Review - Berserker #1

Tom is the new kid on the block. The newly minted Omnicomic writer will aim to bring you fine readers reviews of various books and novels that should be piquing your interest. This week, he's reviewing Berserker #1 from Top Cow. The book has been gaining lots of buzz as of late, and finally the Norse badassness is being unleashed upon the masses. Check out the review below, and for more backstory check out Omnicomic's interview with creators Jeremy Haun and Ron Rick Loverd. Top Cow was nice enough to provide a copy of Berserker #1 to Omnicomic and it has fallen to me, the new guy on the block, to review it. The quote on the cover sums up the overall feel of the comic really well: “It’s got some Viking rage in it!” As Top Cow puts it in their official cap, “The lives of Aaron and Farris, two young and completely different men, are turned upside down when they discover an animalistic and uncontrollable rage living inside them. Meanwhile, two mysterious organizations seek them out for their newfound strength and power for their own purposes. But what good is strength and power when you can't tell friend from foe?” If I were going to sum up this comic in one word…it would be “intense.” A quick summary to get you warmed up, with minor spoilers. It appears that two factions straight out of Norse Mythology (Asgaard and Midgard) are competing to acquire talent in their struggles against each other. As mentioned by the summary above, the main characters Aaron and Farris both seem to be pursued by these organizations. Their “talents” are revealed in a wrestling match that ends badly for Aaron’s opponent, and upon waking up and going to work for Farris’ lamp and later his boss. Another rather innocent victim in the final moments of the comic cements what will surely be a brutal, bloody, and disturbing run. Not convinced of the sheer rage a berserker wields? Let me put it this way…a piano becomes a formidable weapon when picked up and thrown. One other note, I’m guessing that individuals targeted as berserkers will probably have relationship problems. This being an original story as far as I know, I didn’t have any history to compare it with. Overall the story is intriguing. Not a lot is revealed about the mysterious Norse organizations or how they are going to play a part. I like that the artwork has a very dark appeal to it, setting the scene for some disturbing things. The characters are very unassuming when they aren’t, for lack of a better word, berserking. There are no over the top superhero like muscles and just normal looking people taking part in what could be an extraordinary story. I have a feeling the line between good and evil will be a bit blurred in this book. Berserker is a title for those of you interested in brutal combat, blood & broken bones and over the top hand-to-hand combat to enjoy. Stay tuned for more and watch for this one on shelves.