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Head Lopper (Collected Editions) #1
Head Lopper, Vol. 1: The Island or A Plague of Beasts
The Head Lopper, Norgal, and the nagging severed head of Agatha Blue Witch arrive on the Isle of Barra to find it overrun with beasts; minions of the Sorcerer of the Black Bog. When Queen Abigail hires Norgal and Agatha to slay the Sorcerer, our heroes trek across the island relieving the horrors of their heads - and playing right into the hands of a master manipulator.
Collects issues 1 through 4.
Collects issues 1 through 4.
280 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2015
54 people are currently reading
1824 people want to read
About the author
Andrew MacLean
74 books150 followersMassachusetts based comic artist, Andrew R. MacLean is the creator of the SNIP SNIP, Head Lopper, and Daruma. His work can also be found in Department O, Colonial Souls, Meatspace, Outlaw Territories, Bad Karma, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
June 28, 2020
I really enjoyed this. Take Mike Mignola, some David Rubin, and a little Jeff Smith put them in a blender, hit puree and you have Head Lopper. Head Lopper is the story of Norgal, a guy who goes around lopping the heads off giant monsters. With him is Agatha Blue Witch, or at least her head. Norgal chopped her head off but she is too stubborn to die. She provides the comic relief in the book as she perplexes the bejesus out of Norgal, but is too dangerous to leave behind. The star here is the action sequences, done very well and very extensively.
October 20, 2016
The Isle of Barra is menaced with hideous monsters and a dark sorcerer who wants to kill the Queen – enter the white-haired barbarian Norgal the Head Lopper and his severed talking head, Agatha Blue Witch, who’s hired to save the kingdom! Hello, Generic Fantasy Plot? We need to recycle you for this book!
Andrew MacLean’s swords and sorcery comic Head Lopper is a bit crap. MacLean’s art is interesting – think a cross between Mike Mignola and Michael Avon Oeming’s styles – but like a lot of artists who try to do it all, he falls down with the writing.
Head Lopper is a bit too invincible for his own good. Hellboy had a similar problem but the things he fought and places he went were exotic and curious enough to hold the reader’s attention. MacLean adopts the same tack too which is why Head Lopper’s adventures on Barra are the best thing about the comic.
The fighting is extravagant and over-the-top (the reason why each of the issues is so long) and the constantly-changing environs are eye-catching, like the purple Heaven’s Causeway (basically Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland but in the sky!), thanks in large part to Mike Spicer’s attractive colouring. While it certainly lives up to its title, the near-constant fantasy violence does get very played out after a while though thanks to the 250-page length.
It’d be better if the book was just about Head Lopper because every time he’s not on the page in some cool new place fighting some giant monster things get really dull. MacLean tries for a Gormenghast/Game of Thrones-type storyline of court intrigues that’s beyond his abilities to make compelling.
The Steward of Barra is plotting revenge, the Sorcerer of the Black Bog is also up to stuff, the Abbott is corrupt and after more riches, and there are a pair of stoner twins who smoke up and watch Head Lopper from a distance for no reason. I didn’t care about these characters or what they were after so whenever the focus shifted to them, the book draaaagged!
It’s not helped that things become extremely banal with the stereotypical hero vs villain fight at the end where we find out – spoiler but not really because it’s so broad and conventional - the villain wants powah, so much powah! Real original motivation buddy … And wow do Agatha’s bad jokes get annoying fast! It’s like those times when C-3PO got beheaded and started in on the puns only it goes on longer.
Head Lopper is a visual treat but the writing and storytelling is lacking. Andrew MacLean doesn’t have anything unique to offer the fantasy genre, utilising the same archetypical characters and setups anyone familiar with these kinds of stories will have seen a thousand times before - Head Lopper is your standard swords and sorcery guff rehashed again.
Andrew MacLean’s swords and sorcery comic Head Lopper is a bit crap. MacLean’s art is interesting – think a cross between Mike Mignola and Michael Avon Oeming’s styles – but like a lot of artists who try to do it all, he falls down with the writing.
Head Lopper is a bit too invincible for his own good. Hellboy had a similar problem but the things he fought and places he went were exotic and curious enough to hold the reader’s attention. MacLean adopts the same tack too which is why Head Lopper’s adventures on Barra are the best thing about the comic.
The fighting is extravagant and over-the-top (the reason why each of the issues is so long) and the constantly-changing environs are eye-catching, like the purple Heaven’s Causeway (basically Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland but in the sky!), thanks in large part to Mike Spicer’s attractive colouring. While it certainly lives up to its title, the near-constant fantasy violence does get very played out after a while though thanks to the 250-page length.
It’d be better if the book was just about Head Lopper because every time he’s not on the page in some cool new place fighting some giant monster things get really dull. MacLean tries for a Gormenghast/Game of Thrones-type storyline of court intrigues that’s beyond his abilities to make compelling.
