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BRZRKR #1
БРСРК. том 1
Война, незнаеща край. Мъж, незнаещ граници.
Мъжът, познат само като Б., е полусмъртен-полубог, прокълнат и обречен на насилие… дори с цената на здравия си разум. Но след като е странствал по света с векове, Б. може би най-накрая намира убежище – в работата за американското правителство, хвърляйки се в битки, твърде насилствени и опасни за всеки друг. В замяна Б. ще получи единственото нещо, което жадува – истината за безкрайното си, пропито с кръв съществуване и за това как да му сложи край.
Киану Рийвс пише комикс дебюта си в съавторство с автора на бестселъри в Ню Йорк Таймс Мат Киндт (Folklords, Grass Kings) и заедно с всепризнатия художник Рон Гарни (Върколака, Капитан Америка). Това е брутално изпълнена с насилие нова поредица за борбата на един безсмъртен воин през вековете. Събира BRZRKR 1-4.
Мъжът, познат само като Б., е полусмъртен-полубог, прокълнат и обречен на насилие… дори с цената на здравия си разум. Но след като е странствал по света с векове, Б. може би най-накрая намира убежище – в работата за американското правителство, хвърляйки се в битки, твърде насилствени и опасни за всеки друг. В замяна Б. ще получи единственото нещо, което жадува – истината за безкрайното си, пропито с кръв съществуване и за това как да му сложи край.
Киану Рийвс пише комикс дебюта си в съавторство с автора на бестселъри в Ню Йорк Таймс Мат Киндт (Folklords, Grass Kings) и заедно с всепризнатия художник Рон Гарни (Върколака, Капитан Америка). Това е брутално изпълнена с насилие нова поредица за борбата на един безсмъртен воин през вековете. Събира BRZRKR 1-4.
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2021
259 people are currently reading
4366 people want to read
About the author
Keanu Reeves
37 books1,546 followersKeanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in Youngblood (1986). He had his breakthrough role in the science fiction comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), and he reprised his role in its sequels. He gained praise for playing a hustler in the independent drama My Own Private Idaho (1991) and established himself as an action hero with leading roles in Point Break (1991) and Speed (1994).
Following several box office failures, Reeves's performance in the horror film The Devil's Advocate (1997) was well received. Greater stardom came for playing Neo in the science fiction series The Matrix, beginning in 1999. He played John Constantine in Constantine (2005) and starred in the romantic drama The Lake House (2006), the science fiction thriller The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), and the crime thriller Street Kings (2008). Following another commercially down period, Reeves made a successful comeback by playing the titular assassin in the John Wick film series, beginning in 2014.
In addition to acting, Reeves has directed the film Man of Tai Chi (2013). He has played bass guitar for the band Dogstar and pursued other endeavours such as writing and philanthropy.
Following several box office failures, Reeves's performance in the horror film The Devil's Advocate (1997) was well received. Greater stardom came for playing Neo in the science fiction series The Matrix, beginning in 1999. He played John Constantine in Constantine (2005) and starred in the romantic drama The Lake House (2006), the science fiction thriller The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), and the crime thriller Street Kings (2008). Following another commercially down period, Reeves made a successful comeback by playing the titular assassin in the John Wick film series, beginning in 2014.
In addition to acting, Reeves has directed the film Man of Tai Chi (2013). He has played bass guitar for the band Dogstar and pursued other endeavours such as writing and philanthropy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews
April 2, 2025
I can't give Keanu less than 3 stars.
I can't give BRZRKR more than 3 stars, either. But I have hope that this thing is just finding its legs and the next volume is going to knock it out of the park.
What is BRZRKR?
Well, that's easy. It's basically the story of Great Value Wolverine. And as of right now, it's mostly a gore-fest with the barest outline of a plot.
Now, I'm not at all opposed to the gore. I like to bathe in blood and run my fingers through the intestines of my enemies just as much as the next girl.
It's just that there was page after page after page after page after page of it, so after a skinny minute the shock value just wasn't there anymore.
And while I adore mindless violence, I wanted a little more meat on the bone.
But don't lose heart, it appears that there may actually be a really cool concept buried under all the red pages full of dangling jawbones and popped eyeballs.
The gist is that John Wick is an 80,000 year old immortal, working with a government agency to figure out how to die. <--in exchange for his super-soldier DNA, of course.
Apparently, his mother prayed for a weapon to deliver her people from marauding tribes, and ended up with a lightning bolt to the twat that impregnated her with a BRZRKR baby.
The whys & hows look to be interesting. And there's a little twisty thing at the end that gives you hope that there might be a badass reveal coming up in the next volume.
This was a magical buddy read that happened almost organically because everyone in the group wanted to read this. And that says a lot about Mr. Reeves' pull with geeks. I don't think we've ever collectively started snatching up copies of a comic this fast.
And speaking of fast, this was a fast read. Mostly because there were very few words on the page. I'm guessing that might play to Keanu's benefit when this becomes a Netflix series.
I love you, K-Reeves. I don't care if saying lines isn't your thing. You're a beautiful human being and I'll watch anything with you in it. Amen.
I think Kindt and Reeves (probably mostly Kindt) did a pretty good job and fans will more than likely enjoy this.
I can't give BRZRKR more than 3 stars, either. But I have hope that this thing is just finding its legs and the next volume is going to knock it out of the park.
What is BRZRKR?
Well, that's easy. It's basically the story of Great Value Wolverine. And as of right now, it's mostly a gore-fest with the barest outline of a plot.
Now, I'm not at all opposed to the gore. I like to bathe in blood and run my fingers through the intestines of my enemies just as much as the next girl.
It's just that there was page after page after page after page after page of it, so after a skinny minute the shock value just wasn't there anymore.
And while I adore mindless violence, I wanted a little more meat on the bone.
But don't lose heart, it appears that there may actually be a really cool concept buried under all the red pages full of dangling jawbones and popped eyeballs.
The gist is that John Wick is an 80,000 year old immortal, working with a government agency to figure out how to die. <--in exchange for his super-soldier DNA, of course.
