The record-breaking BRZRKR series from Keanu Reeves follows B, a half-mortal and half-god being who is centuries old, compelled to violence, and cursed. Although the main series from the core creative team ended in 2023, several standalone issues from other creatives have been released and will be collected in the upcoming volume BRZRKR: Bloodlines, Volume 1. The standalone issues in Bloodlines follow B early in his life, from Atlantis to remote desert cities. 

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Synopsis:

Discover the brutal hidden history of Keanu Reeves’ record-shattering immortal warrior’s saga, soon to be adapted for Netflix!

Renowned filmmaker and record-shattering comic creator Keanu Reeves is joined by writer/artist Steve Skroce (The Matrix, Post Americana), screenwriter and director Mattson Tomlin (A Vicious Circle, The Batman Part II), and artist Rebekah Isaacs (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Money Shot) for a pair of self-contained stories set within the 80,000 year history of BRZRKR!

In Poetry of Madness, a sea of gore and devastation awaits as B., through a fateful chance encounter, safeguards the advanced and ancient realm of Atlantis as its unstoppable protector. But a sickly monarch serves as a symbol for the rot inside, as the security and bliss created through B.’s violence is shallow…the cracks created by a secret cult might spell a monstrous end for the legendary city, one beyond even B.’s ability to save.

In Fallen Empire, a former kingdom eradicated by the BRZRKR has a single living survivor. She and her people knew B. as the God King. In this tragic story of death and cataclysm, the survivor recounts a fable in which lost love, manipulation, and warring empires brought out the very worst of Unute… but is the fable’s narrator reliable? What might the survivor be hiding?

Collects Poetry of Madness #1 and Fallen Empire #1.

Review:

BRZRKR: Bloodlines, Vol. 1 collects two standalone issues: Poetry of Madness and Fallen Empire. While I’ve been familiar with BRZRKR for a while now, I haven’t read any of the main BRZRKR comics yet. These standalone issues, and now the Bloodlines volume, are a great way to experience BRZRKR for the first time. These issues are great alone, but they work even better juxtaposed against each other in this collected volume.

In Poetry of Madness, writer/artist Steve Skroce tells the story of B and the ancient city of Atlantis. There’s a sick king, a dangerous cult, and an assistant who is very into B. Poetry of Madness is entertaining, very bloody, and extremely well-drawn. This story started quite interesting, but it devolved downhill from there. B is very melodramatic, and it shows at the end of Poetry. If you like action, slashers, and lots of gore and blood, this BRZRKR issue is for you.

Fallen Empire took me by surprise in a really good way. Not only was it my favorite issue in the volume, but it’s one of the most compelling comic issues I’ve read in a while. Fallen Empire is written by Mattson Tomlin and lushly illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs. There’s a beautiful queen, a barren desert, warring nations, and plenty of intrigue. Of course, there’s also B, who is caught in the middle of it all. This issue is beautiful and sexy and full of raging violence. It’s amazing.

Final Thoughts:

Pick up BRZRKR: Bloodlines, Volume 1 for a violent romp, quick read, and great fun. BRZRKR is for fans of action-adventure and intense fantasy.

Rating:

3 stars for the Poetry of Madness issue.

5+ stars for the Fallen Empire issue.

4.5 Stars for BRZRKR: Bloodlines, Volume 1.

Thanks to BOOM! for providing me with an advanced review copy. All of the above thoughts are my own.