The Steward of Barra is plotting revenge, the Sorcerer of the Black Bog is also up to stuff, the Abbott is corrupt and after more riches, and there are a pair of stoner twins who smoke up and watch Head Lopper from a distance for no reason. I didn’t care about these characters or what they were after so whenever the focus shifted to them, the book draaaagged!
It’s not helped that things become extremely banal with the stereotypical hero vs villain fight at the end where we find out – spoiler but not really because it’s so broad and conventional - the villain wants powah, so much powah! Real original motivation buddy … And wow do Agatha’s bad jokes get annoying fast! It’s like those times when C-3PO got beheaded and started in on the puns only it goes on longer.
Head Lopper is a visual treat but the writing and storytelling is lacking. Andrew MacLean doesn’t have anything unique to offer the fantasy genre, utilising the same archetypical characters and setups anyone familiar with these kinds of stories will have seen a thousand times before - Head Lopper is your standard swords and sorcery guff rehashed again.
June 22, 2016
A fun little book, that one. Head Lopper is about a huge guy with a beard, who swings his sword and cuts off his enemies' heads. Hence the title. But you should call him Norgal. He travels with Agatha, the severed head of a witch, and they fight evil and stuff.
Head Lopper isn't overly deep, to be sure, but it's fun. there are some great jokes and some priceless dialogue (mostly between Agatha and any other character), and the artwork is beautiful. The action is the heart of the book, though, and it's done really well. Gory, fast-paced and very imaginative, the action in Head Lopper is never boring. The book is very obviously inspired by Hellboy in theme, style and structure, so if you're a fan of Mike Mignola's book, you will most likely enjoy this, too.
I will add, I have read the series in single issues, but the trade paperback, which will come out in October, should also feature some bonus comics. I will have to pick this up, but for now, the four issues of the series are still worth reading, they are very good.
Head Lopper isn't overly deep, to be sure, but it's fun. there are some great jokes and some priceless dialogue (mostly between Agatha and any other character), and the artwork is beautiful. The action is the heart of the book, though, and it's done really well. Gory, fast-paced and very imaginative, the action in Head Lopper is never boring. The book is very obviously inspired by Hellboy in theme, style and structure, so if you're a fan of Mike Mignola's book, you will most likely enjoy this, too.
I will add, I have read the series in single issues, but the trade paperback, which will come out in October, should also feature some bonus comics. I will have to pick this up, but for now, the four issues of the series are still worth reading, they are very good.
April 9, 2017
Sooooo much fun! I loved this and didn't want to put it down.
I would compare this mostly to Samurai Jack, but executed better. It also has influences of Mignola's work which I adore.
It's about Norgal the executioner son of the Minotaur also known as HEAD LOPPER! "Norgal will be fine!"
It has such a great simple but intelligent tone and fantastic artwork. For the first volume there are nearly 300 pages and I pray they make this an ongoing series.
I would compare this mostly to Samurai Jack, but executed better. It also has influences of Mignola's work which I adore.
It's about Norgal the executioner son of the Minotaur also known as HEAD LOPPER! "Norgal will be fine!"
It has such a great simple but intelligent tone and fantastic artwork. For the first volume there are nearly 300 pages and I pray they make this an ongoing series.
April 8, 2020
There was a lot to like in this book. The art reminds me of Mike Mignola's style. Given the fantastic setting and some of the weird stuff that happens, that is really fitting. The story ventures into some very ridiculous moments. But that just made it more fun for me to read. I particularly enjoyed the moments with the head of the blue witch egging Norgal on and generally making his life hell.
I wasn't completely sold on the bad guy though. The servant to the royal family that tries to seize control is a trope that has been done to death. Thankfully, that seemed to take a back seat to some of the other elements of the book. Would definitely read more of this character.
I wasn't completely sold on the bad guy though. The servant to the royal family that tries to seize control is a trope that has been done to death. Thankfully, that seemed to take a back seat to some of the other elements of the book. Would definitely read more of this character.
January 2, 2017
It's pretty and bright with an art style that falls somewhere between Adventure Time and Hellboy, but there wasn't much else to sink your teeth into. Granted, I don't think it wanted to be more than head chopping action, but it felt long and fairly one-note with barely any character or plot to invest in, and I generally need more than this offers. Apocalyptigirl did stylish adventure better and with much more heart, and I hate Fairyland does wanton violence with a lot more goofy fun, but I imagine anyone looking for a disposable action-fantasy romp will get enough enjoyment here.
September 23, 2024
I had read this years ago and didn't think much of it for whatever reason. I had a blast reading it this time.
The art is fantastic, informed by Mignola and I think some Guy Davis (BPRD) but with a more cartoony slant. I like Mike Spicer's vibrant flat colors.
MacLean brings a lot of world building and crafts a pretty compelling tale with Kings, betrayals, sorcerers, witches, and of course the Conan-esque Head Lopper himself Norgal. The story is a journey - Norgal has to cross a dangerous landscape to go kill a sorcerer for the Queen but in the meantime we learn of a plot by the Steward. It's a bit generic, but I appreciate that it gets wrapped up in a satisfactory way.
