This wasn’t for me. The idea behind the comic is interesting but the execution was simply not that great. This is a blood and guts comic and so we are treated to scenes of carnage and blood letting. This happens for most of the story as we get to learn about the BRZRKR and how he came into being. He was created and is now being used by the US Government and we get to explore his past which is mostly battles. It does seem as if the story will improve with other volumes, hopefully.

This is a spoiler free review.

BRZRKR Vol. 1 is an awesome graphic novel. This collection includes BRZRKR issues 1-4. When I started to read BRZRKR I didn't know anything about it except that Keanu Reeves is one of the writers. I figured if Ted Theodore Logan wrote a comic book, I had to read it. I was really surprised how good the story was and couldn't put these comics down.

A man known as B is the hero of our story. He's a Demigod, half-mortal and half-god. B is also a wondering immortal. A ronin, in search of answers. The fun part is B is drawn to look like Keanu Reeves, which is entertaining.

BRZRKR takes place during two time periods, modern time and also during long flashbacks where we get to see B's early life and how his destructive nature began. He is truly a violent, brutal, destructive weapon and the story shows us how conflicted his violent rages make him. B is a destructive force but it bothers him greatly to be used as a tool for the gain others. B has to let out his destructive gifts to satiate himself like you need to quench your thirst or satisfy other cravings.

These comic books are very violent. They are similar to the original Evil Dead / Army of Darkness movies on that level of violence and blood except without any of the slapstick humor. This story is hardcore violent and really serious and dramatic. Very similar to Frank Miller's 300 comic series. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I can see this graphic novel not being for everyone. If you enjoy horror stories that also include a good intriguing story then you will enjoy BRZRKR.

Despite all the blood and gore in BRZRKR there are some heart warming and tragic scenes that help shape our hero. We get to know his parents and get to see how each of them shapes B into the immortal ronin he is today. The story is also very engaging, fast paced, and will draw you in.

Stay awesome and keep reading!


BRZRKR Vol. 1

Creative Team:

Co-written by Keanu Reeves

Co-written by Matt Kindt

Illustrated by Ron Garney

3.5*

Thank you Netgalley and Boom! Studios for letting me read a free copy for an honest review. You da best.

Now, my review of this graphic novel is by no means a reflection on Keanu Reeves as a person, nor the calibre of his talent. He's the internet's sweetheart and I defy anyone to try and to say a bad word about him.
You can't. It's impossible. He's just too nice.

Now on to my honest thoughts on this comic book.
First impression, I liked it. It reminded me a lot of The Old Guard. There's this thousands of years old immortal badass, something of an assassin, sent out to kill certain people. He can get hurt, he can even die, but he'll always heal. And he's so tired of this shit.
I thought it was really cool and awesomely gruesome. The level is violence is far greater than any comic book I've ever read. There's just so much of it.

I will say that this did feel too much like an introduction though. Like it's setting up for the next volume where things really kick-off, but it never quite reaches it in this volume.
Volume one is mostly the backstop of the character. Some of the dialogue felt a little redundant, repeating the same ideas and exploring the same concepts, (after all, for a killing machine to recall his long history of killing, it inevitably will start to all feel the same). I got the just of his backstory pretty quickly and once I understood his past, all I wanted to see was his present, or rather his imminent future. I wanted to see how he would mice forward and possibly take back control of his life. However, I feel there are too many pages of the dude remembering stuff and telling his therapist that he remembers. But all this being said, I actually think that now we have the backstory established and out the way, the next volume has the potential to be mega, and I'll definitely check it out.

I know people are moaning about this, but I actually really liked the fact that the main character looked a lot like Keanu himself. Why the fuck not? It makes it incredibly easy to visualise this as a movie. I like to sort of watch books play out in my head like movies, even comics which are already so visual, so the use of the actor's likeness was appreciated by me. And I thought it was pretty clever tbh. If this does get optioned as a movie, it literally comes with its own lead actor.

Gorgeous artwork and a great beginning story, but there just wasn't enough meat here for a complete 5 star. Not much happens though we are introduced to the main character and his government handlers. Again, great art, promising vision for a terrific series, but not much happens. Still has me eager to read more though.

This was entertaining, if a bit shallow. Very over the top levels of violence and gore, so be aware of that going in. I enjoyed the distant past / caveman stuff much more than I expected to.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Aah, yes, the comic every Keanu Reeves fan across the planet has been clamouring to read. Moronically titled BRZRKR, it's been hilarious watching everyone struggle to spell it; is it BRZKR? BZKR? BRZRK? What a kerfuffle!

A mindless exercise in eyeball-gouging and horse-head-ripping, this was underwhelming and plain. The excessive gore grew tiring by the third page and it even grew tired of itself; by the second issue the artist was repeating the same old fight scenes again and again. There’s only so many times you can see an animal’s head being ripped clean off before you start laughing at how stupidly unrealistic the idea of that is.

And this comic required you to suspend all beliefs in so many laughable ways. My favourite bit to chuckle at was the lighting strike bouncing off the floor and hitting the woman at the exact entry point of her lower body private part, causing her to become pregnant. That’s just... what?! Keanu Reeves put his <i>name </i>on this piece of joke? I’d be embarrassed.

The narration started out as irritatingly unforthcoming and then devolved into an unwanted fountain of explanation. The exposition was the entire plot and the backstory was so uninspired, it was like something you’d seen many a time in terribly reviewed old movies.

It took me only thirty minutes to get through this and there wasn’t a single second in which my interest was even slightly piqued except for when I literally reached the final panel on the final page.