Apparently, his mother prayed for a weapon to deliver her people from marauding tribes, and ended up with a lightning bolt to the twat that impregnated her with a BRZRKR baby.
The whys & hows look to be interesting. And there's a little twisty thing at the end that gives you hope that there might be a badass reveal coming up in the next volume.
This was a magical buddy read that happened almost organically because everyone in the group wanted to read this. And that says a lot about Mr. Reeves' pull with geeks. I don't think we've ever collectively started snatching up copies of a comic this fast.
And speaking of fast, this was a fast read. Mostly because there were very few words on the page. I'm guessing that might play to Keanu's benefit when this becomes a Netflix series.
I love you, K-Reeves. I don't care if saying lines isn't your thing. You're a beautiful human being and I'll watch anything with you in it. Amen.
I think Kindt and Reeves (probably mostly Kindt) did a pretty good job and fans will more than likely enjoy this.
July 21, 2022
This is John Wick: Eternal Warrior. B. is an immortal that has lived for 80,000 years and can't be killed. However, he needs to keep fighting to keep from going into a berserker rage so berserk, vowels are jettisoned to the wayside. We've seen this story before in comics. Old Guard, Eternal Warrior, Wolverine, Vandal Savage, so on and so on all the way back to Gilgamesh. The only difference here is the hyper-violence. The book is chock full of page after page of gore and dismemberments. There are so many pages of it that I became numb to the panels, even though Ron Garney does a fabulous job of illustrating this. Maybe by the time this is done there will be a story here, but right now it's mainly just intense amounts of random violence and electrified vajayjays.
Received a review copy from Boom and NetGalley
Received a review copy from Boom and NetGalley
October 9, 2021
Keanu Reeves plays a character so tough he killed all the vowels in his book’s title! Want to read a comic that rips out the spine of good taste and murderizes subtlety with it before dancing in the blood of restraint? Disappointed that no comic out there caters to the FBI watch list crowd for deranged psychopaths? Worry not, my soon-to-be-suicided-by-cop friend - BRZRKR is here for YOU!
I’m not sure why Keanu Reeves has decided now is the time to embark on a comics career - maybe he thought he’d publish the storyboards of his next project and make some extra cash that way (ie. the Mark Millar school of comics) - but here we are with what is essentially a story about John Wick with Wolverine’s healing factor.
Novelty Neo aside, it’s not that great. It’s one extended hyper violent action scene after another which gets banal and repetitive pretty quick, not least because B. (the imaginative name for Keanu’s character) is unstoppable so it’s hardly tense or gripping reading. B. is 80,000 years old (he looks great for his age, like Keanu) and the sliver of a story that’s here is B. trying to find a way to die for good, which involves talking to a psychiatrist apparently.
That angle is only half-heartedly pursued though as the main point of the book seems to be having Keanu killing a LOT of dudes, either in the present day or caveman times, for no real reason other than he can. And, though I found the action tiresome after a while, the bloodiness is so absurdly over-the-top that it made me laugh occasionally.
How to ensure a guy doesn’t throw away a grenade after you pull the pin? Simples - hold the grenade against the man until it blows up! B.’s healing factor means his arm grows back but the guy stays dead! Out of stabby things? Punch into a man’s torso, tear out a rib and stab the other man with it! Want to stop a bullet? Put your hand over the muzzle! It’s coconuts, brah.
Kudos to artist Ron Garney for his work on this book, bringing the non-stop carnage to life so well. The action is easy to follow because of his fine cartooning and the epic scale of Keanu’s violent fantasy is fully realised thanks to him. If this book succeeds at all, it’s entirely due to his talents.
I liked the nod to the Sad Keanu meme from a few years ago on the first page and I’d’ve preferred to see more playful references to Keanu in the book - I mean, there wasn’t even a single “woah”! And how B. came to be born is hilariously stupid too, though the caveman stuff in general didn’t do anything for me - I’m not a huge Conan the Barbarian fan, and that seems to be the audience for this part of the book.
BRZRKR, Volume 1 wasn’t for me - it looks great, it’s easy to read, some of it is amusing, but it’s way too much gratuitously pointless action and not enough story. Keanu enthusiasts might enjoy it purely for his involvement, as might the readers of Conan the Barbarian and Valiant’s Eternal Warrior, the latter of which this comic is basically ripping off completely!
I’m not sure why Keanu Reeves has decided now is the time to embark on a comics career - maybe he thought he’d publish the storyboards of his next project and make some extra cash that way (ie. the Mark Millar school of comics) - but here we are with what is essentially a story about John Wick with Wolverine’s healing factor.
Novelty Neo aside, it’s not that great. It’s one extended hyper violent action scene after another which gets banal and repetitive pretty quick, not least because B. (the imaginative name for Keanu’s character) is unstoppable so it’s hardly tense or gripping reading. B. is 80,000 years old (he looks great for his age, like Keanu) and the sliver of a story that’s here is B. trying to find a way to die for good, which involves talking to a psychiatrist apparently.
That angle is only half-heartedly pursued though as the main point of the book seems to be having Keanu killing a LOT of dudes, either in the present day or caveman times, for no real reason other than he can. And, though I found the action tiresome after a while, the bloodiness is so absurdly over-the-top that it made me laugh occasionally.
How to ensure a guy doesn’t throw away a grenade after you pull the pin? Simples - hold the grenade against the man until it blows up! B.’s healing factor means his arm grows back but the guy stays dead! Out of stabby things? Punch into a man’s torso, tear out a rib and stab the other man with it! Want to stop a bullet? Put your hand over the muzzle! It’s coconuts, brah.
Kudos to artist Ron Garney for his work on this book, bringing the non-stop carnage to life so well. The action is easy to follow because of his fine cartooning and the epic scale of Keanu’s violent fantasy is fully realised thanks to him. If this book succeeds at all, it’s entirely due to his talents.
