Head Lopper, Vol. 2: Head Lopper and the Crimson Tower

Head Lopper (Collected Editions) #2

by Andrew MacLean

In a quiet region of the world, an ancient evil stirs. The CRIMSON TOWER is awake! Blood has not wet its face for an age, but the tower runs red once more. Warriors from distant lands are drawn to its gate with revenge, or glory, in their hearts. Many will enter, few will return.

The HEAD LOPPER and the living head of Agatha Blue Witch, with old friends and new, battle for their lives in HEAD LOPPER and THE CRIMSON TOWER.

Collecting HEAD LOPPER 5 through 8.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Action, Comic Book

200 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2018

About the author

Massachusetts 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.

Reviews

[Jack Stark]

Not quite as good as vol. 1. But I still did a lol or three.

[Zedsdead]

Straight up dungeon crawl. Head Lopper and his companions accept a warriors' invitation to enter a mysterious tower controlled by an evil lich lord. They negotiate traps, monsters, and puzzles in a quest to collect four shiny crystal MacGuffins, take down the big bad boss, and win loot and acclaim.

Head Lopper and the Crimson Tower
An Adventure for Character Levels 10 to 14

Eh. HL2 promises some straightforward monstery head-lopping and delivers exactly that. No more, no less. It's mildly fun and not particularly challenging.

I'm surprised to see I gave v1 4 stars, it sits solidly at 3 in my memory. I don't think I'm ever going to be a fan of MacLean's hard-to-parse, Hellboyish art.

[Des Fox]

Head Lopper is one of the greats. This series is so incredibly imaginative, thoughtfully illustrated, and well written. Andrew MacLean has become one of my favorite cartoonists, and Norgal one of my favorite heroes. The focused nature of the quarterly format is perfect for the series, resulting in big, complete graphic novels. The Crimson Tower was an excellent setting, the Fonga a whimsical addition to the known races, and each weighty loss resonates emotionally with an invested reader.

This book's an absolute ride. It's impossible to put down, and echos the highest highs of Hellboy. You have to read it.

[Drew Canole]

Not as solid as the first one, the artwork is a bit sloppier, more lore than I need. Still its a fun story overall.

[Harley Gesford]

Straying away from its Nordic/Viking/Medieval roots from Volume 1 and settling into its own voice, Volume 2 of Head Lopper was a quicker paced romp.
Still loving the Genndy Tartakovsky/Mike Mignola vibes and it’s playing with the Swords and Sorcery vibes.
All in all, I’m having a blast. Love it.

[Angie Pinchbeck]

This was a bit more serious than the first volume, but it was also more cohesive. It was a fun read with great art and a wonderful storyline. Can't wait for vol 3!

[RG]

3.5*
This was great but I felt like it was more of the same as vol 1

[Andrew Hale]

Story and Art by Andrew Maclean
Colors by Jordie Bellaire

The art reminds me of Adventure Time, at times whimsy to macabre, other times kind of sloppy or hard to make out. Overall, an interesting tale of warriors called to compete through puzzles and death games. The all-female Kota warrior clan and the tradition-heavy Fonga tribe were weird while the mad scientist lich was entertaining as he played the role of Frankenstein and his monster, per se.

Chapter 1: In the Shadow of the Tower Part 1
Chapter 2: Quest for the Crystal Eyes
Chapter 3: Deeper Into the Strange
Chapter 4: GLADIATORS
Epilogue: In the Shadow of the Tower Part 2

[Adam Stone]

Head Lopper is one of the most fun, vibrant comic series currently in production. With some unique character designs, and just the right touch of humor, this reimagining of Conan, if he had to adventure with the sarcastic severed head of a cursed witch, is glorious.

This second volume introduces new characters as Nargal and Agatha join a group of would-be heroes as they rey and conquer The Crimson Tower.

Sounds vague and fantasy-like, doesn't it! But Maclean's art and Jordie Bellaire's colors help lift this from a Very Solid Comic to a Must Read.

I recommend it for anyone who wants to enjoy a fun fantasy adventure series, people who wish The Groo Adventurer was smarter and funnier but less political, people looking for something slightly off the beaten path in graphic novels.

[Cheese]

Wonderful, just like the first. Probably my favourite series in the past couple of years.

[Andrew]

The second volume in the Head Lopper series by Andrew MacLean, the Crimson Tower continues the series where the first volume left off. Head Lopper travels with his companions - a talking witches head, a warrior woman from a tribal village, and her protegee. They travel to to the Crimson Tower, seeking a relative of one of the companions. However, inside they find a twisted villain who pits warriors against each other for sport, and then utilizes the defeated to create monsters and fighters for his own protection and amusement.

This is a fun series. It has a stylish, cartoon-like illustration style, and a tone both dark and humorous. I continue to enjoy my time reading these graphic novels, and look forward to the next installment.

