Babs: The Black Road South #3 Review

 

Babs: The Black Road South #3 Review

Writer: Garth Ennis

Artist: Jacen Burrows

Colorist: Andy Troy

Logo, Production & Letterer: Rob Steen

Cover Artists: Jacen Burrows & Andy Troy; Keith Burns

Editor: Tom Peyer

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 1, 2026

 

Babs didn't want to come. But as Izzy argued, they'd already sunk their fortune into Invest-a-Quest. Lilith Lazuli and her fellowship had spent their winnings from the arena in Matazak on fresh horses, provisions, and new weapons. So, after Lance the Dragon carries them to the High Barns, Izzy talks the barbarian queen into letting them join their quest. Will they gain riches, or at least recoup their investment? And how did Babs become one of the few people to ever return from a quest into Mordynn? Let’s leap into Babs: The Black Road South #3 and see!

 

Story

Like the land of Mordor, Mordynn has fallen under an evil spell. An Elven king, whom history has forgotten, once sought to channel a shadow demon’s power. Performing the arcane rituals granted the Black King access to the world. Then, the demon raised armies to transform his kingdom into a dark realm.

 

Unlike in The Lord of the Rings, the Black King seems content to dominate the land he has transformed into a hellish realm. So, as in Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The White Company, knights and warriors sometimes venture into this lost world in Babs: The Black Road South #3. Some, like Lilith Lazuli, seek fortune. Others, like her follower Colin, seek to reclaim their honor. Babs once followed the wizard Shandall Godstaff on a quest to limit the Black King's power by stealing a weapon of ultimate evil. But she dislikes discussing that adventure, even with her friend Izzy.

 

After bidding Lance farewell, at least for now, Babs and Izzy accompany Lilith Lazuli and her fellowship into Mordynn. The outcast barbarian is aware of the dangers of this realm and the fears of her followers. So, Lilith makes every effort to appear a strong leader.

 

In Garth Ennis’s story, Babs seeks anything to keep from dwelling on what she endured during her earlier quest. As she makes fun of Lilith’s brave talk and jokes with Izzy, Colin’s awe of the outcast barbarian queen also becomes fodder for the ladies’ levity. All this helps Babs forget the dangers of this realm. But, as she watches the Dragon dwindle into the distance, and Babs follows the imposing Lilith on horseback, her former quest comes back to haunt her in Babs: The Black Road South #3.

 

Art

Minstrels may sing of the Black Road's horrors. But as the company rides past barren trees and evergreens, snow covers the sloping land they pass through. Jacen Burrows adorns most of the riders in cloaks or a mixture of armor and clothing to keep out the cold. A helmet with a red plume adorns Izzy's head, while Babs lets her "bad hair" breathe. Colin surveys his surroundings through his helmet, clad in a medieval knight's armor. Yet as she rides at the head of the company, Lilith Lazuli's scale mail bikini only enhances her Ms Olympia physique.

 

Before the blue-haired barbarian leads her company into this land draped in white in Babs: The Black Road South #3, Jacen Burrows shows a thin, gray figure surrounded by darkness. Fire rises from gold censors as a horned silhouette regards the elf from a realm of yellow, orange, and red. The blood flowing down his arms links with the sky above his kingdom, as the power the elf king unleashes summons armies to his land.

 

Rob Steen fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase dialogue that shrinks for lowered voices. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Bold, lowercase letters fill parchment scrolls, while uppercase letters fill the similarly colored shapes. A dialogue balloon sprouts spikes when Sir Colin grows impassioned, while sound effects and scarlet liquid fill the air when the company faces the dangers of this troubled land.

 

Bonus Features:

Paul Little's compelling black-and-white image accompanies Hanna Bahedry's plea for understanding and cooperation in Smells Like Lady Speed Stick. Then, Rob Steen's opening art introduces Tyrone Finch's reminder that the things we think we want often aren't what we need in Another Fine Christmess. In addition to the two prose stories and a letter from a reader, a poem from an English official of the East India Company closes out the humorous fantasy issue. Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Something transformed Babs from an idealistic adventurer into a cynical warrior. Someone she hurt in her past seems intent upon robbing her and Izzy of their ill-gotten gains. Somehow, Bab's much-disdained hairstyle seems a reminder of the tragic events that still haunt her in Babs: The Black Road South #3.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Babs: The BlackRoad South #3.