his loved ones through betrayal, and greed, and how he reacts during those instances.
I'm curious to see where the series takes his story, and how his arc grows to show us how he got to where he is (in Vol. 1).

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free graphic novel.*

Brzrkr is about an immortal berserker (surprise!) on a quest of violence, modelled after Keanu Reeves. Think John Wick + Castlevania + Hellsing + Chthullu. Sadly the graphic novel just perpetuates stereotypes: women are evil, toxic masculinity, violence and some more violence. I didn't really enjoy this one. Not sure if the adaptation is going to give this some more depth but this was pretty shallow... Meh. 2.5 stars

Poetry of Madness-2⭐️
A simple meet-cute story of a violent warrior immortal and a Lovecraftian creature from the deep.

Honestly, I couldn’t get past the feeling of there being an element of misogyny present with the only named female character being obviously sexualized window dressing who makes a crack about sleeping with Unute within the first scene. And the only other time any women show up in this story after that they are naked and in an orgy. I’m just so tired and so past this flavor of toxic male shit, it just feels lazy to me at this point.

Fallen Empire- 4⭐️
Gladiators and carnage.

This story was a significantly stronger showing than the first. I thought that this story had a lot of potential in its bones but that its short length really meant that none of the story, emotions or characters had an opportunity to develop and breathe to allow for some investment.

-
Firstly, reading this has made me realised that manga has spoiled me for story and quality of art work. This was fine but I wasn’t blown away and it certainly didn’t break any molds. I feel like it’s good quality for traditional style western comics.

Secondly, I love Keanu and will support anything that ray of sunshine wants to give a crack at. That being said this really does just feel like a storyboard draft for his next action movie blockbuster series.

You can really tell that there are no women in the writing team. I would say that this doesn’t pass the Bechdel test, but there’s never more than one female character in a story for a conversation to occur.

I would say that I’m not the target audience for this and maybe I just don’t get it, but honestly, even the target audience of young dudes out for blood and gore should probably demand more depth.

Thank you NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for the ARC. These thoughts are my own

Writing stories about immortals is hard, because.. well, they're immortal, so the stakes sort of drop away. And what tends to happen then is that authors don't write stories that actually deal with the immortals as characters themselves, but they write stories surrounding the immortals. The immortal as tool, as weapon. And that's what happens here. Twice.

The first story is very violent, and silly. Nothing surprising happens. The only thing we learn about BRZRKRman himself is that he's a bit dim.

The second story fares better. It's basically about how BRZRKRman is a nuclear weapon. Use him, everyone loses. And also, he's a bit dim.

You'd think being immortal gives you a special kind of wisdom, some unique view on the human condition. Not in these stories, and not in the main series. And that's a bit dim.

I would like to thank NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for letting me read this advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! The story was intriguing and the artwork was beautifully done. The two blended well together to create a story that was action packed and left the reader wanting to know more about the main character, and the journeys that await him. Definitely going to be checking out Volume 2 of this series! Highly recommend if you are a fan of action packed, and brutally bloody stories!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of BRZRKR: Bloodlines by Keanu Reeves; Mattson Tomlin in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautifully gory graphic novel. I enjoyed the storyline.

BRXRKR: Bloodlines is a good time. I have read the other 3 volumes in the BRZRKR series so am now happy to continue by seeing Unute's journey prior to working with the government. The storylines are awesome and endears me more to him. He is a protector, lover, and a good bloody time. The illustrations are also hilarious; the expressions are very wild and grab the attention. I loved them. I enjoyed this book probably more that the original series. Can't wait for more.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher BOOM! Studios for an advance copy of this graphic novel adventure about a man fated to fight and fight, for all of eternity, and those who are caught in his wake of violence.

The idea of an immortal warrior is not a new one, however there is much that can be done with this idea. A warrior whose sole purpose is to fight, to bleed, to lose, suffer loss of friends, comrades through battle or old age, and who is there at the rise of villages, and the fall of empires, that's a lot of storytelling possibility. One can have a warrior uniting caves, fighting for or against Rome, climbing the cliffs of Normandy, or even battling on Jupiter's moons. One can mix in historical fact, other fictions and of course lots and lots of blood. BRZRKR: Bloodlines is a compilation of two stories, Poetry of Madness and Dead Empire, which tell of the character known as Berzerker's adventures in the distant past among a city spoken of in legend, and a vast empire erased from time. The stories are written by Keanu Reeves and Mattson Tomlin with art by Steve Skroce and Rebekah Isaacs.

The city of Atlants still exists at the beginning of the story Poetry of Madness, though barbarian hordes have arrived to lay seige to the city and take its wealth for their own. Berzerker deals with them in his own way, and rides into the city to the cries of the people to meet with the leader he rescued as a child. The king though is weak and listens to his advisors, a group of priests who like the eldritch ways, and the Elder Gods, who have stolen forbidden knowledge from the Berzerker's home during his battle. And soon there is a Shadow over Atlantis. The next story the Dead Empire, a scarred narrator crosses what seems like endless wastes to arrive at a temple, a temple that records great events and actions. The narrator begins a tale of a great empire, a mad god of vengence and a request to remember the empire. However something is also coming across the wastes, one that erases all that it sees.

Fantasy stories for those that think that John Wick is too Disney like, or want their Conan turned up to 11. The stories are good, but are excuses for Berzerker to engage in a lot of the old ultraviolence. And boy howdy does he. Guts are ripped out, and put back inside, faces smashed, teeth sent flying. The art is quite good, though the look of Berzerker does change in the two volumes, even though they still look like a certain Hollywood actor and comic writer. The first book he is very John Wick, the second he is more Ted. However the rest of the art in both books is really good. The cities are wonderful, big fantasy landscapes, with lots of people, animals, buildings Old Ones and blood. The second the desert wastes really stand out, along with the priests. And again the fighitng.
Fans will enjoy the stories, as will most comic fantasy readers. I don't know if I am alone in this but I kept humming the lines Berzerker, Berzerker from the Kevin Smith Clerks movie, but again I am old. I am interested in seeing where else Berzerker finds himself, and what other tales he might draw on.

Loved this new one from the series. Artwork is superb and the story really sucks you in. I read it in about 45 minutes because I couldn’t put it down.

Two words totally awesome I read the first Ark of this story now going into the Bloodlines it's such an action-packed and brutal bloody story I can expect nothing less from Keanu Reeves himself I will buy this with available awesome story

"God had returned home. He didn't seem happy with what we'd done to the place."

Bloody, brutal, and (in the case of Poetry of Madness at least) surprisingly funny, BRZRKR: Bloodlines is a great intro to the series.

Striking artwork, engaging storylines, and gory as hell!

Keanu Is Back!

As a reader of the original BRZRKR series (BRZRKR, Volume 1), I am so happy to be able to read more.

I still can't get over how well the drawings are. Really has a way of drawing light and detail.
Reminds me in a way of Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1: Dog and Chainsaw.

Definitely check this one out if you are a fan of the series, or if you want to read a modern Berserk, Vol. 1.

Check it out!

4.1/5