I liked the nod to the Sad Keanu meme from a few years ago on the first page and I’d’ve preferred to see more playful references to Keanu in the book - I mean, there wasn’t even a single “woah”! And how B. came to be born is hilariously stupid too, though the caveman stuff in general didn’t do anything for me - I’m not a huge Conan the Barbarian fan, and that seems to be the audience for this part of the book.
BRZRKR, Volume 1 wasn’t for me - it looks great, it’s easy to read, some of it is amusing, but it’s way too much gratuitously pointless action and not enough story. Keanu enthusiasts might enjoy it purely for his involvement, as might the readers of Conan the Barbarian and Valiant’s Eternal Warrior, the latter of which this comic is basically ripping off completely!
October 7, 2021
Starting on this volume, which contains the first third of a planned 12-issue series, I expected there to be close to no story, in a negative sense. The surprising thing is that I ended up wishing there was no story at all, with no narration and little dialogue, just gloopy oodles of ultraviolence.
Because there are quite super amounts of ultraviolence. In fact, there is so much of it, a flurry of red slurry, it quickly becomes visually dull. It doesn't help that the main character is immortal, making every violent encounter completely devoid of tension.
This could've been a chance to get creative with the violent antics, but that doesn't happen either. If you've seen one horse's head ripped off, or one fist punched through someone's head, you've seen em all.
Then there is the story, which feels derivative, most blatantly of The Old Guard. There's quite some narration, which made me think how much more powerful of a statement this could've been without any narration, and the barest of words spoken.
The main character is a duller version of John Wick. There barely are other characters.
So yes, this does feel like a storyboard for a Netflix series, and personally, I hate it when comics do that. Be a great comic first and foremost - don't be so desperate to be something else.
(Thanks to Boom Studios for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
October 27, 2021
The book all my friends are reading but no one is raving about.
The book whose title looks like a red state personalized license plate.
The book written by Keanu Reeves and starring Keanu Reeves as Keanun the Barbarian.
Frankly, I was won over the second the sad Keanu meme showed up on the first page.
Immortal Keanun -- oh, wait, make that immortal Unute has spent thousands of years slaughtering people. He continues to do the same in the present day as "Subject B" with much blood, gore (so much brain matter splattering about!), and brooding. Such a sad Keanu! But scientists are supposedly helping him between bloodbaths to recover memories (so many, so sad, so bloody) and determine how he could claim the mortality he desires.
If you liked John Wick or just like watching Keanu hanging out, I think you'll enjoy this well enough. I did.
The book whose title looks like a red state personalized license plate.
The book written by Keanu Reeves and starring Keanu Reeves as Keanun the Barbarian.
Frankly, I was won over the second the sad Keanu meme showed up on the first page.
Immortal Keanun -- oh, wait, make that immortal Unute has spent thousands of years slaughtering people. He continues to do the same in the present day as "Subject B" with much blood, gore (so much brain matter splattering about!), and brooding. Such a sad Keanu! But scientists are supposedly helping him between bloodbaths to recover memories (so many, so sad, so bloody) and determine how he could claim the mortality he desires.
If you liked John Wick or just like watching Keanu hanging out, I think you'll enjoy this well enough. I did.
July 21, 2022
I found out about and read the first issue of this comic series last year because I really loved the John Wick movies and the main character here is a berserker modelled after Keanu Reeves (he's also the co-writer of this story).
The story is that of the perfect human weapon. Or is he human? Well, he looks human - to some degree. But he apparently cannot die. He tried, according to the flashbacks we get from him. For 76,000 years. Yep, you read that correctly.
He was born in a village that got raided every year until their leading pair had had enough. The female village leader went into a cave and "prayed to the gods" - and they (or "he") answered. She woke up pregnant and gave birth after only 60 days. The kid also grew up in record time, but it was obvious soon that this "child" was bloodthirsty. In fact, he was unable to talk whenever he was in one of his states.
Nevertheless, once the rage comes over him, he is a formidable weapon. The problem? It's not what he wants.
Ever since then, people from various countries have tried to figure him out over the centuries because they wanna harness his genetic code, of course. The latest in this long line are the US government and their eggheads. But who knows what their real deal is.
This is a comic you better not expect too deep a story from. Which is fine by me. I was here for blood and gore and boy, did I get enough of that!
On to the next volume! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! ;P
The story is that of the perfect human weapon. Or is he human? Well, he looks human - to some degree. But he apparently cannot die. He tried, according to the flashbacks we get from him. For 76,000 years. Yep, you read that correctly.
He was born in a village that got raided every year until their leading pair had had enough. The female village leader went into a cave and "prayed to the gods" - and they (or "he") answered. She woke up pregnant and gave birth after only 60 days. The kid also grew up in record time, but it was obvious soon that this "child" was bloodthirsty. In fact, he was unable to talk whenever he was in one of his states.
Nevertheless, once the rage comes over him, he is a formidable weapon. The problem? It's not what he wants.
Ever since then, people from various countries have tried to figure him out over the centuries because they wanna harness his genetic code, of course. The latest in this long line are the US government and their eggheads. But who knows what their real deal is.
This is a comic you better not expect too deep a story from. Which is fine by me. I was here for blood and gore and boy, did I get enough of that!
On to the next volume! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! ;P
February 23, 2024
Now that was extreme, extremely violent and bloody. I knew what I was getting myself into, but still ... wow ... rarely seen so much red color at once.
The plot is pretty slow, there is almost no development. Considering that this edition consists of the first four parts, I'm quite glad I didn't buy the individual issues. Otherwise, as usual, I would still have had hope after the third part. But now I'm so bored and unfortunately so annoyed by the cliffhanger that I won't continue reading.
The best thing about this volume are the portraits at the end. They give off a nice John Wick vibe. I love John Wick ... 🖤😍🖤
The plot is pretty slow, there is almost no development. Considering that this edition consists of the first four parts, I'm quite glad I didn't buy the individual issues. Otherwise, as usual, I would still have had hope after the third part. But now I'm so bored and unfortunately so annoyed by the cliffhanger that I won't continue reading.
