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About Brzrkr
Published by Boom Studios, BRZRKR is an incredibly violent comic book created by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt and artist Ron Garney. Spread out over 12 issues, there's an epic combo of mythology, science fiction, fantasy, immortality and hyper-violence at play here.
It follows on B, an ageless immortal warrior who has lived for over 80,000 years, cursed with an uncontrollable thirst for violence. However, in the present day he works as a government operative on the most dangerous missions in exchange for help on how he can one day end his life. It's incredibly complex, filled with panel-to-panel fun and gore. Lots of gore.
After a recent re-read I began to think about other comics like BRZRKR and how there must be others out there. So here's our list of comics to checkout if you like Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt's Brzrkr comic book series.
The Old Guard
Published by Image Comics, The Old Guard is a comic book series written by Greg Rucka with art by Leandro Fernández. It follows a group of immortal warriors who have lived through centuries of conflict, honing their combat skills and grappling with the moral complexities of their prolonged existence.
The Old Guard focuses on Andy (aka Andromache of Scythia), the group's leader, who has been alive for millennia. Alongside her are other immortals: Booker, Joe, and Nicky. Each of them have their own tragic backstories which involve intense emotional pain and loss. The team operates as a covert mercenary squad, taking on dangerous missions in exchange for a significant payday.
The Savage Sword of Conan
Originally published by Marvel Comics, Titan Comics have recently taken up the mantle of publishing The Savage Sword of Conan in a magazine style comic book format. It focuses on the adventures of Conan the Barbarian, a fierce warrior created by author Robert E. Howard.
Set in the Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era, the stories of Conan often pit him against ruthless warlords, monstrous creatures, scheming sorcerers, and treacherous political plots. Even to this day, The Savage Sword of Conan continues to be praised for its mature approach to comic book storytelling.
East of West
Published by Image Comics, East of West is a genre-defying comic book series written by Jonathan Hickman and with artwork by Nick Dragotta. It's a comic book which incorporates elements of science fiction, Westerns, dystopian politics, and apocalyptic prophecy.
A comic book with ambitious scope, rich in complex world building and with deeply emotional themes, East of West offers a gripping tale of love, vengeance, and the end of the world. It's perfect for fans of stories about an alternate earth or an impending apocalypse.
TMNT: The Last Ronin
Published by IDW Publishing, TMNT: The Last Ronin is created by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and Tom Waltz. It's a dark, emotionally charged comic book series set in a dystopian future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe which offers a gritty reimagining of the beloved TMNT characters, blending action, tragedy, and redemption. It's seen by many fans as a spiritual successor to the original TMNT comics.
The series takes place in a future where most of the Turtles and their allies have been killed. Only one surviving Turtle remains, referred to as the Last Ronin, and he's on a mission to avenge his fallen family and take down the tyrannical Oroku Hiroto, the grandson of Shredder, who rules over a dystopian New York City.
Dead Romans
Published by Image Comics, Dead Romans is a six-issue mini-series written by Fred Kennedy and with artwork by Nick Marinkovich. It's set during the early days of the Roman Empire and focuses on Arminius, a Germanic prince who was raised in Rome.
Disillusioned by the Empire's brutal conquests, Arminius vows to exact vengeance against Rome for the atrocities committed against his people. His personal mission is intertwined with his love for Honoria, a fellow slave whom he aspires to elevate to the status of queen. To achieve this, Arminius orchestrates a rebellion that leads to a catastrophic battle where fifty thousand Roman soldiers die. All of this is in pursuit of a throne Honoria neither sought nor desired.
Eternal Warrior
Published by Valiant Entertainment, Eternal Warrior is about an immortal hero named Gilad Anni-Padda whose immortality is tied to a powerful artifact known as the Geomancer. According to the Eternal Warrior lore, the Geomancer can be a mystical person or force which is responsible for guiding and protecting the earth.
Like most immortal beings, Gilad's endless life is both a gift and a curse. Everyone he's got close to has grown old and died so his past is marked by tragedy, pain and loss. Despite this and unlike many other immortal comic book characters, he's not invincible and can be killed so that's always a constant threat as he attempts to protect the Geomancer and, by default, the people of earth.
