BRZRKR Volume 1 (#1-4). By Keanu Reeves & Matt Kindt, Illustrator: Ron Garney. 2021. BOOM! Studios (ARC eBook).

BRZRKR volume 1 is a page-turner with an enigmatic protagonist who delivers deadly action across dynamically drawn panels with a simplistic, but striking palette. I look forward to continuing the series.

Absolutely bat shit violence from your favorite immortal murder machine, B.
B's story continues from his birth at the dawn of humanity when his prays to the Gods for a savior for her tribe.
A little Godly lightening later and a baby kill machine pops out.
The Government keeps trying to replicate him and make an army of killers.
B just wants his millennia long existence to end.

Like many, my interest in BZRKR was primarily piqued by its authorship and visual influence by Keanu Reeves. As a fan of his filmography, I’m no stranger to high levels of violence (such as those lovingly choreographed in the John Wick saga), but the gritty art style and gratuitous visuals of the first issue were nearly enough to turn me off from the book (how many exploding skulls with flying eyes were really that necessary?)

That said, by the time I reached the end of this volume, I was hooked. The hyper violence of his missions and battle recollections juxtaposed with the placid and sterile psychologists office as they try to unravel the past of this trafic Wolverine-like figure, and I wanted to know more. I do plan on picking up the next volume once it’s released!

Keanu Reeves is defiantly having a moment and I'm here for it... or so I thought going into this.
Boom Studios is also starting to pick up the pace and release some great comics... However I feel BRZRKR reached a bit too high and felt kind of short. Higher expectations, medium delivery.

My personal taste isn't always action and gore, which there was a lot of. Hyper over the top level of violence that I simply can't stomach the thought of, even fictionally.

Sorry I say I DNF this.

**Thank you to BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Complete user error in that I cannot open the file to read which is so disappointing because I'm really interested in this. I'm going to purchase the book when it comes out.

Keanu Reeves is certainly talented in many ways—also apparently in writing / creating concepts for a graphic novel. Curious to see much he did this on his own.

I really enjoyed reading BRZRKR Volume 1. It is one of my new favorite comics. I loved the story and artwork. It's so cool that Keanu Reeves is part of this book because he is one of my favorite actors. Fans of The Matrix and John Wick will love this book!

ARC From Netgalley.
WOW.... this might be the most action-packed and gory comic I've ever read (with the exception of the truly blissful gore levels of Junji Ito) as well as something that feels so fundamentally Keanu Reeves. Being the action star he is now, him as both the writer of this comic AND the visual inspiration of the character... all this comes together in a wonderful package.
The story is pretty straightforward. The character (later revealed to be Unute) is a special forces wetwork assassin type of guy for a paramilitary organization. He is near impervious to pain, can not die, and heals way faster than most (but not like Wolverine levels of healing). Scientists are helping him recover his memory.... which leads to the discovery that he was actually born 80,000 years ago, as a killing barbarian for his tribe. We get a lot of his backstory growing up, and it ends with the cliffhanger of secrets to be revealed next Volume.
I can't wait to continue this.
Strong recommend!

Keanu Reeves makes his comic debut with BRZRKR. This is the story of one immortals fight through time. A man known only as B is half mortal and half god. Cursed to wander for centuries experiencing only violence he now works for the US Government.

I read BRZRKR as they were released in single issues, but I was still so excited to get the trade. The story is super violent, so I would not recommend it for children or my middle schoolers, but if I’m completely honest, they would love it. The art fits the style so well. It is pretty, but super gorey. The colors really accent this also. There is so much red in the book.

It is a fast paced story with the mystery of who B really is. I look forward to this title each month and after reading that it was getting a movie I am even more excited to see it on the big screen.

5 stars.


Creative Team:
Written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt
Illustrated by Ron Garney
Colored by Bill Crabtree
Lettered by Clem Robins
Published by Boom

Dark, gritty and gripping. This is going to find some hardcore fans.

For Libraries: Definitely a great fit for your adult graphic collection if you have fans who like their options with a ton of violence.

'BRZRKR Vol. 1' by Matt Kindt and Keanu Reeves with art by Ron Garney is a graphic novel featuring the comic book writing debut of Keanu Reeves.

When we meet the Berzerker, he is fighting for the U.S. Army and he is really good at what he does, but his thirst for violence is hard to quench or even stop. We learn that he is thousands of years old and has fought for many years, and we unlock his early memories.

I liked this visceral, violent story about a man trying to find himself. The art is really great, especially how they make the main character look like Keanu himself. There is a cover gallery showing some great variants, too.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from BOOM! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This didn't really jive with me, because it's too hard to tell if it takes itself seriously (in which case, it's not that great, it's your basic immortal demi-god with the violence turned waaay up), or if it's purposefully over-the-top to drive home the isolation and horror this person must feel (in which case, it's pretty successful). Either way, the violence, blood, and gore are so ridiculously amped up, it all loses its impact quickly. After you've seen B. (the only name our immortal berserker has) punch through heads and chests, tear heads off bodies, kick someone's spine out of their body, etc so many times, it gets old, y'know? It does, however, drive home just how disembodied B. is from what he's doing while he's in berserker mode. It just drives it home a little too hard, that aspect could've been toned down a bit, and the space used for a bit more story progression. I enjoyed this enough that I'd read the second volume - I'm curious about what was about to be revealed at the end of this volume, and I want to know who and/or what is behind the lightning bolts, but I am hoping the writing gets past the need to turn on the ultra-violence. I think we've got the idea!