[Brandon]

Gosh, I'm such a huge fan of these books. I mentioned it in my review of the first volume, but MacLean's sense of pacing is just perfect. Panel to panel, scene to scene, and chapter to chapter, the story just moves with an enchanting rhythm. His art, as usual, is good, and his characters are alternately menacing, loveable, intimidating, and humorous.

Though the narrative in Volume 2 isn't as layered or compelling as Volume 1, the combat sequences are really interesting and the final battle in particular has some super cool moments. Rarely do I read something and set the book down to immediately text my friends about what happened, but that happened with this book.

I'm looking forward to reading the next two published volumes and will definitely be returning to this series in the future. I'd recommend it to my friend Matt and highly recommend it to my friend Tom.

[Luis]

Writing a review after my 2nd read of this, and after already reading volume 3.
This is definitely the best of the three volumes this far, though volume one is a close second.
Loved the journey through the tower and the main villain's design was great.
Toward the end of this volume you can see MacLean begin to employ a hatching technique that features heavily in volume 3. It is used more conservatively here, and only towards the end. It became very prominent in volume 3, much to my displeasure. I just find it takes away from his otherwise very clean and elegant line work.

[Daniel]

Another wonderful story of Norgal, the Head Lopper, his disembodied witch head Agatha, and the exploration into the Crimson Tower. This tale is a romp, as good as volume one and just as violent, bloody and funny. Agatha provides moments of side splitting laughter for the use of her arcane power. The new friends Norgal takes into this most dangerous of trials and the revelations, loses and tragedies makes this a worthy read. So much fun this one!

[ComicNerdSam]

Didn't think it was possible, but this completely blows the first book away. MacLean becomes much more confident in his art. He's added heavy shadows that abstract the forms even further and add a brutal intensity to the story, yet his action and storytelling remain just as clear as the previous volume. The ending of this book is the best, a very haunting look into how Norgal deals with his emotions. Love this, definitely one of the best action comics ever.

[Justin Labelle]

Lots of fun.
The little arrows now and then to guide the sequencing in the story is a playful touch.
The action is jam packed.
The line work stellar.
The characters always three dimensional.
This is a fun comic that doesn’t take anything too seriously.

[Sarah]

Wasn’t quite as epic as the first but enjoyed it so much. So pleased to see the story continue. Love the illustration and humour.

[Zack! Empire]

Didn't enjoy it as much as the first but it's still pretty cool. The art is a big part of why I like it. I just love those flat colors.
I'll be picking up future volumes of this series.

[Jullian]

Awesome!

[Julián Berrío Quintero]

Acompañamos el grupo a una torre roja, teñida de sangre, donde les espera Ulrich el tres (?) veces maldito.

[Tommy Fritz]

keeps getting better 🍝

[Andy Cantrell]

Heads were lopped, lives were lost. Entertainment was had!

[Stephanie]

I love Agatha.

[Colby Holloway]

Incredible imaginative art, simple cool straight forward plot, dungeon crawling at its best

[Public Scott]

I love Norgal! Another great Head Lopper story. Really cool bad guys. Great trippy sequences inside a tower. Epic battles. Cute little critters. Fantastic art. Lots of fun.

[Rumi Bossche]

Cool fantasy comic, with a really nice Cartoon network kinda style. A big plus for me is that the Artist, Andrew Maclean does artwork and story, i always like that. its a really nice and easy fun read.

[Katherine]

I really liked the gauntlet of the crimson tower and got especially attached to the new characters in this entry. It also had a surprisingly sad ending to it. Artwork was as gorgeous as ever.

[Sam Whale]

Issue 5

Always love a Raven, Cube style challenge so this is a very exciting start for Head Loppers second arc. The Crimson Tower has proved to be a formidable arena thus far and I look forward to seeing the rest of its obstacles

I'm not super sure how I feel on Zhaania yet as a character, nor her new protégé; they're both cool warriors types but they lack the charm of Norgal and Agatha in my opinion. I do like the trio of little brothers who come from the local village, the death of the eldest brother followed by the waterfall of blood pouring from the tower and soaking the soil to the villagers' cheers was a real gut punch note to end on.

Issue 6

Two big exciting fights in this issue. Head Lopper taking on the Harpies was a lot of fun, and them thanking him for killing them was a good example of the sort of twisted morality that this world seems to operate under. Stronger still was the fight between Zhaania and Bone Helm. I loved how Norgal used his childhood stories about Bone Helm as an example as to how no signature move is unbeatable, not even Zhaania's only to then have Zhaania face him on an icy clifftop. It seems it was Ulrich the Twice Damned who bested him long ago and now he is a slave using his signature 'unbeatable move' on those who partake in the Crimson Towers trials. There's a kind of sorrow in this long dead warrior being used as the puppet like this and sadder still that Norgal's words proved true when Zhaania's novice used her un-counterable move, only to be countered and killed. I did also think the way Zhaania defeated Bone Helm was clever; allowing an ending to the fight without breaking the tension of it.