The art is fantastic, informed by Mignola and I think some Guy Davis (BPRD) but with a more cartoony slant. I like Mike Spicer's vibrant flat colors.
MacLean brings a lot of world building and crafts a pretty compelling tale with Kings, betrayals, sorcerers, witches, and of course the Conan-esque Head Lopper himself Norgal. The story is a journey - Norgal has to cross a dangerous landscape to go kill a sorcerer for the Queen but in the meantime we learn of a plot by the Steward. It's a bit generic, but I appreciate that it gets wrapped up in a satisfactory way.
January 19, 2018
Head Lopper Vol. 1: The Island or A Plague of Beasts, is the first volume of a graphic novel by Andrew MacLean. We follow Norgal, the Head Lopper, a legendary warrior who travels the land lopping the heads off of demons, evil sorcerers, bandits and beasts alike. He travels with the decapitated head of the Grey Witch Agatha - a constant source of annoyance, but sometime a bit of help as well. The pair are faced with a kingdom under threat from an evil sorcerer who is trapped within a bog, looking to escape by taking control of the kingdom and unleashing hordes of demonic beasts. The sorcerer employs mercenaries, witches and other beasts to try and steal Agatha's head to increase his power and escape his prison. Head Lopper has other ideas.
This was a really fun and entertaining graphic novel. I was immediately attracted to the art style - it is cartoonish, strong on the fantasy elements, colourful and imaginative. The story was also good fun, and the fantasy elements particularly appealing. This is my first graphic novel read in at least a year, and I completely enjoyed it. Head Lopper is a blast and I cannot wait for Volume 2.
This was a really fun and entertaining graphic novel. I was immediately attracted to the art style - it is cartoonish, strong on the fantasy elements, colourful and imaginative. The story was also good fun, and the fantasy elements particularly appealing. This is my first graphic novel read in at least a year, and I completely enjoyed it. Head Lopper is a blast and I cannot wait for Volume 2.
May 12, 2021
Decided to reread Head Lopper🗡
I had some problems with the abrupt story and dialogue the first time around, but i really felt in love with its cartoony mix of Hellboy, Adventure Time and Cartoon Network. And i have to say, its so much better the second time around ! Sometimes its just not the moment or anything, but i loved it so much more this second time, the story a sort of Dungeons and Dragons with epic fantasy with also some funny moments, is spot on, and the main character, Head Lopper, but he prevers Norgal, with a big fuck you sword and attitude to boot is great. He is just a big beard basically😅 he has a chopped off head of a witch on his back called Agatha Blue Witch, who always makes him angry and takes the piss with him. He is a sword for hire and goes to alll kinds of sorcerers, Kings and madman to deliver a job (mostly killing something) or on a quest with a ragtag crew. The less you know the better. This is a really cool Fantasy comic, and i am always down to hear recommendations for other bookd like this, or fantasy comics.
I had some problems with the abrupt story and dialogue the first time around, but i really felt in love with its cartoony mix of Hellboy, Adventure Time and Cartoon Network. And i have to say, its so much better the second time around ! Sometimes its just not the moment or anything, but i loved it so much more this second time, the story a sort of Dungeons and Dragons with epic fantasy with also some funny moments, is spot on, and the main character, Head Lopper, but he prevers Norgal, with a big fuck you sword and attitude to boot is great. He is just a big beard basically😅 he has a chopped off head of a witch on his back called Agatha Blue Witch, who always makes him angry and takes the piss with him. He is a sword for hire and goes to alll kinds of sorcerers, Kings and madman to deliver a job (mostly killing something) or on a quest with a ragtag crew. The less you know the better. This is a really cool Fantasy comic, and i am always down to hear recommendations for other bookd like this, or fantasy comics.
May 11, 2020
This was a lot of fun. Imagine Mike Mignola's art style in a Conan or Samurai Jack story. The art is the main show in this book and it really shows. A minor flaw is that the story is a bit generic. But the characters and dialogue are wonderful and definitely worth reading.
August 8, 2017
That was fun. Yes, many heads were lopped. No false advertising.
October 11, 2019
It has a very cool visual style ( very mignolaesque) especially the fun fight scenes however the story telling is a little too simple for my liking
February 28, 2020
Fans of the fantasy genre and manly man violence will love this book! I sure didn’t!
Andrew MacLean’s first Head Lopper volume is a whopping 280 pages, following the titular Head Lopper, a white haired Thor type with a giant sword, is hired by Queen Abigail to stop the evil monsters plaguing the Island of Barra. He’s reluctantly accompanied by a severed talking head, Agatha Blue Witch, who is exactly as “nagging” as the back cover summary attests she is.
