FOC Friday's #1: Queen of Swords #1 (Vault)
Slicing and Dicing From the Barbaric Universe, FOC Deadline 5/1/23
Every second of Barbaric has been absolutely fantastic. If you love senseless violence, random mysticism, an adventuring party and its relation with a cursed battleaxe and MORE…then you’ve probably loved this book as much as I have. Here’s the great thing. If you haven’t read a single page or issue of Barbaric, you can pick up THIS SERIES and fall in love with the whole universe!
Queen of Swords #1 (Vault Comics)
By: Michael Moreci, K.J. Diaz, Corin Howell
Release/FOC: May 1st (FOC), May 31 (Release)
Spinning out of the pages of BARBARIC comes an all-new, standalone, rip-roaring fantasy adventure, filled with mayhem, humor, and a bloodthirsty weapon that just won't stop talking! Serra is a witch with a checkered past; Ka is an assassin with an agenda all her own, and Deadheart is a barbarian who wants to bash everyone in her path. They'll have to unite their unique skills to track down a powerful foe who's tied their lives together. Get ready to meet your new favorite instrument of death-the evil Ga'Bar, whose spirit is now trapped in Deadheart's sword! Discover the origin of the dark magic that turned Soren into the tattooed witch she is today, in this totally new story, the perfect place to step into the world of BARBARIC for the first time!
I will say, that I was so in awe of this issue, I read it twice! What I love about this book, is that it is action packed from page one all the way down to the last panel. Not only do we figure out how adventurers finance their quests (by murdering the absolute shit out of some pirate spirits), but in quite a satisfying manner, we get to see Deadheart show a sexist-sword that she can cleave anything as good as or better than your average male barbarian. Additionally, you get some excellent past building around all three of the characters which makes you deeply vested in the past and the potential fates of all three women.
The art is absolutely on fire in this book. My absolute favorites deal with a couple single and double page spreads showcasing Serra’s inability to hold full command over her magic. This issue truly has the feel of an old Heavy Metal magazine paired with that scene from Django Unchained where Leo gets shot in the ass like 50 times…but with swords, and chain weapons!
Moreci and team’s offering with Barbaric has filled the void of fantasy/action stories which don’t take themselves too seriously. While I love a good ol’ sword and sorcery story, the fourth-wall breaking moments add levels of both depth and appreciation to the story being told, and the true absurdity of each character’s experience.
You better believe I’ve not only got this added to my pull, but I’m anxiously awaiting when I can pick this up in a glorious hardcover to complement the rest of my Barbaric collection!
You can pick it up here through previews, or do whatever you do to pre-order books through your LCS!