Issue 7

We see a softer side to Norgal here than we've had a chance to so far. His words about Xho dying a warrior's death, for her comrades as any true warrior would want, had a tenderness and a wisdom to them which adds a new dimension to Norgal.

Twerpal and Bik also both get a massive chance to shine; each being tantamount to defeating the third and fourth trials respectively. Twerpal especially has had a really nice little arc here, and while i sympathized with his potential treachery; protecting his baby brother is his most important duty, I loved seeing him learn the value in in the bonds of brotherhood not of blood, choosing at his own risk to alert the others of Ulrich's scheme.

Two more great monster fights round up what I think is the strongest issue of the run so far.

Issue 8

''He made you choose between your family and friends. What a cruel jest. I am sorry Twerpal. It seems I too have lost myself to the tower.''

What a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic storyline. The final battles in the trials of the Crimson Tower prove to be the toughest yet but through their bonds our four heroes overcome it together. Norgal continues to be given so much more depth here; firstly through his anger turned sorrow at learning of Twerpal teetering on the edge of betrayal to save baby Bix and then through seeing him really grieve for the first time the loss of one of his allies.

Berserkr is maybe Macleans best character design yet and the twist that she is Zhaania's mother enslaved like Bone Helm was tragic. I love how totally Ulrich was destroyed by Norgal and his remaining comrades and the art in the epilogue of Norgal and Agatha slaying monsters in silence all around the world was as touchingly sad as it was epic in scope. You get a sense that perhaps the two are shifting into being true allies and not just guard and prisoner, I look forward to seeing where their relationship goes in the next arc.

[Matt Graupman]

In “The Empire Strikes Back”-style, “Head Lopper And The Crimson Tower,” Andrew MacLean’s sequel to the first volume in the saga of behemoth warrior Norgal, is a darker, more complex, more serious beast. Creatures are fought, blood is spilled, and - true to the book’s evocative title - many heads are separated from shoulders. But it seems as though, in his attempts to make the Head Lopper a bit grittier, MacLean lost a little bit of the playfulness that made the first volume so much fun. I liked this book, just not quite as much as the previous one.

“Head Lopper And The Crimson Tower” finds epically-bearded killing machine Norgal and his lethal compatriots at the titular citadel, a proving ground for warriors of every tribe. In order to become master of the Crimson Tower, thereby righting the evils that have plagued the land, Norgal and his mates must collect a series of gems and then battle a zombie king. MacLean’s world-building is - of course - spot-on, as each character has a rich backstory and his locales are pretty breath-taking; he has an excellent eye for design, page layout, and color usage. I really like his “Hellboy”-esque style but, if I had to single out an element for criticism, it would be that his action scenes sometimes get a bit muddy, making it difficult to figure out exactly what’s happening. Still, it’s a pulse-pounding book, gory and engrossing.

With simple but bloody art, regal dialogue, and some of the best settings in comics, Andrew MacLean’s “Head Lopper” series continues to be a one-of-a-kind experience. For us non-fantasy fans, though, I hope his next volume eases back on the hard-fantasy qualities a bit and injects some more humor and fun into the mix.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez]

Sí que respecto al apabullante primer volumen de las aventuras de Norgal El Cortacabezas y la testa parlante de la bruja Agatha, este La Torre Carmesí se siente un pasito más seguro. El hecho de focalizar un solo gran tropo de historia de corte fantástico en esa peligrosa fortificación que despliega una serie de desafíos de "superar niveles" de mazmorras para la macabra diversión y planes de una especie de monarca brujo cadavérico. Parece limitar tanto el personaje protagonista como el conjunto. Pero no resta a seguir destacando el buen hacer de Andrew Maclean no dejándose llevar tan solo por el engorile de la acción bárbara a espadazos o rayos mágicos de Agatha. Sin quedarse atrás, es cierto que Norgal necesita compartir escena con personajes de apoyo que plasman unas mejores bases argumentales desde una perspectiva más cercana y humana que el tosco Norgal cuesta demostrar. Por ahí tenemos a un héroe improbable de un pueblo de seres chiquitos que suelen mandar guerreros (sacrificios) a adentrarse en la torre carmesí para obtener una prometida pero no vista fortuna y gloria. La aguerrida compañera que surgió en medio del volumen previo también tomará más iniciativa y mostrará su trágico trasfondo a lo largo de estas pruebas y peligros. De forma breve pero agradecida, los personajes lograrán trasmitir grandes emociones y enseñanzas por encima de la más relevante de estas fantásticas pero amenazantes tierras, que te azuza a tratar de no dejarte llevar por el miedo y esgrimirlo con el arma que más tengas a mano para sobrevivir con orgullo o fenecer con el honor del guerrero.