Barra is a Nordic type fantasy world (or island, at this point), with interesting looking monsters and quite a bit of help from Mike Spicer, whose imaginative and atmospheric coloring really brings the different landscapes of Barra to life. Beyond that, the structures of said world feel almost mundanely familiar (abbot, sorcerer, dowager queen, generic uses of magic, etc.) His lines are fluid and clean, and though the long action scenes eventually felt bloated, they were MacLean’s strongest moments artistically. Norgal (Head Lopper’s preferred name) never has any problem taking care of his enemies, but MacLean is great at creating a lot of action and kinetic energy and creating movement from panel to panel.
However the story was lacking in ingenuity especially for the huuuge number of pages, far beyond a trade and up there with most graphic novels. It felt like every fantasy-adventure beat was hit, including the predictable twists at the end. Norgal begins and ends the book the same tight-lipped, outrageously strong, unapologetically violent, aka uber-toxic-masculine manly man. And of course his weapon of choice is a giant phallic symbol *shrug emoji* but even so, his origin and motivations are clearly inessential to the plot, which as the protagonist seems like a major problem. Even the head lopping is an easy chore for Norgal, who fells beasts and giant wolves without breaking a sweat or growing in any sort of capacity. (Or considering another option to beat them.) There was simply nothing else to him, except perhaps his exasperation towards Agatha.
Speaking of whom, Agatha is an amalgamation of every sexist shrill witch character who ever existed, and the other women in the book don’t get much better (Queen only defined by infant son and dead husband; Black warrior whose own adventure is an epilogue; weird virgin-as-sacrifice thing with stoner frog sister villains; end of list). Does every story need a female protagonist? Of course not! But a fantasy setting with ancient mythological roots is *not* an excuse or reason for one dimensional women. Or a one dimensional male character as the protagonist, for that matter.
That being said, there were unexpected moments of humor between Norgal and Agatha, whose “odd couple” pairing was far more interesting to me than the pages of head lopping, and paragraphs of awkward exposition by the assorted villains. There were even a few laugh out loud moments, particularly Agatha’s one sided conversation with a skull, that made me continue this monster of a book with the unfortunate hope it could change, rather than lugging it back to the library unfinished.
Other reviewers on Goodreads are quick to draw similarities between Head Lopper and Hellboy, which is I think too kind to the former. While the two banish monsters and seem too strong for their own good, Hellboy and his demons have more established mythology, and he seems to at least change a bit from his adventures. The story from a single Hellboy issue will haunt me for days, whereas Head Lopper will likely escape my brain by tomorrow morning. It will likely please fans of the genre, but I will happily leave the next volumes to other readers.
Andrew MacLean’s first Head Lopper volume is a whopping 280 pages, following the titular Head Lopper, a white haired Thor type with a giant sword, is hired by Queen Abigail to stop the evil monsters plaguing the Island of Barra. He’s reluctantly accompanied by a severed talking head, Agatha Blue Witch, who is exactly as “nagging” as the back cover summary attests she is.
Barra is a Nordic type fantasy world (or island, at this point), with interesting looking monsters and quite a bit of help from Mike Spicer, whose imaginative and atmospheric coloring really brings the different landscapes of Barra to life. Beyond that, the structures of said world feel almost mundanely familiar (abbot, sorcerer, dowager queen, generic uses of magic, etc.) His lines are fluid and clean, and though the long action scenes eventually felt bloated, they were MacLean’s strongest moments artistically. Norgal (Head Lopper’s preferred name) never has any problem taking care of his enemies, but MacLean is great at creating a lot of action and kinetic energy and creating movement from panel to panel.
However the story was lacking in ingenuity especially for the huuuge number of pages, far beyond a trade and up there with most graphic novels. It felt like every fantasy-adventure beat was hit, including the predictable twists at the end. Norgal begins and ends the book the same tight-lipped, outrageously strong, unapologetically violent, aka uber-toxic-masculine manly man. And of course his weapon of choice is a giant phallic symbol *shrug emoji* but even so, his origin and motivations are clearly inessential to the plot, which as the protagonist seems like a major problem. Even the head lopping is an easy chore for Norgal, who fells beasts and giant wolves without breaking a sweat or growing in any sort of capacity. (Or considering another option to beat them.) There was simply nothing else to him, except perhaps his exasperation towards Agatha.
Speaking of whom, Agatha is an amalgamation of every sexist shrill witch character who ever existed, and the other women in the book don’t get much better (Queen only defined by infant son and dead husband; Black warrior whose own adventure is an epilogue; weird virgin-as-sacrifice thing with stoner frog sister villains; end of list). Does every story need a female protagonist? Of course not! But a fantasy setting with ancient mythological roots is *not* an excuse or reason for one dimensional women. Or a one dimensional male character as the protagonist, for that matter.
That being said, there were unexpected moments of humor between Norgal and Agatha, whose “odd couple” pairing was far more interesting to me than the pages of head lopping, and paragraphs of awkward exposition by the assorted villains. There were even a few laugh out loud moments, particularly Agatha’s one sided conversation with a skull, that made me continue this monster of a book with the unfortunate hope it could change, rather than lugging it back to the library unfinished.
