Barbaric Vol. 4: Born in Blood

Barbaric (collected editions) #4

by Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden (Artist), Fabi Marques (Colorist)

As one of Entertainment Weekly’s “10 Best Comics,” BARBARIC – featuring Owen the Barbarian and his bloodthirsty companion Axe – begins again … back in blood and badder than ever with BARBARIC Vol. 4: Born in Blood!Voted as one of the best comics by Entertainment Weekly, Thrillist, and Screen Rant, bestselling BARBARIC is back and ready to spill some secrets – along with a lot of blood – in Barbaric Volume 4: Born in Blood! A new era of Barbaric begins! We did it! You know, the thing everyone says they’re doing, even when they’re lying through their a genuinely good jumping on point. How, you ask? Well, it all starts with a compelling new bad guy. Meet the new big Orrick, the tortured barbarian now turned master torturer, will take us deep into Owen’s past, revealing secrets that should have stayed buried…like Axe in a chest cavity slurping up that sweet, delicious blood. Will the cursed-to-do-good barbarian finally do some actual good? Probably not! But some much worse guys will almost certainly lose their heads. Yummy! For fans of BRZRKR!, The Witcher, Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, Heathen, Rat Queens, Kings of the Wyld, and Dungeons and Dragons! BARBARIC Volume 4: Born in Blood collects the entire fourth, completely beserk, 3-issue miniseries! It’s just … BARBARIC! From writer Michael Moreci (Wasted Space, The Plot, Spree, and Revealer) and artist Nathan C. Gooden (Brandon Sanderson's Dark One, The RUSH, The Masquerade)! Own a whole lot of Owen, Axe, and the BARBARIC universe Barbaric Vol. 1: Murderable Offenses (hardcover) Barbaric Vol. 1: Murderable Offenses (trade paperback) Barbaric Vol. 2: Axe to Grind (trade paperback) Barbaric Vol. 3: Hell to Pay (trade paperback) Queen of A Barbaric Tale (trade paperback) Barbaric Vol. 4: Born in Blood (trade paperback) PRAISE FOR BARBARIC "... fantastic!" - Alex Segura (Award-winning and bestselling author of Secret Identity) "This book is seriously great. Do not miss out!" Darick Robertson (Artist, Co-Creator of The BOYS, Co-Exec Producer)

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics

176 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2024

About the author

Michael Moreci is a bestselling comics author and novelist. His original works include the space adventure novels Black Star Renegades and We Are Mayhem, as well as the comic series Wasted Space, The Plot, Hexagon, Curse, Archangel 8, and more. The Plot appeared on numerous best of 2019 lists, and Wasted Space has been hailed as one of the best comics of the past decade. Moreci's comic trilogy Roche Limit was called one of the best sci-fi comics of all-time by Paste Magazine, and Black Star Renegades was an Audie Award finalist for best sci-fi of 2018.

Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.

He lives outside Chicago with his family.

Reviews

[Jason Waltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

main story was fun, some terrific plot lines, great bloody action, funny one-liners. Steel finally mans-up. deadly things happen, werewolves and aliens and evil magic, and ends with a quest for better magic.

extra extraneous story was okay. started fun, went sorta dumb, but that was its point, so...

this overall character premise could make a decent novel.

[Andres Pasten · Rating 3 out of 5]

el especial al final, baja un poco el nivel

[b · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in singles. I like the talking weapon, I like the art, I like the writing itself. Nothing revolutionary, but when something’s good, it’s good! I might pick up the earlier volumes now, but was glad it was easy enough to hop in where I did.

[Mjhancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 4 of Barbaric sees Owen and co. making a detour into Owen's homeland of the barbarians, to see why the barbarians are violating their old pacts to protect the peoples of the plain. Once there, they find a new tribe leader and a new sorcerer advisor are pushing their own views on what these people should be. And in the bonus issue, we have a crossover with Deathstalker.

I liked this, for the most part. After the running around in the afterlife of the past volume, this volume is somewhat of a return to basics, paring the cast down to a core set--you basically have Owen, Steel, Ax, and Thoren, and the barbarian baddies. It's kind of a stock sword-and-sorcery plot too: the barbarian comes home to find things aren't what they used to be, and has to take the tribe from the new, distorted view. It works; there's a condemnation of the old ways and a recognition of the patterns of cruelty they enforced, but also a critique of how the new is still based on the old. The Deathstalker adventure is fun too, if feeling more inconsequential; I don't know the character, but he's a reasonable enough foil for Owen. There are some good quips, some breathtaking violence, character moments, and deeper themes--it's what I'm looking for from this series.