Eternal Warrior has been written and re-written a number of times since the character was first published so it's not unheard of for him to crossover to other well-known Valiant comic book characters including X-O Manowar and the Archer & Armstrong series. But due to his own agenda, he often switches between powerful ally and formidable adversary, depending on what the storyline demands.
Post Americana
Published by Image Comics, Post Americana is a post-apocalyptic comic book series written and illustrated by Steve Skroce. A comic book which blends grim dystopia with satire, Post Americana takes place in a future that has torn apart by war, corruption and the collapse of civilisation.
The series focuses on main character, Janey, who is on a mission to avenge her family who were killed in a raiders attack. Her quest, however, is chaotic. Often running into warlords, dangerous mercenaries and treacherous humans who have their own agendas - which usually include killing her. Despite this, Post Americana is a road-trip of sorts littered with dark humour and danger at every turn as Janey gets closer to avenging her family.
It's grotesquely enjoyable thanks to Steve Skroce's distinctive artwork which displays his razor sharp wit, satirical leanings and gratuitous amounts of gore. While Skroce worked on storyboards for The Matrix, this comic book series is anything but. In fact, you're probably more to enjoy Post Americana if you're a fan of Judge Dredd or Mad Max - because this is one messy post-apocalyptic comic book tale.
Geiger
Published by Image Comics, Geiger is a post-apocalyptic comic book series written by Geoff Johns and with artwork by Gary Frank. The comic book is set against a backdrop of a dystopian future left ravaged by a devastating nuclear, referred to in the comic as the Great Poisoning.
The story focuses on its mysterious main character, Tariq Geiger, who many refer to him as the "Glowing Man" due to his intense radiactive glow he emits due to both his exposure to radiation and to when he uses his strength to dispense justice on those hurting the innocent. Due to this dynamic, there's an obvious blending of the post-apocalyptic and superhero themes. A dynamic which has been well received amongst comic book fans and collectors alike.
Tariq's world is marked by tragedy, just like all good superheroes, because despite surviving the Nuclear fallout. His wife and child certainly didn't and this consumes his every waking thought when he's not trying to help people. There's even a grim scene where you see their skeletons which is absolutely brutal and will tug at your heart-strings!
Something Is Killing the Children
Published by Boom Studios, Something Is Killing the Children is written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Werther Dell'Edera. The story blends elements of supernatural horror, dark mystery and relentless violence. Set in the fictional town of Archer's Peak, the story starts by following a mysterious monster hunter, Erica Slaughter, who confronts the monsters who are threatening the town and killing its children.
Eventually in the series, Erica is revealed to be part of a secret organisation, known as the House of Slaughter, whose sole mission is to hunt down and eliminate monsters that prey on children. Throughout the series, Erica must confront her own personal demons and trauma of being recruited by the House of Slaughter at a very young age and the death she must deal out to these inhuman beasts threatening the children.
Of course, her sudden appearance in Archer's Peak is met with fear, paranoia and distrust. But it's nothing compared to the eventual reveal of where the monsters originate from - and it has something to do with the children of Archer's Peak - but I'm not going to tell you what. You'll have to read it for yourself.
Bloodquest
Published in Warhammer Monthly between 1999 and 2003, Bloodquest was written by Gordon Rennie and illustrated by Colin MacNeil. Based on the Warhammer 40,000 lore and tabletop game, Bloodquest which follows Blood Angels Captain Leonatos, who is exiled for losing the Blade Encarmine (a powerful relic), during a battle with Orks. He would only be allowed back into the Blood Angels chapter if he is able to retrieve the relic, so begins his epic quest.
Joining him on this quest are eight loyal Blood Angel Space Marines. On this holy quest, Leonatos and is group of space marines encounter betrayal, endless warfare and the threat of corruption. There's also internal struggles within the characters which test their fealty, not only to the God-Emperor, but also to each other.
Fans of the Warhammer 40,000 are treated to smorgasbord of intense grimdark action as the space marine clash with enemies across the galaxy including Chaos Cultists, Orks, Daemons and they even encounter Fabius Bile (well, sort of). Highly recommended for fans of 2nd and 3rd edition Warhammer 40,000 or just about anyone who enjoys epic futuristic warfare. Thankfully, it's since been collected into three volumes of work so Bloodquest might be hard to track down but certainly not impossible.