#BRZRKRVol1 #NetGalley

The Review

What a truly entertaining and mesmerizing graphic novel. The tone that the authors captured here felt like taking the biggest deep-dives into Marvel and DC’s biggest and grittiest action thriller series and ramping it up to ten notches. The balance found between the intensity of the action sequences and the in-depth character growth was so perfect in this story, and while the artwork (which was so visceral and amazing to see) was definitely raw and intense, the violence spoke to the themes of power corrupting those who wield it and the damage it does to the people or “living weapons” that are wielded by those in power.

The characters were the true driving force behind this narrative. The protagonist, known at the beginning of this story simply as B, was such an engaging character to discover. If someone were to blend Marvel’s Wolverine with DC Comic’s Vandal Savage and inject a hint of magic and action-movie style, they would get B. The interesting character study allows readers to see the brutality that he is born into and that which he causes, and yet the trauma that comes with being used time and time again as nothing more than a weapon, speaking to whether morality and choice are something we are born with or something that must be fought for.

The Verdict

A truly immersive, hauntingly entertaining, and gripping graphic novel, author Matt Kindt and Keanu Reeves’s “BRZRKR” is a must-read story in 2021. The perfect read for those who are looking to find comics outside of the mainstream studios and find a true action experience that fuses mythology, history, and chilling looks into the nature of war as a whole, this narrative ends on an interesting cliffhanger that will continue to draw readers into this universe.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boom Studios for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

BRZRKR Vol 1 was extremely bloody and gory. I found it solid from a technical standpoint, but it also prioritized shock factor over character and plot development.

Art: Ron Garney
Writing/Story: Matt Kindt and Keanu Reeves
Colors: Bill Crabtree
Letterering: Clem Robins

"BRZRKR, Volume 1" (#1-4)
Writers: Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt
Artists: Ron Garney, Bill Crabtree
Publication Date: October 6, 2021

3.5 / 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and BOOM! Studios for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I've gotta say that the cover is definitely red for a reason. We've got a bloody one here, folks.

This is Keanu Reeves' debut into the world of comics, and it certainly makes an impression. We're introduced (mid-battle, of course) to B., who is an immortal warrior that has been fighting through life since ...well, apparently everything. He's currently working with the U.S. government by fighting the battles no one else can fight, and in exchange they are helping to uncover his past, the truth about what he is, and how he can end his life (I guess 80,000 years is just a little too long of an existence).

After a few pages, the gore got to be a little too much for me to be honest, but the promise of the story kept me pulled in. I like that as you read, you find out more and more information along with B. The comic definitely had some groundwork to lay, and that's what this first book felt like. Now that the main premise is laid out and they've exercised as much gratuitous gore as they could, I'm hoping we can really get into a deeper storyline in the next book. The artwork is well done, the action scenes and scenescapes are beautifully detailed. And I loved seeing the alternate covers and additional artwork at the end. In the coming volumes, I'm looking forward to what else we'll be able to uncover about the thousands of years of B.'s life -- what he's encountered in all that time, his viewpoint on seeing the world evolve ...there's so much to unpack there and I hope they deep dive into it.

This book should be a definite read for John Wick/Keanu fans. While it may not be for the faint of heart, this book delves into parts of the "immortal warrior" scenario that are not normally explored ...it kinda gave me a bit of an Old Guard vibe.

Bottom line: I would recommend this book with a side helping of caution for the gore ...because it's bloody good!

This review will be shared on IG @reads.with.joy and on my blog readswithjoy.wordpress.com/

Big fan of Keanu Reeves... and now of his comic. This story was low at the beginning but the deepest we get the most interested we are.

This story about this immortal warrior was really, really amazing, the concept is not new, but it has an interesting twist. The only thing I didn't like was that cliff hanger at the end, i needed more.

And that bunch of alternative covers instead of more story, come on!

4/5
Quality of writing: 4
Plot development: 3
Pace: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of reading: 5

Did I read this because of Keanu Reeves? Yes. Was I surprised? No. Was I blown away? No. Was it super bloody and gory. Yep. Do I need the next volume in the series? YEP.

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley @boom_studios for the ARC in the return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Riveting. Don’t be surprised if you find this violent and bloody - all you need to do is look at the cover and the title! So, I liked it because it was fast paced and the storyline that delved into the mind, body and soul of the immortal protagonist was fascinating. If you like John Wick, then you’ll most likely enjoy this. I really appreciated the artwork and the reality-fiction plot mixed really well. This volume had multiple timelines that was setting you up for the next volumes. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

BRZRKR has an interesting premise, but the first few issues used that premise in a repetitive way. We meet B as he is a mission for the U.S. government where, as an unkillable machine, he brutally murders many. In the subsequent issues we get more views of bloodshed as B unveils his backstory. While the plot does not develop though each of these new scenes of violence Ron Garney's art and Bill Crabtree's colors bring the over the top violence to life.
There has been a lot of media recently about immortal beings grappling with the weight of their history, and the only addition BRZRKR seems to be bringing to the table is the extreme violence of B's nature.
This is the first four of eight issues, so I will probably be finishing out the series because this first arc ends on an intriguing note that will hopefully move it past the one-note feel of these first four issues.

BRZRKR is a fascinating story that dives into the psyche of an immortal protagonist who seeks a reason to continue living rather than simply coasting by. This moral dilemma is fueled by the protagonist's proclivity towards violence in cinematic and gruesome action sequences that speak volumes for how far the hero has fallen from good graces after being inflicted by numerous torturous moments over his lifetime. The artwork feels fresh and exquisite as it blends reality with fiction in a stylish manner. The comic touches on a treasure trove of follow-up stories that can explored after this and I am excited to read more of this anti-hero. With the story playing out over multiple timelines, the narrative keeps up the breakneck pace for a satisfying conclusion of this volume.