[Country Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbaric: Born By Blood is the fourth book in the series involving Owen our MMC and Axe. If you are new to the series Owen is our resident barbarian, and Axe is his magical axe that talks to him as he journeys through the books. Axe is one of my favorite characters in this insider book the things he says are hilarious. Soren also accompanies Owen in this book, and they come across a tribe called the Kentembu. We get to as a reader see the origins of Owen becoming a barbarian in this book which I found very interesting. As a reader you always wonder the characters origins in this is a great origins story for Owen.
I think the title of the book “born by blood” is very fitting as well with this particular volume. I also love how this particular book introduces another new character named death stalker which is another character coming to the Vault comics that I will actually be talking about later this week, so I won’t go too much into that particular character right now. The story is highly engaging as most of the barbaric novels are and this was a another great addition to the barbaric comics overall.

[Niche · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book blurb hints that there's some big reveal of Owen's past... it didn't feel like it. I guess it interrogates (the antagonist's a torturer!) the concept of the barbarian clans and their spartan if not just abusive rearing of children to be violent peacekeepers for the region. I didn't find Orrick particularly entertaining, and as such, that kind of weighed down my opinion of it. There's strong implications that Axe is ancient magic and the gang goes to investigate Axe and the curse by meeting with an ancient sage/hero/god. All-in-all, it was breadcrumbs more than reveals and is setting up for them going on a quest to get answers in the next volume.

There's a second story at the end where Owen and Soren are summoned by a wizard into a duel to determine who he will make his thrall. The pairs opponent is Deathstalker, who is indeed apparently based on the pulp movie from the '80s that Vault Comics did a series about in 2024. This has Owen, Axe, and Soren sharing more screen time and their interactions are a big part of the charm of the series for me, so this story brought the rating back up.

[B.J. Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

BARBARIC is a nostalgic throwback to old sword and sorcery stories, with added elements of blood, guts, and nudity. It's intended for an adult audience. "BORN IN BLOOD" consists of all three issues from the fourth miniseries and the one-shot crossover issue BARBARIC vs. DEATHSTALKER. In terms of the story, it's pretty decent for the genre. It has just enough energy and fun moments to keep you turning the pages. The illustrations are vivid, bloody, and gory, and they enhance the story 100%. Overall, I had a great time reading BARBARIC: BORN IN BLOOD. If you're a fan of '80s sword and sorcery, you'll probably love it too. ╌★★★★★

[Jame_EReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

👧🏻reviews: I never read the first three comics before and I didn’t feel the need to search and understand the storyline. It was an easy read that basically read as a standalone and love the vivid graphics, colorful illustrations and pretty decent story. I like the actions and the characters too. I am compelled to read the first three comics if I were given the opportunity because I simply enjoy Vault Comics more so than other comics. As always I enjoy a good and entertaining comics to de-stress from overwhelming homework.

[Zedsdead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, nothing really happens, each volume feels the same at this point. Owen et al are no closer to the big battle with Gladius than they were in v2.

There are still fun moments--Owen's response to Soren's response to Owen's dismay at having to fight mere women; everything Axe says and does--but Barbaric keeps treading water. Bowing out.

[Trevor ComicFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

79

I keep buying these volumes hoping they will be as good as the first one. Art felt a little rushed and the story was just fine. I will continue the series, but definitely be getting them from the library from now on. The funniest issue was the one shot at the end.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing much new here in volume 4 but still fun. Owen and Soren return to Owen's home to find out his barbarian clan isn't protecting the other tribes they pledged to. Why not is a bit telegraphed early on.

[Peter Melancon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this graphic novel gives us more backstory on the Barbarian and his tribe, the book leaves it open for more stories and I was a little iffy on reading it because there has not been any other books released so far. I'm crossing my fingers that we get more adventures!

[McJankers · Rating 4 out of 5]

First volume I've read. Now I gotta get the previous three. Great fun stuff!

[Steve Dombroskie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I'm out of order but my first dip into Barbaric. Love it!

[Christoph Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the single books. Also have the Zoop exclusive run.

Lots of blood, a good background story uncovered... and teases more blood!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every volume of this series just gets better and better. The blood-thirsty humor of Axe is back and better than ever. I’m really enjoying the epic adventure that Owen, Soren, Axe, and Steel have been on.

The art is the perfect vibes for a fantasy story and keeps you hooked and engaged in the action happening across the pages. Things get bloody and the art team captures it all perfectly.

Thank you to Vault Comics for my copy of the graphic novel. All thoughts are my own.

[Mee Too · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this whole volume is a back story I'm gonna be bummed 🙁

Theres no value in trying to add depth to this story, there is no depth, just blood and violence.

You might then think it’s no good, and yet they are incredibly good. They are just fun nonsensical violence and i can’t get enough. Bring on vol 5

3.7✨