Bloodrik #1 Advance Review: What Is Best In Life?

Writer/artist Andrew Krahnke launches Bloodrik #1 from Image Comics, a new take on a familiar barbarian story.

We reviewed the book on the Stack podcast. But in the interest of highlighting more about the title, here’s a summary of the conversation with our thoughts. And if you prefer the longer audio version, that’s below as well!

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Bloodrik #1 Advance Review:

In the first issue of this three-issue miniseries, we hear short tales of Bloodrik, a hulking barbarian wandering the snowy wilderness fighting animals. And sometimes humans, too. But mostly, just trying to survive.

Host Pete LePage loved the issue, calling out the general aura of mystery around Bloodrik, given we don’t find out a lot of information on him in the first issue. He was also impressed by the art, which depicted a lot of negative space with a “little hunter in this big world… There are some deep ideas happening… As far as the first issue, it’s pretty intense… The art’s really fantastic.”

Justin Tyler called it a cross between Usagi Yojimbo and Conan the Barbarian. He also appreciated the spareness of the storytelling. “So much of this issue is him being like, ‘I’m hungry, what do I do?’ And that’s something we can all identify with.”

Alex Zalben liked the “format” as various groups all tell tales of Bloodrik. “It is very classic Conan-style… But it really works here.” Like LePage, Zalben enjoyed the art, which he noted is “not quite as exaggerated as Steve Skroce, but it starts to get there… A nod in that direction. And I really liked giving it a snowy setting as well. It almost feels like it’s one of those Black, White, and Blood books that Marvel puts out… So if you’re looking for something like that, this is a fun one to check out when it comes out in December.”

Bloodrik #1 hits stores on December 6, 2023 from Image Comics.

Bloodrik #1 Official Synopsis:

Bloodrik is angry, confused, and starving. Unable to achieve success in his usual hunting grounds, he stomps his way into unfamiliar woods in an attempt to feed his stomach and heal his ego. What he finds will lead him on a journey of madness, violence, fire, and BLOOD!