Other reviewers on Goodreads are quick to draw similarities between Head Lopper and Hellboy, which is I think too kind to the former. While the two banish monsters and seem too strong for their own good, Hellboy and his demons have more established mythology, and he seems to at least change a bit from his adventures. The story from a single Hellboy issue will haunt me for days, whereas Head Lopper will likely escape my brain by tomorrow morning. It will likely please fans of the genre, but I will happily leave the next volumes to other readers.
November 30, 2016
Head Lopper is just brilliant. I was hesitant on this one. I sort of thought Apocalyptigirl was a beautiful disaster (and yeah, that book was a mess, sorry) but on this project, Maclean steps back and writes dutifully, with great pacing, a cohesive and winding plot, great moments of dialogue, and a reverence to fantasy trope-work which serves him well. It's a familiar narrative which sticks closely to the hero's journey, but while comfortable, Head Lopper is brimming with personality and powerful, unique concepts and designs, which make the Isle Realm of Barra feel organic and naturally realized, rather than an easy fantasy world carbon copy. Head Lopper will probably find itself high on my personal best of 2016 list, not only as a comic, but also as a work of fantasy. Head Lopper understands what it is. It's fun, jokey, action packed, but simultaneously a smart, well realized tugger of heartstrings.
October 31, 2019
It has a map!!!
I came into "Head Lopper" already in love with MacLean's style having previously read "Apocalyptigirl". This is An awesome example of humorous adventure. Agatha the Blue Witch was made me literally laugh out loud.
Needless to say, the landing for this arc was stuck! The epilogue, bonus material, and post epilogue outake sealed the 5 stars for me.
It's a must read.
I came into "Head Lopper" already in love with MacLean's style having previously read "Apocalyptigirl". This is An awesome example of humorous adventure. Agatha the Blue Witch was made me literally laugh out loud.
Needless to say, the landing for this arc was stuck! The epilogue, bonus material, and post epilogue outake sealed the 5 stars for me.
It's a must read.
March 22, 2017
Honestly, I don't really know what to say about this one...
It definitely was quirky, full of action and a funny witch head :)
The artwork feels really basic, but it definitely works here..
From me, it gets a firm 3 stars
It definitely was quirky, full of action and a funny witch head :)
The artwork feels really basic, but it definitely works here..
From me, it gets a firm 3 stars
January 24, 2021
O Head Lopperovi sem slychal uz od ty doby, co zacal vychazet, ale nikdy me extra nelakal. High fantasy me v komiksech malo kdy bavi a kresba na prvni pohled taky nejak extra nenalaka. Protoze po The Manhattan Projects se mi nechce znovu rozjizdet nejakou ongoing serii, tak sem sahnul po necem kratsim.
Zapletka se je genericky fantasy, malomluvnej valecnik Norgal putuje svetem a zabiji monstra. Spolecnost mu dela mluvici hlava carodejnice Aghaty, ktera plni roli vtipnyho/otravnyho sidekicka a musi se nechat, ze se to dari. Dialog s lebkou byl jeden z nejlepsich momentu celyho komiksu.
V prvni pulce sem si rikal "Meh, jeste ze mam jen prvni volume a nebudu se muset rozmejslet, jestli cist dal.", ale nakonec se z toho vyklubalo docela fajn cteni a postupem casu sem zacal docenovat, ze MacLean dokaze zdanlive jednoduchou kresbou parazdne zachytit jak akci, tak atmosferu. Asi to neni nic, k cemu bych se casem vracel, ale kdyby se v budoucnu na HB objevili dalsi dily, tak si je rad prectu.
Zapletka se je genericky fantasy, malomluvnej valecnik Norgal putuje svetem a zabiji monstra. Spolecnost mu dela mluvici hlava carodejnice Aghaty, ktera plni roli vtipnyho/otravnyho sidekicka a musi se nechat, ze se to dari. Dialog s lebkou byl jeden z nejlepsich momentu celyho komiksu.
V prvni pulce sem si rikal "Meh, jeste ze mam jen prvni volume a nebudu se muset rozmejslet, jestli cist dal.", ale nakonec se z toho vyklubalo docela fajn cteni a postupem casu sem zacal docenovat, ze MacLean dokaze zdanlive jednoduchou kresbou parazdne zachytit jak akci, tak atmosferu. Asi to neni nic, k cemu bych se casem vracel, ale kdyby se v budoucnu na HB objevili dalsi dily, tak si je rad prectu.
July 29, 2022
Como mezclar Hellboy con Conan el bárbaro y Hora de aventuras. Una genialidad.
March 22, 2024
Amazingly streamlined art in service to a wonderfully violent story. I was a little skeptic about the art style going in, but MacLean has fine tuned it perfectly. The action is awesome, The characters are great, and I'm going to be trying to learn from this.
June 12, 2016
Review orignally published at my blog: https://tonymcmillen.wordpress.com/20...
Head Lopper was every damn thing I wanted it to be and more. Equal parts, Conan, Adventure Time, Walt Simonson's Thor and Mike Mignola's monster melees.