The best thing about this volume are the portraits at the end. They give off a nice John Wick vibe. I love John Wick ... 🖤😍🖤
July 21, 2022
Action, gore-filled comic featuring an 80k-year-old Keanu Reeves.
Really, people, it's a totally angry and tired immortal written by and featuring Keanu. Sorry, I mean, Tool/Weapon. :) And that's what he is in the comic, a tool by the US Gov but a tool since his birth 80k years ago, never dying, fed on bloodshed, and now just wanting to be mortal.
This first volume contains his present and his earliest days and is pretty simple, but the artwork is cool and the tone is perfect. It remains to be seen if it goes from competent to brilliant, but I'm here for it.
Really, people, it's a totally angry and tired immortal written by and featuring Keanu. Sorry, I mean, Tool/Weapon. :) And that's what he is in the comic, a tool by the US Gov but a tool since his birth 80k years ago, never dying, fed on bloodshed, and now just wanting to be mortal.
This first volume contains his present and his earliest days and is pretty simple, but the artwork is cool and the tone is perfect. It remains to be seen if it goes from competent to brilliant, but I'm here for it.
November 10, 2021
BRZRKR Vol.1 does not have much to offer on the narrative angle, however, it is filled with vibrant art that screams action, violence and gore-fest. It's not a great book, neither a bad one - it's just too shallow - that I hope improves going forward.
Now I really hope they get to adapt this into a movie and let it explode into big screens - I mean who doesn't want a Logan, John Wick and Old Guard-esque (to the power of) pure barbaric movie mashup.
Now I really hope they get to adapt this into a movie and let it explode into big screens - I mean who doesn't want a Logan, John Wick and Old Guard-esque (to the power of) pure barbaric movie mashup.
December 2, 2022
An absolute blood-fest of a book, BRZRKR introduces readers to an ancient warrior who can't die and who is driven to kill by an internal impulse he's had since birth.
Honestly, for a first book from actor Keanu Reeves, this wasn't too bad.
If you can get past the gratuitous violence, it has some great themes- the hero's birth and crossing the threshold of manhood, the death of the parents or guardians, the eternal war of the uncivilized portion of the psyche and the civilized part.
As a first book in a series, it introduces the main character very well. The method it uses is war and the panels are drenched in red. After a couple pages, I just started skimming for the words because the art was starting to gross me out.
I am most likely not the intended audience for this book, but that didn't stop me from jumping into it. I've never let a little thing like not being the intended audience hold me back.
Recommended for adults only. In fact, the library I borrowed this book from has a Rated-R sticker on the spine to warn readers of its contents. They nailed that. Way to go, librarians!
Honestly, for a first book from actor Keanu Reeves, this wasn't too bad.
If you can get past the gratuitous violence, it has some great themes- the hero's birth and crossing the threshold of manhood, the death of the parents or guardians, the eternal war of the uncivilized portion of the psyche and the civilized part.
As a first book in a series, it introduces the main character very well. The method it uses is war and the panels are drenched in red. After a couple pages, I just started skimming for the words because the art was starting to gross me out.
I am most likely not the intended audience for this book, but that didn't stop me from jumping into it. I've never let a little thing like not being the intended audience hold me back.
Recommended for adults only. In fact, the library I borrowed this book from has a Rated-R sticker on the spine to warn readers of its contents. They nailed that. Way to go, librarians!
September 23, 2022
Huh...ok then. I've seen my GR friends talk about this comic (Anne actually drew my attention to it). So I read the first volume. It introduces this, so far, unnamed character who seems to be unkillable. He later implies he is immortal.
This immortal goes out on a special military operation to capture/kill a South American dictator. Along the way, he goes full John Wick on anything and anyone who is in opposition. The story has some potential, as hints are dropped as to who/what the character is. The violence is also quite high and it is rather gory. None of this is really a problem- but the art? Meh.
I would be interested in the story and the rest of this series, but seriously Keanu get a better artist. This looks like an amateur artist who was inspired by John Romita Jr. Not a good thing. So mediocre art, a decent enough story (for what is essentially a gore-fest opener) combine to make this a two star.
Maybe as the story fills out we will know more. But the art hampers this comic. I'm honestly in no rush for volume two and shall get my Keanu Reeves kicks via film (no not the wretched Matrix cash grab reboot) instead.
This immortal goes out on a special military operation to capture/kill a South American dictator. Along the way, he goes full John Wick on anything and anyone who is in opposition. The story has some potential, as hints are dropped as to who/what the character is. The violence is also quite high and it is rather gory. None of this is really a problem- but the art? Meh.
I would be interested in the story and the rest of this series, but seriously Keanu get a better artist. This looks like an amateur artist who was inspired by John Romita Jr. Not a good thing. So mediocre art, a decent enough story (for what is essentially a gore-fest opener) combine to make this a two star.
Maybe as the story fills out we will know more. But the art hampers this comic. I'm honestly in no rush for volume two and shall get my Keanu Reeves kicks via film (no not the wretched Matrix cash grab reboot) instead.
September 5, 2023
Do not choose to read BRZRKR
if you are okay with violence. Choose this book if you love graphical violence at an extreme level.
The artwork is unlike anything I have seen and it can shake some young hearts.
As for the story, it's too good. I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Welcome to DARKNESS.
Age Restriction : 21+
if you are okay with violence. Choose this book if you love graphical violence at an extreme level.
The artwork is unlike anything I have seen and it can shake some young hearts.
As for the story, it's too good. I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Welcome to DARKNESS.
Age Restriction : 21+
July 17, 2022
*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 disbeliefs 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 name 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.
October 8, 2021
Imagine John Wick has been John Wick-ing people for 80,000 years, and that's what you get with this series.
This reminded me a lot of The Old Guard but I tried to put the similarities aside and ultimately found myself enjoying it more...probably because I read half the narration blurbs in Keanu Reeve's voice, of course.
February 22, 2022
Bullet Review:
The man of the 90's, Neo himself, wrote this, probably one of the most 90's nostalgic pieces I have seen in a hot minute. There are Manly Men, plenty of Gore and Violence, and waxing poetic on how meaningless life is.