Ax-Wielder Jon
Published independently, Ax-Wielder Jon is a humourously dark fantasy graphic novel created by Nick Pitarra. It's about a larger-than-life hero, Jon, who wields a ridiculously large battle-axe who embarks on a journey of self discovery - but to also avoid the the King who wants him dead.
Ax-Wielder Jon is filled with grotesque humour, dark magic, surreal imagery and morally bankrupt characters. Because of the outlandish nature of the story it's easy to see the story's content as a satirical take on fantasy sub-genres like High Fantasy and Dark Fantasy. But if you the idea of a comedic take on a fantasy story with plenty of gore then this is definitely a comic book for you.
Oblivion Song
Published by Image Comics, Oblivion Song is a sci-fi comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Lorenzo De Felici. It's set 10 years after a catastrophic events, called "The Transference", causes a portion of Philadelphia and its inhabitants to swap places with an alien dimension called Oblivion.
The crux of the story follows Nathan Cole, a scientist, who becomes obsessed with finding the inhabitants (and his brother) who got caught in the transference. So obsessed that he creates a device which allows him to teleport between Oblivion and Earth at the risk of his own life. Which brings forth themes of loss, survivor's guilt and trauma as Nathan, his brother, and their loved ones come to grips with moving forward - despite what has happened to them.
As the series progresses it gets revealed what Oblivion is and who the mysterious faceless aliens are that inhabit Oblivion. Resulting in a huge conflict between the aliens and humankind. The idea of what "the ultimate sacrifice" can be is truly tested in this comic book series.
Witchblade
Published by Top Cow, Witchblade is a supernatural comic book series with elements of horror, fantasy and cop procedural drama which was created by Marc Silvestri, David Wohl, Brian Haberlin and Michael Turner.
The story revolves around The Witchblade, which is a sentient mystical gauntlet who bonds itself to a female host, who turns out to be New York City detective Sara Pezzini. Now bonded with the Witchblade she takes to fighting crime in a dual style as both a cop and an enhanced human imbued with mystical abilities.
Witchblade ran for over 20 years until Sara Pezzini's story ended in 2015. Then it was rebooted by Top Cow in 2017 where the new Witchblade wearer, Alex Underwood, took on the mantle. But it's since been rebooted (again) in mid-2024 with a fresh take on Sara Pezzini's story. And trust me - it's totally worth it!
Red Sonja
Published primarily by Dynamite Entertainment, Red Sonja is a sword-and-sorcery comic book series created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics back in the 1970s. It was inspired by Robert E. Howard's Hyborian-Age warrior women as depicted in Conan the Barbarian. Over time, Red Sonja has evolved into her own unique franchise and isn't reliant on the back story of Conan like she was in her earlier years.
Red Sonja is known for her fiery red hair, chainmail bikini and untamable spirit - an iconic combination like no other. She represents female empowerment in an overtly male-dominated Hyborian-Age and so relies on her intelligence and combat prowess to overcome the adversity she faces every day.
Due to the setting, all of Red Sonja's stories are often gritty, dark fantasy epics layered with a topping of occasional humour. She takes on warlords, sorcerers, exchanges barbs with Conan and has even crossed over into Tarzan's world before. A strong female lead who is unmatched in what she can accomplish.
The Darkness
Published by Top Cow, The Darkness is a supernatural comic book set in the same universe as Witchblade, and was created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis and David Wohl. Like Witchblade, The Darkness gives power to its host but it comes with a terrible curse. The power of The Darkness is also more malevolent in nature and is attracted to hosts who surround themselves in darkness and around human depravity.
The Darkness is bonded to Mafia hitman, Jackie Estacado, on his 21st birthday which launches him into an even darker world of supernatural conflict. It gives him the power to summon forth demonic creatures and wield destructive dark energies. However, he can't use the power of The Darkness in the light and is not allowed to father any children - because if he does then he will instantly die at their conception. It's the worst type of family inheritance.
Over the years, The Darkness has been celebrated by avid fans for its complex storytelling, rich mythology and its usage of dark and complicated anti-heroes.
Have you read any of these comic books?
Did you think any of these comics are like BRZRKR?
Let us know in the comments.