But MacLean's work here is more than just a convincing alchemy of influences, he uses what inspires him as a springboard but then forges his own distinct, startlingly original angular style. Art-wise the closest style I can think of is Gabriel Bá but that's only because they both seem to have used Mignola as a jumping off point and then extrapolated from his wacked out DNA their own mutant brands.
Point is, when you see a MacLean drawing you know that's what you're looking at. And like the best artists his view of the world renders everything so differently that I could spend the day wondering how he would depict such and such character or how he would tackle a certain genre. That's what I love about great comic book storytelling and style and it's on full display herein.
Head Lopper comes in 4 massive tomes, it bills itself as "A Quarterly Adventure Comic" which sets the tone to follow. This is action-packed storytelling that provides at least one jaw-dropper of exquisite violence per issue. And exquisite isn't just some flashy modifier here, check out issue one's battle with the gigantic wolves, the way MacLean handles the beheading turns the barbarous act into ballet. And dude, book's called Head Lopper, heads get lopped, if I ruined that for you here steer clear of Battling Boy too, you'd be surprised how often that kid gets into some sort of scrape.
The style of the comic is crisp and clean which dials down the gross out factor of rampant beheadings and the like and instead allows the reader to marvel at the pagan pageantry of stylized fictional swordplay. Seriously, the blood fountains here would make Evil Dead 2 and Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki blush. The blood in Head Lopper shoots up in mighty crimson geysers that envelop the titular hero, framing him perfectly as a red silhouette waving the sword responsible for all the carnage above its crimson cap in cartoon grisly victory.
Because this comic book about a big warrior dude and his sidekick, a severed witch's head named Agatha who's a real wiseacre and not to be trusted, knows its purpose and that is to be fun.
It's not a bloodless sort of fun like Adventure Time (obviously) but it isn't a grim and gritty slog either as Game of Thrones knockoffs tend to be. It finds its balance and never becomes a parody or a satire or deconstruction of fantasy conventions, it is simply a celebration of them that also has a keen sense of humor. It doesn't need to wink at you constantly about how crazy or silly its concepts are, the humor is richer and stems from the characterization or the randomness of human observations during battle.
These 4 issues stand as ground shaking drawbridge drop into a new world of endlessly imaginative monsters, sinister sorcerers, distant embattled lands and a laconic hero with a fast-talking blue witch's head for a partner who might be trying to kill him.
What are you waiting for, storm the damn castle.
Head Lopper was every damn thing I wanted it to be and more. Equal parts, Conan, Adventure Time, Walt Simonson's Thor and Mike Mignola's monster melees.
But MacLean's work here is more than just a convincing alchemy of influences, he uses what inspires him as a springboard but then forges his own distinct, startlingly original angular style. Art-wise the closest style I can think of is Gabriel Bá but that's only because they both seem to have used Mignola as a jumping off point and then extrapolated from his wacked out DNA their own mutant brands.
Point is, when you see a MacLean drawing you know that's what you're looking at. And like the best artists his view of the world renders everything so differently that I could spend the day wondering how he would depict such and such character or how he would tackle a certain genre. That's what I love about great comic book storytelling and style and it's on full display herein.
Head Lopper comes in 4 massive tomes, it bills itself as "A Quarterly Adventure Comic" which sets the tone to follow. This is action-packed storytelling that provides at least one jaw-dropper of exquisite violence per issue. And exquisite isn't just some flashy modifier here, check out issue one's battle with the gigantic wolves, the way MacLean handles the beheading turns the barbarous act into ballet. And dude, book's called Head Lopper, heads get lopped, if I ruined that for you here steer clear of Battling Boy too, you'd be surprised how often that kid gets into some sort of scrape.
The style of the comic is crisp and clean which dials down the gross out factor of rampant beheadings and the like and instead allows the reader to marvel at the pagan pageantry of stylized fictional swordplay. Seriously, the blood fountains here would make Evil Dead 2 and Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki blush. The blood in Head Lopper shoots up in mighty crimson geysers that envelop the titular hero, framing him perfectly as a red silhouette waving the sword responsible for all the carnage above its crimson cap in cartoon grisly victory.
Because this comic book about a big warrior dude and his sidekick, a severed witch's head named Agatha who's a real wiseacre and not to be trusted, knows its purpose and that is to be fun.
It's not a bloodless sort of fun like Adventure Time (obviously) but it isn't a grim and gritty slog either as Game of Thrones knockoffs tend to be. It finds its balance and never becomes a parody or a satire or deconstruction of fantasy conventions, it is simply a celebration of them that also has a keen sense of humor. It doesn't need to wink at you constantly about how crazy or silly its concepts are, the humor is richer and stems from the characterization or the randomness of human observations during battle.
These 4 issues stand as ground shaking drawbridge drop into a new world of endlessly imaginative monsters, sinister sorcerers, distant embattled lands and a laconic hero with a fast-talking blue witch's head for a partner who might be trying to kill him.
What are you waiting for, storm the damn castle.