Of all the celebrity comics I've read, this is quite possibly the best - that said, I still don't think it's all that great. Mostly the comic relies on the sheer quantity of gore and violence and comic versions of Keanu's ripped abs (not complaining BTW).
Just know what to expect when you are going into this and you will be happy. I mean, I watch a lot of junk movies and TV and listen to a lot of crap music because it makes me happy.
The man of the 90's, Neo himself, wrote this, probably one of the most 90's nostalgic pieces I have seen in a hot minute. There are Manly Men, plenty of Gore and Violence, and waxing poetic on how meaningless life is.
Of all the celebrity comics I've read, this is quite possibly the best - that said, I still don't think it's all that great. Mostly the comic relies on the sheer quantity of gore and violence and comic versions of Keanu's ripped abs (not complaining BTW).
Just know what to expect when you are going into this and you will be happy. I mean, I watch a lot of junk movies and TV and listen to a lot of crap music because it makes me happy.
October 28, 2021
Buddy read with some of the best Goodreads buddies out there and my favorite comic nerds. - I've heard a lot of references to Old Guard: Opening Fire when it comes to premise and I think that's close enough. While I wasn't in love with that one either, it may have the more interesting premise.
Keanu Reeves will always and forever hold a special place in my geriatric-Millennial heart, but someone needed to help him flesh this story out. Pun intended. This is one of the goriest things I've ever read and it starts out like "Ok, right on, that's the tone let's see where this goes," but you pretty quickly learn it isn't going anywhere. Where this book stops and tries to set up the next volume should probably have been 1/2 way or 3/4 of the way through this one as it gets really repetitive. The main character, which is just Keanu Reeves as a comic character (I'm on board) set in the ancient past as the child of a tribes woman some sort of lightning god?? She has sex with lighting and gets electrocuted in her lady bits and Ron Garney decided to illustrate her ovaries getting lit up like a pinball machine??
Matt Kindt may be the real criminal in this whole enterprise, but who knows how much pen-to-paper work he actually had to do here. As a comic this is mildly entertaining. As a parade of variant covers no one asked for all trying to find ways to draw Keanu covered in blood, weapons, and bloody weapons it's a masterclass. - so. many. variants.
Don't read this. Go watch John Wick or My Own Private Idaho or A Scanner Darkly. All better ways to use your time and get your Reeves fix.
June 6, 2023
Brutal. Very brutal.
Definitely not for the squeamish, this one: the art is all blood and bones and eyeballs and violent red slashes. Gruesome, though it's a sketchy kind of style so it's not quite as confronting.
The story is fantastic and I was hooked immediately - our protagonist is a violent, unkillable man who wants to die. He's working with a scientist to dig further into his past and figure out a cure. Meantime, he's the military's secret weapon - just as he has been for many cultures over the past 80,000 years.
I really enjoyed this story. There is a lot of empathy in learning about his past, and there is real grit here beyond all the blood and guts.
Artwork wasn't my favourite but it does work really well for this story. I think a more realistic style would have won me over completely but as it stands it was a great, brutal read that I very much enjoyed.
Too short though! Keen for Vol 2.
Definitely not for the squeamish, this one: the art is all blood and bones and eyeballs and violent red slashes. Gruesome, though it's a sketchy kind of style so it's not quite as confronting.
The story is fantastic and I was hooked immediately - our protagonist is a violent, unkillable man who wants to die. He's working with a scientist to dig further into his past and figure out a cure. Meantime, he's the military's secret weapon - just as he has been for many cultures over the past 80,000 years.
I really enjoyed this story. There is a lot of empathy in learning about his past, and there is real grit here beyond all the blood and guts.
Artwork wasn't my favourite but it does work really well for this story. I think a more realistic style would have won me over completely but as it stands it was a great, brutal read that I very much enjoyed.
Too short though! Keen for Vol 2.
October 14, 2024
I'm on a bit of a Keanu Reeves kick. I recently finally got around to watching John Wick, I have the newest Matrix sequel lying on my coffee table waiting to be viewed, and I'm trying to convince the family to watch Bill & Ted for a movie night. It all started when I read The Book of Elsewhere at the end of the summer. When I realized it was a novelization of BRSRKR (not a straight adaptation but the foundation is all there), I made plans to borrow the graphic novels from the library too.
This has . . . a lot of guts, and brains, and blood and general pink blobby innards dramatically spraying everywhere. It's good. It's also a lot. At some point you're like, okay, I get it, splish splash carnage. The story of Unute/B slowly builds up amidst all of this. I think reading the novel first muted the experience of the story because I have already experienced all the parts shown in this volume.
The artwork is good, easy to follow and well suited to the material. It's surely mere coincidence that the main character looks like Reeves.
This has . . . a lot of guts, and brains, and blood and general pink blobby innards dramatically spraying everywhere. It's good. It's also a lot. At some point you're like, okay, I get it, splish splash carnage. The story of Unute/B slowly builds up amidst all of this. I think reading the novel first muted the experience of the story because I have already experienced all the parts shown in this volume.
The artwork is good, easy to follow and well suited to the material. It's surely mere coincidence that the main character looks like Reeves.
September 23, 2022
It is what it says in the front. A berserker unleashed for war. His natural instinct natured through his formative years, he has been fighting through his looking life.
The first chapter is sprint through his latest mission single handedly taking out a whole army to destroy a dictator.
There are little bits of story, but thus book is all out violence. Ever wonder what John Wicks would be lije with Wolverine's healing factor and born in the barbarian and natured in the barbarian age. Here it is.
B know how he is being used as much as he is using his employers to quell his need for violence. However has me made a friend or is this another betrayal to come? Great cover gallery at the back with A4 spread of the issue covers.
The first chapter is sprint through his latest mission single handedly taking out a whole army to destroy a dictator.
There are little bits of story, but thus book is all out violence. Ever wonder what John Wicks would be lije with Wolverine's healing factor and born in the barbarian and natured in the barbarian age. Here it is.
B know how he is being used as much as he is using his employers to quell his need for violence. However has me made a friend or is this another betrayal to come? Great cover gallery at the back with A4 spread of the issue covers.
January 13, 2022
More like 2.5 Reading this was similar to the experience of watching the third John Wick movie. Fight after fight until I was numb and bored and this is pretty much the same thing. I didn’t find the art engaging and though the story was initially interesting about a third of the way through it loses steam. Won’t likely move on with the series. But the concept and Keanu Reeves had potential.
June 5, 2024
This wasn't a bad graphic novel. It just wasn't the type of graphic novel that I enjoy. It mostly centered around brutality with a story hidden beneath all of that brutality. I can see some people really enjoying the crazed man who can kill anything but cannot be killed. It just wasn't for me.
October 27, 2021
The biggest comic book event of the year is Keanu Reeves’s BRZRKR. While there has always been celebrity tie ins from Alice Cooper and KISS to CM Punk and the Ultimate Warrior to Kevin Smith and George Romero to Brandon Sanderson and Orson Scott Card to Gerard Way and Joss Whedon among many others. Various levels of involvement and talent.
But this is different. It’s 2021 now and for once, comics needs Keanu more than Keanu needs comics.
So we have BRZRKR a project starring Keanu as written by Keanu (with an assist from established comic writer Matt Kindt) surely pictured for the big screen.
It’s not particularly original- a mixture of some well worn tropes. It’s a mix of John Wick with some Conan the Barbarian and some Wolverine and Immortal/Vampire tropes which bring to mind the Old Guard series.
Of course, while no one is going to say a Big Mac is better than an expensive steak, and yet, McDonalds stays busy every night.
BRZRKR is essentially what it is, but in that, it’s rather successful. There’s no doubt, a good reason for that is Ron Garney whose art takes the story to cinematic heights. Kindt finds a nice balance in the action to get some character and story in.
It is not unlike a Mark Millar comic, which I suppose isn’t that surprising, in that it pushes the adrenaline. In this, it is also hyper violent. We’re talking absurdly violent. Violent to the point that the eye starts to skip over it.
With these drawbacks, it’s not a bad comic. It does in four issues what most comic books set to do. Who is this Berzerker? Who created him and what are the government’s plans for him?
So what’s the final verdict? Well, for starters, even at middle age, I still can cave into peer pressure (not that there was anything particularly dangerous about reading this comic. If anything, it was a nice palate cleanser after Tom King’s Strange Adventures). You see?
I was prepared not to like this, but I wasn’t prepared to like it. Which I did. Like a good action film, it might be simple but it was an enjoyable enough way to past the time.
That said, there are things that will take a good action movie and take it to being a great movie- characterization, dialogue, plot and though we are just at the beginning of the story, I don’t think we will get to that level.
But there you have it. Not so bad if you're into the work of Mark Millar or a bit of Frank Miller. Otherwise, eh, you probably can guess if you will like it or not.
But this is different. It’s 2021 now and for once, comics needs Keanu more than Keanu needs comics.
So we have BRZRKR a project starring Keanu as written by Keanu (with an assist from established comic writer Matt Kindt) surely pictured for the big screen.
It’s not particularly original- a mixture of some well worn tropes. It’s a mix of John Wick with some Conan the Barbarian and some Wolverine and Immortal/Vampire tropes which bring to mind the Old Guard series.
Of course, while no one is going to say a Big Mac is better than an expensive steak, and yet, McDonalds stays busy every night.
BRZRKR is essentially what it is, but in that, it’s rather successful. There’s no doubt, a good reason for that is Ron Garney whose art takes the story to cinematic heights. Kindt finds a nice balance in the action to get some character and story in.
It is not unlike a Mark Millar comic, which I suppose isn’t that surprising, in that it pushes the adrenaline. In this, it is also hyper violent. We’re talking absurdly violent. Violent to the point that the eye starts to skip over it.
With these drawbacks, it’s not a bad comic. It does in four issues what most comic books set to do. Who is this Berzerker? Who created him and what are the government’s plans for him?
So what’s the final verdict? Well, for starters, even at middle age, I still can cave into peer pressure (not that there was anything particularly dangerous about reading this comic. If anything, it was a nice palate cleanser after Tom King’s Strange Adventures). You see?
I was prepared not to like this, but I wasn’t prepared to like it. Which I did. Like a good action film, it might be simple but it was an enjoyable enough way to past the time.
That said, there are things that will take a good action movie and take it to being a great movie- characterization, dialogue, plot and though we are just at the beginning of the story, I don’t think we will get to that level.
But there you have it. Not so bad if you're into the work of Mark Millar or a bit of Frank Miller. Otherwise, eh, you probably can guess if you will like it or not.
June 21, 2023
This was much better than I was expecting.
I mean, it's written by a movie star, possibly "written" for all I know, since Matt Kindt's name is also on it. And the main character seems to bear at least a superficial resemblance to Reeves. Given all of the other novels and graphic novels with celebrities' names on them, I'm think I can be pardoned for expecting some hackneyed self-insertion trash.
Anyway, it's good. Color me surprised. Pleasantly so. Clearly I was wrong, and Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover, &c.
So B. has been alive for thousands of years, and is seemingly immortal. He appears to periodically go into raging berserker mode, killing indiscriminately. With effort, he can keep this rage in check, but eventually has to let it out. He's currently a guest of the US military. They're apparently trying to figure out what makes him tick, and send him on dangerous missions when he feels the need to rage coming on. After 79,000 years (not a typo), he mostly just wants a way to stop.
This is volume one, so it's mostly just about setting up the situation and introducing the characters. Based on the end, we're going to get some important revelations in volume two.
As I said, this was better than I was expecting. B. is an interesting character, and you care about him by the end of the book. Yes, there's quite a bit of graphic violence, though I don't think I'd characterize any of it as gratuitous.
It appears that BRZRKR is a pleasing exception to the usual celebrity fiction rules. As such, it is recommended!
I mean, it's written by a movie star, possibly "written" for all I know, since Matt Kindt's name is also on it. And the main character seems to bear at least a superficial resemblance to Reeves. Given all of the other novels and graphic novels with celebrities' names on them, I'm think I can be pardoned for expecting some hackneyed self-insertion trash.
Anyway, it's good. Color me surprised. Pleasantly so. Clearly I was wrong, and Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover, &c.
So B. has been alive for thousands of years, and is seemingly immortal. He appears to periodically go into raging berserker mode, killing indiscriminately. With effort, he can keep this rage in check, but eventually has to let it out. He's currently a guest of the US military. They're apparently trying to figure out what makes him tick, and send him on dangerous missions when he feels the need to rage coming on. After 79,000 years (not a typo), he mostly just wants a way to stop.
This is volume one, so it's mostly just about setting up the situation and introducing the characters. Based on the end, we're going to get some important revelations in volume two.
As I said, this was better than I was expecting. B. is an interesting character, and you care about him by the end of the book. Yes, there's quite a bit of graphic violence, though I don't think I'd characterize any of it as gratuitous.
It appears that BRZRKR is a pleasing exception to the usual celebrity fiction rules. As such, it is recommended!
July 7, 2024
Monotonous, unreasonably ever-brooding and soulless; anything and everything that Keanu Reeves is NOT.
I should go re-watch John Wick 4 to Purify my eyes.
I should go re-watch John Wick 4 to Purify my eyes.
December 31, 2021
My brain is working in two directions when it comes to Keanu Reeves BRZRKR, vol. 1. The first has to do with the man himself and the second has to do with the story. I'll talk about the latter first.
The Latter -- A stew of violence that mixes Highlander, Wolverine and Conan into one frothing broth of bloodiness, BRZRKR, vol. 1 doesn't even come close to matching its ingredients for tastiness, but that doesn't mean it is inedible. It may not fill you up on a Saturday afternoon, but it'll give you some sustenance and make you keen for a little more to eat. It helps that Keanu is the model for the beserker in question, B, because it becomes much easier to picture the live action version of the tale (which is in the works at Netflix), adding a little extra spice to the stew. Yet it remains difficult for me to give it a high recommendation. It's a diversion. A bloody, mildly interesting, well drawn, decently scripted diversion. But not much more.
The Former -- What I think is far more interesting is the other thoughts -- the thoughts about Keanu Reeves -- that BRZRKR, vol. 1 has conjured in me. Maybe I am wrong about the cultural moment that imagines Keanu as the finest, kindest, most down to earth star imaginable. Perhaps the narrative doesn't exist and I have merely imagined it, but without seeking anything out about Keanu, this is what I "know": that he is currently praised for dating someone who is age appropriate (and *GASP* even has grey hair!), that he is widely seen as a good man because of the simple way he lives his life, including his use of public transportation, that he is praised for being kind on sets, a pleasure to work with, and respectful of all the cast and crew (but shouldn't that be the bare minimum for all of us in every job?), and that he seems to have a total lack of ego. As I say, I could be wrong about this, but that is certainly the image of Keanu that I have osmosed over the last little while.
But having read BRZRKR, vol. 1 I can't help wondering if he is as amazing as we all seem to think. Some of those assumed positives I mentioned seem to have humility all wrapped up in them, but how much humility can a man have when he is writing about an indestructible demi-god and then adding his own face to the character? I'm going to venture ... not very much. And what about the idea that Reeves is a simple man, living well beneath his means? If that is true then Keanu has money to burn, so why on earth does he need a Kickstarter campaign to produce his pet project? He raised over one million dollars from fans, but surely he could have hired his collaborators and paid for publication on his own dime, without asking for money from hundreds of thousands of folks who surely have a fraction of what Keanu has.
Then there is his movie career. There are some cute parts mixed in, and some parts that are heavy on kindness, but most of Keanu's career has seen him as a purveyor of violence, often ultraviolence. From Johnny Utah to Neo, from Jack Traven to John Wick, Reeves plays violent killers, albeit violent killers with style, and now, with BRZRKR, vol. 1, Reeves has penned his own ultraviolent killer to make all of his other ultraviolent killers seem like Smurfs by comparison.
The Keanu Reeves we imagine should be using his superstardom to break down the Hollywood obsession with violence rather than reinforcing the obsession, but here he is giving us another "hero" who bathes in blood. None of this means that what our culture seems to think of Keanu Reeves is wrong. He may be all those things I mentioned before, but BRZRKR, vol. 1 suggests that he is much more complex than we seem to be convincing ourselves he is, and maybe what we need to recognize that this current myth of Keanu Nice Guy Extraordinaire is just that -- myth.
Keanu is man. Just a man.
The Latter -- A stew of violence that mixes Highlander, Wolverine and Conan into one frothing broth of bloodiness, BRZRKR, vol. 1 doesn't even come close to matching its ingredients for tastiness, but that doesn't mean it is inedible. It may not fill you up on a Saturday afternoon, but it'll give you some sustenance and make you keen for a little more to eat. It helps that Keanu is the model for the beserker in question, B, because it becomes much easier to picture the live action version of the tale (which is in the works at Netflix), adding a little extra spice to the stew. Yet it remains difficult for me to give it a high recommendation. It's a diversion. A bloody, mildly interesting, well drawn, decently scripted diversion. But not much more.
The Former -- What I think is far more interesting is the other thoughts -- the thoughts about Keanu Reeves -- that BRZRKR, vol. 1 has conjured in me. Maybe I am wrong about the cultural moment that imagines Keanu as the finest, kindest, most down to earth star imaginable. Perhaps the narrative doesn't exist and I have merely imagined it, but without seeking anything out about Keanu, this is what I "know": that he is currently praised for dating someone who is age appropriate (and *GASP* even has grey hair!), that he is widely seen as a good man because of the simple way he lives his life, including his use of public transportation, that he is praised for being kind on sets, a pleasure to work with, and respectful of all the cast and crew (but shouldn't that be the bare minimum for all of us in every job?), and that he seems to have a total lack of ego. As I say, I could be wrong about this, but that is certainly the image of Keanu that I have osmosed over the last little while.
But having read BRZRKR, vol. 1 I can't help wondering if he is as amazing as we all seem to think. Some of those assumed positives I mentioned seem to have humility all wrapped up in them, but how much humility can a man have when he is writing about an indestructible demi-god and then adding his own face to the character? I'm going to venture ... not very much. And what about the idea that Reeves is a simple man, living well beneath his means? If that is true then Keanu has money to burn, so why on earth does he need a Kickstarter campaign to produce his pet project? He raised over one million dollars from fans, but surely he could have hired his collaborators and paid for publication on his own dime, without asking for money from hundreds of thousands of folks who surely have a fraction of what Keanu has.
Then there is his movie career. There are some cute parts mixed in, and some parts that are heavy on kindness, but most of Keanu's career has seen him as a purveyor of violence, often ultraviolence. From Johnny Utah to Neo, from Jack Traven to John Wick, Reeves plays violent killers, albeit violent killers with style, and now, with BRZRKR, vol. 1, Reeves has penned his own ultraviolent killer to make all of his other ultraviolent killers seem like Smurfs by comparison.
The Keanu Reeves we imagine should be using his superstardom to break down the Hollywood obsession with violence rather than reinforcing the obsession, but here he is giving us another "hero" who bathes in blood. None of this means that what our culture seems to think of Keanu Reeves is wrong. He may be all those things I mentioned before, but BRZRKR, vol. 1 suggests that he is much more complex than we seem to be convincing ourselves he is, and maybe what we need to recognize that this current myth of Keanu Nice Guy Extraordinaire is just that -- myth.
Keanu is man. Just a man.
October 17, 2021
A little overhyped, but not nearly as bad as I would've expected.
Keanu doesn't make me think "he must be a great writer!", but his action chops are such that I can only imagine that he called the action panels and Kindt rewrote the dialogue to not sound terrible. And they found artists who were totally down to draw hamburger, eyeballs, shattered skulls and flailing intestines.
Result? A neither substantial nor insubstantial story about life as a 70k-year-old killing machine. (or rather, "stab them to death with their own rib you just ripped out of their abdomen" machine)
Anne, you seem to think this is a 20-minute read - so either your faculties are operating on a level far faster than my own, or you didn't even attempt to piece together a deeper meaning (or even coherent plot) in this book. I'm not saying there *are* such things in the story, but I *did* find it easier to get through this (it took me at least an hour) by assuming there's a bigger story to tell than "clawless Wolverine ravine-stomps every bipedal in existence".
I didn't mind the endless violence (did the colourist get a clearout price on red ink?), but that's probably a problem too - this had as much bodily destruction as the Crossed, Vol. 1 bone-chattering fantasies of Garth Ennis, but nowhere near the psychopathological horror - just seemed like BRZRKR dude calculated it'd cost less energy to explode someone's jaw than to step slightly to the right while walking by them.
A Shallow Comics Readers BuddyRead(tm)
Of a Very Special Episode
Keanu doesn't make me think "he must be a great writer!", but his action chops are such that I can only imagine that he called the action panels and Kindt rewrote the dialogue to not sound terrible. And they found artists who were totally down to draw hamburger, eyeballs, shattered skulls and flailing intestines.
Result? A neither substantial nor insubstantial story about life as a 70k-year-old killing machine. (or rather, "stab them to death with their own rib you just ripped out of their abdomen" machine)
Anne, you seem to think this is a 20-minute read - so either your faculties are operating on a level far faster than my own, or you didn't even attempt to piece together a deeper meaning (or even coherent plot) in this book. I'm not saying there *are* such things in the story, but I *did* find it easier to get through this (it took me at least an hour) by assuming there's a bigger story to tell than "clawless Wolverine ravine-stomps every bipedal in existence".
I didn't mind the endless violence (did the colourist get a clearout price on red ink?), but that's probably a problem too - this had as much bodily destruction as the Crossed, Vol. 1 bone-chattering fantasies of Garth Ennis, but nowhere near the psychopathological horror - just seemed like BRZRKR dude calculated it'd cost less energy to explode someone's jaw than to step slightly to the right while walking by them.
A Shallow Comics Readers BuddyRead(tm)
Of a Very Special Episode
November 3, 2021
Good vibrant art, minimal dialogue, fine flow, lots of gore (like, lots) — should have been more enjoyable than it was.
Keanu is an undying war-machine in this comic, he's been around for a gazillion years leading massacres, and now he just wants to die. He's remembering his primal days by the piecemeal, but none of that hairy, bloody cavemen jazz works for me. There's a weird air of fantastical mythos to the olden days and a strange sci-fi feel to the present day events. Potentially there is potential here.
Keanu is an undying war-machine in this comic, he's been around for a gazillion years leading massacres, and now he just wants to die. He's remembering his primal days by the piecemeal, but none of that hairy, bloody cavemen jazz works for me. There's a weird air of fantastical mythos to the olden days and a strange sci-fi feel to the present day events. Potentially there is potential here.
October 8, 2021
Päť tomu dávam, lebo to akosi splňuje všetko, čo potrebujem. Je tam zaujímavá hlavná postava, na konci menší zvrat, a miliarda krvi a vnútorností. Tie brutálne scény sú fakt brutálne a neviem sa dočkať, kam sa to celé vydá. Prvý paparback nám dá pohľad do backstory immortal warriora a načrte, o čom by to celé ďalej mohlo byť a ja sa naozaj teším.
December 12, 2021
Историята не блести с особена оригиналност, обаче артът е един път. Главите се търкалят като топки за боулинг по страниците, а крайниците и сърцата не остават по-назад, хвърчейки сред литри кръв около помлените торсове. Уви, долавям леко тромави моменти в превода, макар да няма кой знае колко текст. Това за мен си остава главният проблем при Артлайновци, инак сред най-любимите ми родни издатели. 3,5/5
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