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Battlepug #1
Battlepug: Volume 1
The epic tale of blood and drool begins here! Join Molly and her dogs Mingo and Colfax, as she recounts the legend of "The Warrior and the Battlepug" - a tale of a fearless barbarian, his trusty and freakishly large pug, and evil baby harp seals. This volume collects the first year of Mike Norton's Battlepug - the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the fan-favorite webcomic by Mike Norton, Allen Passalaqua, and Crank!
72 pages, Hardcover
First published July 4, 2012
About the author
Mike Norton
568 books41 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Mike Norton has been working in comics for 10 years now, gaining recognition for projects such as The Waiting Place and Jason and the Argobots. In 2001, he became Art Director for Devil's Due Publishing where he drew the first Voltron mini-series. In 2005, he went freelance and has since made a name for himself working on books like Queen and Country, Gravity, Runaways, All-New Atom and Green Arrow/Black Canary.
He is also very, very tall.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Mike Norton has been working in comics for 10 years now, gaining recognition for projects such as The Waiting Place and Jason and the Argobots. In 2001, he became Art Director for Devil's Due Publishing where he drew the first Voltron mini-series. In 2005, he went freelance and has since made a name for himself working on books like Queen and Country, Gravity, Runaways, All-New Atom and Green Arrow/Black Canary.
He is also very, very tall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
April 28, 2013
I have always suspected that baby harp seals were capable of a vicious brutality that certainly merited clubbing. Those big black eyes are pools of pure evil. Battlepug has proven my suspicions correct as it is a giant baby seal that merrily lays waste to an entire Arctic village, leaving only one survivor: a child hellbent on revenge against this monstrous beast. The child grows into a warrior and, as all warriors need a noble steed, it is not long before he discovers the brave animal who will carry him into battle: a giant, wheezing, perpetually happy pug.
This is just a taste of the weirdness that awaits you in Mike Norton's Battlepug. While Norton is best known for more standard comic book fare, this story of a Conan-like warrior carried on his quest for revenge by a battle ready pug is just pure fun. The bizarre and colorful illustrations are often hilarious and always beautiful as they parody comic book stereotypes (such as the muscled and stoic barbarian, the ridiculously buxom and inexplicably nude woman, the mastermind villain whose identity has yet to be discovered by the hero) while simultaneously creating an inventive and imaginative storyline that stands on its own.
So many comic books take their characters and their stories so seriously these days that it's nice to be reminded of what joy can be found in an unbridled imagination.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
This is just a taste of the weirdness that awaits you in Mike Norton's Battlepug. While Norton is best known for more standard comic book fare, this story of a Conan-like warrior carried on his quest for revenge by a battle ready pug is just pure fun. The bizarre and colorful illustrations are often hilarious and always beautiful as they parody comic book stereotypes (such as the muscled and stoic barbarian, the ridiculously buxom and inexplicably nude woman, the mastermind villain whose identity has yet to be discovered by the hero) while simultaneously creating an inventive and imaginative storyline that stands on its own.
So many comic books take their characters and their stories so seriously these days that it's nice to be reminded of what joy can be found in an unbridled imagination.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
November 18, 2014
this has been a roller coaster ride for me, and not in the fun sense.
I bought this because, like most people, the phrase "Battlepug" brings with it all kinds of wonderful images. I bought it online, so didn't realize until it arrived that a third of the cover has a random naked lady on the cover, which usually puts me off. I swallowed my pride, and read it.
And it sorta sucked.
The story itself is a Conan-the-Barbarian type thing which pulls all it's laughs from the horse-sized titular pug, who, besides being wonderfully drawn, has little else going for it. Even the two dogs that Moll - the inexplicably naked lady who narrates the story - is chatting to at least have the added novelty of speech. I have already forgotten our central manly heros name, which is a fair indicator of the impact he made.
Naked ladies is fine. There's lots of good ones around. But if you're going to put her on the cover, there'd better be a narrative-driven reason that she's hanging around posing for the benefit of two tiny dogs. The whole thing looks and acts like a drunken frat-boy drinking game.
It's a bit shit, and gives graphic novels a bad name. I would avoid.
April 24, 2012
To start - the drawing style is great. I really enjoyed the detail and though some characters are unabashedly cartoony (Scribbly, for example) the realism of even the most outlandish ones (the giant killer baby harp seal, for example) is terrific.
However, the story itself is pretty silly. Why is Moll, the narrator naked throughout the entire thing? No reason that I can tell other for the T. and A. factor. Maybe that will be explained in later volimes? Also, why is it that Mingo, Colfax, and even the giant killer toad-witch can speak but the title character - the Battle Pug - cannot? These idiosyncracies are at best mildly annoying for someone like myself who, if not immediately captivated by the story will harp on and be distracted by the small things.
