BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness: Pen & Ink #1 Review

 

Writer & Artist: Steve Skroce

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Steve Skroce & Andrew K. Currey

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $6.99

Release Date: March 27, 2024

 

Once Azaes’ heart beat strong and fast. Now, death looms closer than childhood to the aging King. Can the leader of a new religion lengthen his reign over Atlantis? Could Azaes even live as long as his champion, Unute The Berserker? Let’s grab our swords, leap into BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness: Pen & Ink #1, and find out!

 

Story

Time has made King Azaes soft. He doesn't bother with an army or a squad of personal guards. Why should he? His champion, Unute, has superhuman senses, reflexes, speed, and strength. To sate Unute’s insatiable hunger for bloodshed, King Azaes propagates rumors of wealth. Warrior bands, rapacious tribes, and armies from all over the world arrive at the city gates, only to fall victim to Unute’s bloodlust.

 

Zubatai, Azaes’ chronicler and Unute’s squire takes a passing interest in the surpassing carnage. She must observe, after all. But the citizens of Atlantis never tire of Unute’s triumphs. They fill the air with flowers and petals as Unute returns on his chariot. They cheer as his ripped and hewn body heals. Such displays now bore King Azaes. He’d rather listen to Vizane’s teachings. The priest promises a new world order. Could Azaes stand beside the ancient gods? Could he share Unute’s vigor and immortality?

 

BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness: Pen & Ink #1 addresses our desire for ease and comfort. It warns of the dangers of relying on others to provide our needs. Steve Skroce's story evokes those of his literary forebears like Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft. The author seasons his story with humor, contemporary cursing, and plays on words while urging us to be careful what we wish for. Even if something is for free, we will pay a price for receiving it.

 

Yes, a sobering thought indeed. Perhaps it’s time for another colorful metaphor, Captain?

 

Art

An army breaches Atlantis’ distant gates and charges toward the city of gleaming spires. Infantry, cavalry, and soldiers riding elephants fill the plain from the hills to the coast. Zubatai’s upraised hand stops them. She points at Unute, surrounded by empty wine jars. An ancient sword stands embedded in the ground beside him. When army leaders laugh at Zubatai's offer, Unute grabs his sword and cuts a swath through the army like a butter knife through hot popcorn.

 

Steve Skroce lessens the brutal savagery in BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness: Pen & Ink #1. Spraying blood, flying organs, and falling limbs and heads have a pleasing, organic appeal. While Ron Garvey opted for harsh realism in the original BRZRKR series, Skroce lessens this symphony of violence with elegant aristocracy, elaborate architecture, MAD Magazine-esque Sword And Sorcery warriors, and a cult leader whose eyes burn with Sybokian fire.

 

While readers miss out on Dave Stewart’s vivid foreground colors cast against neutral backgrounds like gray, beige, and brown, BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness: Pen & Ink #1 demonstrates Steve Skroce’s generosity. He doesn't invade the colorist's domain with crosshatching, dots, gray fills, or inked shadows. His art style gives the reader two options: 1) to enjoy the story in Black & White or 2) to use this issue as a 50-page coloring book. If you take the latter option, be prepared to use a lot of red.

 

Uppercase black dialogue appears in white balloons. Zubatai’s narrative stands out in gray narrative boxes. Emotion and volume swell letters and influence balloon shapes, while immense and energetic black sound effects help us hear cannons boom, spiked bars surround Unute, and screams fill the air.

 

Beneath panels filled with Ed Dukeshire’s lettering, Steve Skroce’s small-sized commentary shares the history behind his story. From Skroce's pitch to Keanu Reeves to his views on Brzrkr’s impact on history, his influences and career, and how the art for this project diverged from Skroce's usual process, it's all in BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness: Pen & Ink #1. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

In BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness: Pen & Ink #1, Steve Skroce ponders befriending a living god. Would you be content with his companionship? Or would you grow envious and grasp any chance to share in his eternal life?

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.