BRZRKR #3
BOOM Studios
Written by: Keanu Reeves & Matt Kindt
Art by: Ron Garney
Colors by: Bill Crabtree
Letters by: Clem Robbins
BRZRKR continues to give us furious action sequences and ferocious art. But the drawn-out pace of its storytelling is holding it back. While there is plenty of potential, the first three issues have given very little to sink your teeth into.
BRZRKR #3 continues to be more of the same, a whole lot of violence, even more backstory, and extraordinarily little plot advancement. Having already spent an entire issue on BRZRKR’s past, little was gained by spending more time on BRZRKR’s origin. It’s now been back-to-back issues with repetitive storytelling that leaves me asking, when will BRZRKR take it to the next level?
Where this issue succeeds is when it finally shifts away from its title character — unfortunately, that does not occur until the last few pages. Here we get a glimpse of the government agency that is both utilizing BRZRKR’s skills, as well as manipulating him. This is where the intrigue lies, and if BRZRKR is going to take that next step, this is where the focus should be.
“BRZRKR CONTINUES TO GIVE US FURIOUS ACTION SEQUENCES AND FEROCIOUS ART.”
Throughout BRZRKR’s run, the art has been its saving grace. Panel after panel Ron Garney sprays the page red, showcasing the rage that has become BRZRKR’s trademark. There is something extremely visceral about Garney’s art. While the story may be moving at a glacial page, Garney is doing more than his fair share of carrying the load.
There is no doubt that having Reeves’ name attached to this project has set expectations sky-high — maybe that’s unfair. Kindt and Reeves clearly have a vision for this character, but name recognition and gratuitous violence is simply not enough — we need more.
With that said, this series still has a lot of potential; it’s just a matter of when Kindt and Reeves will fully tap into it. The pieces are all there for a fantastic story. However, BRZRKR #4 must deliver on moving the story forward, rather than spending more time languishing in the past.