Overall, the story of the quiet, doll loving young Eskimo boy who grows up to be a Conan the Barbarian inspired revenge machine was engrossing enough to keep me reading through to the end, though I am not sure if it was engrossing enough to keep me as a reader for the duration of the series.
However, the story itself is pretty silly. Why is Moll, the narrator naked throughout the entire thing? No reason that I can tell other for the T. and A. factor. Maybe that will be explained in later volimes? Also, why is it that Mingo, Colfax, and even the giant killer toad-witch can speak but the title character - the Battle Pug - cannot? These idiosyncracies are at best mildly annoying for someone like myself who, if not immediately captivated by the story will harp on and be distracted by the small things.
Overall, the story of the quiet, doll loving young Eskimo boy who grows up to be a Conan the Barbarian inspired revenge machine was engrossing enough to keep me reading through to the end, though I am not sure if it was engrossing enough to keep me as a reader for the duration of the series.
Read
January 1, 2013This comic features a barbarian warrior riding a giant pug, and a village destroyed by a rampaging baby seal the size of a small mountain. There's really nothing I can add to that.
December 12, 2019
Amazingly the BEST EVER I LOVE BATTLEPUG!
April 6, 2018
The story only picks up toward the end, and I have no idea why a naked woman is telling this story to two sentient dogs. Still, I did like that Santa is an evil despot forcing propaganda about himself to be circulated via his slaves.
March 23, 2019
Sometimes you just want something simple:
and the naked lady tells a story about Conan and his giant pug seems like a simple story.
and the naked lady tells a story about Conan and his giant pug seems like a simple story.
May 27, 2012
ARC provided by NetGalley
Our story beings like every great story does, up in the cold north where a young child whose village has been destroyed by a giant seal is rescued by an evil elf overlord. The child grows up in captivity but becomes strong till the day he wins his freedom and seeks revenge on those that destroyed his village. The young child, now a barbarian warrior, is adopted by a mighty battle pug and a Scribbly. Together they begin an adventure like no other as they seek out the evil in the world and to bash things with swords.
I’ve been following this webcomic since it started and I’m glad that Dark Horse is publishing the first volume of this great adventure. Does this comic have stereotypes? Sure what comic doesn’t? Does it have gratuitous T and A and big muscular men? Sure...mostly because the author is parodying other comics and not taking this too seriously. The story has some fantastic characters and some hilarious scenes in it, such as the pug chasing after a thrown sword and returning with it to kill the witch toad. But what I really like about this work is the pacing of the story. We’re being told the story by Molly,our narrator, to two young pups Mingo and Colfax, and every so often they pop back into the story with commentary about what’s going on and demanding to know what’s coming next. And I love that interaction of seeing the pups get excited about the story and wanting to know what comes next. It helps me get into the story more.
I think I love the artwork a bit more than I like story (just a bit though.) Mike’s character designs are entertaining and varied. Yes there’s the big barbarian with muscles on top of muscles, but there are also characters that are more the average joe, skinny and wiry, but full of energy and fight. And Mike has a great eye for detail, capturing just enough of the background to hold our attention and place the story, without overwhelming the reader. And the colors are spot on perfect as well.
This is good old fashioned, rip roaring adventure that has a bit of something for everyone and I can’t wait to read more of the story. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars.
Our story beings like every great story does, up in the cold north where a young child whose village has been destroyed by a giant seal is rescued by an evil elf overlord. The child grows up in captivity but becomes strong till the day he wins his freedom and seeks revenge on those that destroyed his village. The young child, now a barbarian warrior, is adopted by a mighty battle pug and a Scribbly. Together they begin an adventure like no other as they seek out the evil in the world and to bash things with swords.
I’ve been following this webcomic since it started and I’m glad that Dark Horse is publishing the first volume of this great adventure. Does this comic have stereotypes? Sure what comic doesn’t? Does it have gratuitous T and A and big muscular men? Sure...mostly because the author is parodying other comics and not taking this too seriously. The story has some fantastic characters and some hilarious scenes in it, such as the pug chasing after a thrown sword and returning with it to kill the witch toad. But what I really like about this work is the pacing of the story. We’re being told the story by Molly,our narrator, to two young pups Mingo and Colfax, and every so often they pop back into the story with commentary about what’s going on and demanding to know what’s coming next. And I love that interaction of seeing the pups get excited about the story and wanting to know what comes next. It helps me get into the story more.
I think I love the artwork a bit more than I like story (just a bit though.) Mike’s character designs are entertaining and varied. Yes there’s the big barbarian with muscles on top of muscles, but there are also characters that are more the average joe, skinny and wiry, but full of energy and fight. And Mike has a great eye for detail, capturing just enough of the background to hold our attention and place the story, without overwhelming the reader. And the colors are spot on perfect as well.
This is good old fashioned, rip roaring adventure that has a bit of something for everyone and I can’t wait to read more of the story. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars.