If anything, it’s sad to see that plastering Keanu Reeves face on something doesn’t guarantee it’ll be anything more than the sort of content mindless, brainless action-lovers with no respect for plot or depth would love.

This was a really good read that sucked me in from beginning to end. The story unfolded in such a way that keeps a reader going, the art style brings to mind graphic novels by Frank Millar like 300. A solid debut that explores memory loss, autonomy, history, identity, and family. Reeves and team definitely have what is shaping up to be a great series.

The story was fast paced and moved quickly. It centered on a "man" identified as "B" who is essentially an instrument of destruction for the United States military. The secondary storyline that runs parallel to the maiming and killing, is of "B" and a scientist trying to understand exactly what and who he is. The dialog was minimal, but I liked that the text was telling a different story than the images in the first chapter of the story. The artwork was VERY gory and at times it was difficult to tell what was happening due to the blood/tissue/body part splatter. The illustrations were well done and sufficiently advanced the plot, but some panels were too busy and unclear. I loved the insertion of addition cover options for the first and second printings as well as the inclusion of covers for future editions. The cover typically gets more attention than the panels, and I found them to be extremely well done and quite beautiful. I think many comic fans will be interested in this book due to Keanu Reeves involvement. While the plot line was interesting and left off with an intriguing cliff-hanger, I found the gore and violence difficult to stomach although this could be a matter of taste..

I didn't get a chance to read through the comic before it was archived. The few pages a read, the comic style is beautiful and the plot seemed intriguing.

For a debut work Brzrkr is definitely a work of art

BRZRKR first came to my attention when I signed up for a book expo. Keanu Reeves and others were scheduled to talk about the graphic novel coming out. I have admired Keanu as an actor for a very long time. To see someone so accomplished so excited about a project that is a passion, was really inspiring. When he talked about the process of creating this work, you could feel the anticipation growing.

I was very excited to get an advance copy of BRZRKR. The book did not disappoint. It was amazing. The art and story are fantastic! I can wait to find out more about Unute and how he can finally be happy and get away from the violence that he was created for.

Matt Kindt crafts a vivid story with blood-spattered details. A true action hero volume, with a bracing and jarring story. The book is very cinematic and high-energy entertainment.

Thanks to Netgalley and BOOM! Studios for the opportunity to read this! I'm a huge Keanu Reeves fan, so I really enjoyed reading this and having a character designed off of him. This was well written and action packed! Great start to a new comic series!

I received a copy of this Graphic Novel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a super fan of Keanu Reeves I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check this out. The artwork was spectacular. The story superb. I could not stop reading this and between the graphics and the story I was transported within the world being laid before me.

Truly fantastic read.

With a big name like Keanu Reeves attached to a project, was naturally intrigued. Unfortunately this title fell short of my expectations and whilst being an interesting read I struggled to care about the wrecking ball of a main character and it quickly because forgettable as soon as I’d finished. I think there is a potential for the story to evolve in later issues but for an opening act it didn’t leave me wanting to discover more.

First, thank you BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

BRZRKR Vol. 1 is an incredibly violent, gritty story following an immortal being who has been seen and used as a weapon his entire life - all 80,000 years of it (and counting). I think this first volume explored enough that fans of Reeves will be invested in what's to come, but I don't think it did enough for the average comic reader to want to continue.

There's a neat concept in all this gore, but we only get a hint of it here.

Gore-filled pages of gritty artwork are the perfect companion to this dark story. I am intrigued by the shady conversations happening behind closed doors in the midst of all the violence and I can't wait to read the next volume to find out what the doctor will confess.

Content warning: extreme violence

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brutal, Bloody and a mix of John Wick and the ago old tale of the wandering immortal, can’t wait to see it on Netflix

The man known only as B. is a half-mortal and half-God. He has been wandering the world for centuries and is currently working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else.

BRZRKR is Keanu Reeves comic book writing debut. He is helped out by New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Grass Kings) and legendary artist Ron Garney (Wolverine). The book was a kickstarter back in 2020 and honestly feels like that kind of comic. Made to appease the crowd sourcing world by riding on the back of a well known Hollywood action hero name like Keanu Reeves. You can picture the droves of people who would have been happy to spend $125 US for the deluxe edition of a comic with Keanu Reeves name attached.

The art is brilliant, violent and gory. Its one of the redeeming features of this comic book. The writing is honestly a little blah. This comic offers little in the way of an engaging, new story. The ultimate let down is that I can get this kind of story reading Wolverine or any other number of comic already out there with greater storytelling driving the ship.

I've had a copy of this requested with the library since I found out about it and I can't wait for it to come in. I am a sucker for anything involving Keanu Reeves so I had to read this. The art is amazing and the story itself; I am interested in. I just wish this volume was a little longer but I'll definitely be reading future ones too. This is very gory and bloody but honestly that's why I read it. You can tell from the cover that it's going to be dark and it delivers.

Unfortunately this didn't do it for me. The story isn't the main focus here but the small fragments of plot we got, were kind of interesting though a bit unoriginal (Wolverine's shadow looms over Brzrkr). The art was ok but for me the main character's resemblance of the real life Keanu hindered the experience. The themes of family, immortality, colonisation were very epidermically touched on and didn't have an impact on me. And finally the gore.. Yes it was violent and gory but that on it's own isn't a saving grace (at least not for me). I enjoy a dark and violent read but not just for the shake of it. It needs to integrate with the story and that wasn't the case here in my opinion.
Maybe there's a good story to be told here but based on the first chapters I'm not very optimistic.

Thanks to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for this ARC.