March 10, 2023
Fun read
This is a fun read for sword and sorcery fans.
Personally, the artwork took some getting used to but suits the story perfectly.
This is a fun read for sword and sorcery fans.
Personally, the artwork took some getting used to but suits the story perfectly.
October 21, 2016
I picked this graphic novel up after seeing a few words written about how fresh it was, on io9.com and amazon, as well as the Tor website. It looked good and the art style reminded me of Mike Mignola, who does my favorite comic of all time, Hellboy.
I was not disappointed.
This tale is about Norgal, the white haired warrior. Is he a Viking? Kinda. Is he a barbarian? by all means, yes! Is he a writer of wrongs and a hero? Yes, and sort of. He doesn't say much because he is not much for talking about it. He does it. Witty banter and words of wisdom, sarcasm and smarmy curses and the like are the job of his companion, Agatha. Agatha is the Blue Witch. The Blue Witch is kind of like the Wicked Witch of the West, from OZ. The difference here is there is no OZ and the whereabouts that Norgal killed her and lopped off her head remain shrouded in mystery. What is know is that her magic was so powerful that he head lives on, and Norgal carries it around, and it talks all the time. He throws her over his shoulder by her long gray braids. He uses her for a weapon, kind of like a ball and chain. He uses her as a grappling hook, a door stop and many other utilitarian applications ensue. Needless to say, she has a comment and an opinion on everything the man does. She also likes to chew on the flesh of enemies, or anything she can get to be near enough to bite. Suffice it to say her magic is still mostly intact, though she only uses it in times of dire need, or when she wants to, or when she feels like it. Yeah, its kind of like that.
This saga is of Norgal making his way across an island to the Black Bog, to remove and destroy the evil which resides there. The Head Lopper, as he is known does just that, running into crystal frogs, undead, massive wolves, giants and other various and sundry threats. The Head Lopper is challenged and almost beaten to death, many times. For the six times he is beaten down and almost killed, he gets up seven times. And the story goes on and on.
This was such a fresh and new take on comics for me, as I stopped collecting years ago, but I still enjoy a good collected story. The humor here is awesome, and the art and writing done very well and is right up my alley. Read this if you love fantasy. Read it if you love good old slobberknocker of a violent comic book fighty thing! I really enjoyed this one and I can't wait until MacLean does his next stories, beginning March, 2017. Man this was a good one!
Danny
I was not disappointed.
This tale is about Norgal, the white haired warrior. Is he a Viking? Kinda. Is he a barbarian? by all means, yes! Is he a writer of wrongs and a hero? Yes, and sort of. He doesn't say much because he is not much for talking about it. He does it. Witty banter and words of wisdom, sarcasm and smarmy curses and the like are the job of his companion, Agatha. Agatha is the Blue Witch. The Blue Witch is kind of like the Wicked Witch of the West, from OZ. The difference here is there is no OZ and the whereabouts that Norgal killed her and lopped off her head remain shrouded in mystery. What is know is that her magic was so powerful that he head lives on, and Norgal carries it around, and it talks all the time. He throws her over his shoulder by her long gray braids. He uses her for a weapon, kind of like a ball and chain. He uses her as a grappling hook, a door stop and many other utilitarian applications ensue. Needless to say, she has a comment and an opinion on everything the man does. She also likes to chew on the flesh of enemies, or anything she can get to be near enough to bite. Suffice it to say her magic is still mostly intact, though she only uses it in times of dire need, or when she wants to, or when she feels like it. Yeah, its kind of like that.
This saga is of Norgal making his way across an island to the Black Bog, to remove and destroy the evil which resides there. The Head Lopper, as he is known does just that, running into crystal frogs, undead, massive wolves, giants and other various and sundry threats. The Head Lopper is challenged and almost beaten to death, many times. For the six times he is beaten down and almost killed, he gets up seven times. And the story goes on and on.
This was such a fresh and new take on comics for me, as I stopped collecting years ago, but I still enjoy a good collected story. The humor here is awesome, and the art and writing done very well and is right up my alley. Read this if you love fantasy. Read it if you love good old slobberknocker of a violent comic book fighty thing! I really enjoyed this one and I can't wait until MacLean does his next stories, beginning March, 2017. Man this was a good one!
Danny
February 22, 2024
This is a really fantastic graphic novel and the first in a series I can't wait to continue reading. MacLean's fantasy world is super fun and rich, and I wish I could see every little corner of the world. His art style is very satisfying, though occasionally combat can become a little confusing. The characters are all very interesting. Some, like Head Lopper and the Queen, are fairly straightforward, but play excellent roles within the narrative. Others are surprisingly layered and spark questions about their motives and backgrounds.
This graphic novel is exceedingly good at overlapping narratives, where each character has their own motivations and methods, and the tale weaves them together beautifully. A quote on the back of the book highlighted the book's pacing, and it was spot-on. The narrative tension and timing are both sensational. I can't wait to read the other books in the series.