December 20, 2015
The illustrations and witty banter are what make this story a delight to consume. Watch the facial expressions and pay attention to side conversations and you will enjoy this graphic novel for more than the main story line, which is relatively predictable. Allow the absurdities to take you away and enjoy giggling with nearly every page turn.
July 15, 2016
I've been meaning to read Battlepug for a while now, and it took our discussion of this on our July webcomics episode (http://comicsalternative.com/webcomic...) to get me to finally get to this. What a fun series!
January 17, 2016
Cute! Simple but beautiful artwork and adorable characters.
June 28, 2017
This was weird but entertaining. I got it in a Loot Crate awhile back but just recently picked it up. From what I gather, it's based on a web comic. It features a warrior who rides a giant pug and hunts down giant killer baby seals. Like I said, it's bizarre but it was a super quick read, and it was funny.
September 9, 2019
Bayıldım :) Conan'ı çok seviyorum. Yenilmez savaşçımızı alıp popüler kültürün acayiplikleriyle dolu bir dünyaya atmışlar gibi. Parodi havasına rağmen wordbuildinge önem verilmesi fantezi hayranı olduğum için çok hoşuma gitti. Mutlaka okumalısınız. İyi ki webcomicler var! Battlepug'ı kendi sitesinden ücretsiz olarak okuyabilirsiniz.
October 8, 2019
I own a pug! So naturally when I discovered there was a graphic novel with a pug as its hero, I had to buy it. And not just an ordinary pug, but a massive pug, a Battlepug!! This was very cute. The plot is pretty typical: Battlepug and our warrior fight baddies. But I love any and all pug imagery. Naturally I will continue with this series.
August 28, 2024
Recent Reads: Battlepug. The first collection of Mike Norton's webcomic. Orphaned by a cute giant baby seal, an un-named barbarian must travel the world looking for revenge, alone. Until he meets the Battlepug, his partner in swords and sorcery. A deliciously mad homage to Conan.
May 6, 2017
I mean, duh.
January 6, 2018
It was glorious.
August 27, 2018
Very well drawn, but I don't find its affectations affecting. Maybe my general lack of interest in barbarians and dogs predisposes me to a lack of caring.
March 16, 2019
This was surprisingly hilarious!!
Read
September 27, 2019Why's the french bulldog gotta be so mean?
December 19, 2019
The story is interesting so far, I'm curious to see what happens next. I love the art style, the dogs are cute and the size of the main character's feet compared to his body makes me laugh.
March 15, 2020
Its a pug.
In battle! So it's a 4 star.
In battle! So it's a 4 star.
April 12, 2020
3.5 stars. Super fun. Very funny.
May 20, 2020
I thought it would be funnier
September 27, 2020
Such a fun and imaginative read! Very accurate pug portrayal, I have a snort-er myself.
December 31, 2020
Good, silly fun.
January 12, 2023
It was... fine?
October 7, 2024
Fun read
September 16, 2016
*snort*
The muscle man killed Santa Claus and found a trusty steed, a humongous pug. What's not to love?
The muscle man killed Santa Claus and found a trusty steed, a humongous pug. What's not to love?
February 19, 2013
This book was first passed along to me by a co-worker, who thought I would enjoy it. Truth be told, I did, although not due to the not at all dressed woman on the front, who does actually play a central role in the story. I will explain.
The woman on the front goes by the name of Moll, a stripped Scheherazade, who dwells in a tower chamber high above some unnamed city. Her only companions are two talking pugs- Colfax and Mingo- who are regularly told a story by their mistress. The story that Moll selects for them is the story of a warrior and his battlepug, a man who has known nothing but hardship, abuse, and tragedy but who has an almost unprecedented will to survive and a large dog who bonds with him almost immediately, much to the warrior's irritation.
Truth be told, I liked it almost immediately, and am eagerly anticipating more. The book blends together the serious and the silly so flawlessly that they don't seem to clash in the way you'd expect, along with thrills, action, and one of the most spectacular spills I've ever seen. I would easily call it an adventure on the level of The Princess Bride, and just as worth a read. There's only one volume in print now, but the entirety of the comic is available in webcomic format at www.battlepug.com
The woman on the front goes by the name of Moll, a stripped Scheherazade, who dwells in a tower chamber high above some unnamed city. Her only companions are two talking pugs- Colfax and Mingo- who are regularly told a story by their mistress. The story that Moll selects for them is the story of a warrior and his battlepug, a man who has known nothing but hardship, abuse, and tragedy but who has an almost unprecedented will to survive and a large dog who bonds with him almost immediately, much to the warrior's irritation.
Truth be told, I liked it almost immediately, and am eagerly anticipating more. The book blends together the serious and the silly so flawlessly that they don't seem to clash in the way you'd expect, along with thrills, action, and one of the most spectacular spills I've ever seen. I would easily call it an adventure on the level of The Princess Bride, and just as worth a read. There's only one volume in print now, but the entirety of the comic is available in webcomic format at www.battlepug.com
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews