THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #1, from Ablaze Publishing on 4/19/23, begins an adventure spanning the multiverse when infectious darkness threatens multiple kingdoms on multiple worlds, and an enchantress gathers the mightiest barbarians to stop it.
The Details
- Written by: Michael Moreci
- Art by: Giuseppe Cafaro
- Colors by: Giuseppe Cafaro
- Letters by: Giuseppe Cafaro
- Cover art by: Olivier Vatine
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: April 19, 2023
Is It Good?
If we had to describe THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #1 in a single line or two, it would be the barbarian version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Imagine famous barbarians and warriors from across legend and literature brought together from across the multiverse to stop a threat spreading to all worlds, and that’s the idea behind THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #1.
Is it good? The issue has a bumpy start with some unpleasantly stiff dialog in the first few pages, but once the story picks up momentum, and you realize what’s going on with the team assembly, it gets much better. Early dialog stiffness aside, Michael Moreci’s pacing is excellent, there’s plenty of sword-slashing, axe-throwing action to keep your eyeballs engaged, the dialog does get better, and the character introductions are a surprising treat.
No spoilers here on the who’s who of this particular fellowship, but every member is recognizable. Some are twisted versions of the characters you thought you knew, and seeing how these characters will work together in a team ratchets-up the anticipation for the next issue considerably.
Giuseppe Cafaro’s art is strong, gritty, and powerful in all the right ways for a sword & sandal epic. We’re accustomed to Cafaro’s work from a recent run on Red Sonja for Dynamite Comics, and it’s not clear what super-juice Cafaro is drinking, but this work is massively better than what Cafaro delivered on Red Sonja. The line work is sharper, the character designs and facial acting are more detailed, and the overall look of this issue is spot-on for this genre of storytelling. Kudos to Cafaro for demonstrating a big step up in quality.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a barbarian named Thongor approaching an ancient temple to rescue a wizard who may or may not be possessed by evil magic. When Thongor finds his wizard friends, he finds things are worse than he imagined.
Elsewhere, Morgan Le Fay approaches King Arthur with a unique gift. She’s captured one of the demonic hordes ravaging Camelot, hordes who used to be regular people but are now possessed by evil magic and directed by an unseen mastermind. When Arthur questions the wisdom of bringing one of the infected into Camelot, Morgan reveals she has learned the possessions are spreading across multiple worlds, and she has the plan to gather the mightiest warriors of each world under threat.
We conclude the issue with a multiversal road trip to recruit many familiar faces.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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THE MIGHTY BARBARIANS #1 delivers an intriguing twist on the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen concept by bringing together the most powerful fighters from across time and myth to fight an evil that threatens the multiverse. The issue has a stiff start, but once the story gets moving, there’s a surprise on every page, elevated by some of Cafaro’s best artwork.
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