I would recommend this book highly to my friend Tom. I would recommend it normally to my friend Matt as well.
This graphic novel is exceedingly good at overlapping narratives, where each character has their own motivations and methods, and the tale weaves them together beautifully. A quote on the back of the book highlighted the book's pacing, and it was spot-on. The narrative tension and timing are both sensational. I can't wait to read the other books in the series.
I would recommend this book highly to my friend Tom. I would recommend it normally to my friend Matt as well.
March 9, 2019
I can't stress how much I've missed something like this. Giant wolves? Check. Swords? Check. Magic? Check. Creatures? Battles? Blood? Gods? Mythology? Interesting art? Everything check. The only thing that is missing is an explicit sex scene which if it were here would actually hurt the story.
Andrew MacLean created an interesting world with a great design because of his art style. Four issues and almost three hundred pages are glowing with love and hard work. I really enjoyed this change of pace. Four issues put together to tell one story.
The story is quite simple. Here the story is put at the back end and what shines is the execution. Colouring is done with flat colours which are great for this world. Art is heavily inspired by Mignola and creatures are unique enough to be interesting.
One thing that I think is a missed shot is lettering. The lettering could have been done better. Agatha the Witch could have a different font or colour than every character... I think that more personalization of the bubbles would serve a better design and character interaction. Evi characters could be more evil etc.
I was surprised. Expecting nothing I got a great comics book. I can't give it a full rating because of some pacing issues but overall, I will definitely read more of this!
Andrew MacLean created an interesting world with a great design because of his art style. Four issues and almost three hundred pages are glowing with love and hard work. I really enjoyed this change of pace. Four issues put together to tell one story.
The story is quite simple. Here the story is put at the back end and what shines is the execution. Colouring is done with flat colours which are great for this world. Art is heavily inspired by Mignola and creatures are unique enough to be interesting.
One thing that I think is a missed shot is lettering. The lettering could have been done better. Agatha the Witch could have a different font or colour than every character... I think that more personalization of the bubbles would serve a better design and character interaction. Evi characters could be more evil etc.
I was surprised. Expecting nothing I got a great comics book. I can't give it a full rating because of some pacing issues but overall, I will definitely read more of this!
November 1, 2020
This was so much fun. Lots of heads were lopped!
I really like MacLean's style, reminds me of Adventure Time and Mignola's work.
Can't wait to read the second trade.
Four heads out of five!
I really like MacLean's style, reminds me of Adventure Time and Mignola's work.
Can't wait to read the second trade.
Four heads out of five!
May 14, 2024
Very good stuff. Art was great. Writing was clear fun. I see why, when writing Norgal, they needed Agatha. I enjoyed their interactions
June 14, 2018
Head Lopper, the tale of Norgal, the old solitary invincible hero and his companion/prisoner severed witch's head, Agatha. This is humorous comics series, kindly mocking the genre of epic heroic tales both with Norgal's gritty and Agatha's teenage-mocking attitude. The art is rather simple, but with very clever and spot on scenes, so it works for Head Lopper good, really good, from small panel series to two-page ones. The story is nothing much inventive, it sticks to genre stereotypes with a little bit of exaggeration. But it is so much of fun with interesting characters. Circa two hundred pages with extra eighty ones of concept art, studies, depictions of Norgal by different artists (I really like this kind of bonuses) and (for me mandatory) collection of single issue's covers. If you like not to serious fantasy and humour, this is worth a try.
September 26, 2016
Well that was just god damn fantastic, wasn't it?
June 6, 2018
Norgal, el Head Looper, asesino de monstruos, decapitador de la bruja Ethel, mercenario, guerrero...solamente va haciendo lo suyo, trabajando, asesinando, matando criaturas por aquí y por alla, sean lobos, fantasmas, gigantes, monstruos marinos, pero sin saberlo, termina en medio de una conspiración que incluye seres sobrenaturales, reyes, un bosque embrujado, lobos gigantes y solo puede salir de eso a punte de acero, pero a mi me encanto Ethel, la cabeza de la bruja, que tiene de lejos los mejores diálogos de toda la serie y le tomas cariño. El arte de MacLean es muy bueno, y evoluciona a través de las paginas de una manera ¨mágica¨, por ejemplo, la pelea que abre la serie, en contra de la serpiente marina, comparada contra la criatura de la gema, son dos cosas diametralmente diferentes,geniales.
November 3, 2018
If you pick up a copy of Head Lopper, you will find a giant dude holding a severed head drawn in a style heavily influenced by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Open the comic, and you will find more of the same: a barbarian chopping off fantasy creatures heads as if drawn by Mignola on a sunny day. This might seem to be damning the book with faint praise, but Head Lopper is so confident and expertly executed, the simplicity of the concept elevates the book's quality. Admittedly, the story and fantasy genre’s simplicity is to the book's detriment: the plot is easy to guess, and the protagonist never seems to be in real danger. Nonetheless, any fans of decapitation action and fantastically minimal and dynamic art should pick this up.
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