Summary

  • BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness is a prequel to Keanu Reeves' original BRZRKR series and explores B.'s role as the bodyguard to the king of Atlantis.
  • The prequel delves into the distant past and involves a Lovecraftian nightmare and a secret cult plotting against the king.
  • The original series portrayed B. as a tragic victim of circumstance, and this prequel continues to explore themes of violence, immortality, and the human soul within art.

Warning: BRZRKR is a MATURE seriesSince debuting to rave reviews back in 2021, Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness. And the first look is absolutely riveting.

The original series, drawn by Ron Garney and co-written by Reeves and Matt Kindt, unfolded the tale of B., an ancient warrior imbued with the powers of a god. Having lived to the modern age, B. s a secret government operation in a desperate bid to unlock the secrets of his powers so that he may finally find a way to end his tortured existence. A tale which often demonstrated the true futility of violence, BRZRKR was lauded as a brilliant blend of fantasy, modern action and starkly personal humanism, perhaps a self-reflection of Reeves’ own career as an action star. Though a sequel series is likely in development, Reeves is already delivering the goods, with a tale set in the distant past depicting B. acting as the personal bodyguard to the king of Atlantis. Check out the first look from publisher BOOM! Studios below, featuring covers by Skorce, Travis Charest, David Aja, and David Mack:

BRZRKR Returns With Lovecraftian Horror

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In the newest pages to BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness, we see B. as an established guardian of Atlantis, the fabled city submerged under the waves, with Skorce summoning up his inner Moebius to enact a certain strain of historical fantasy. Though BRZRKR showed many glimpses into the past of the imive battler, including the traumatic story of his youth as a child soldier, this prequel takes place before recorded time, and will involve a “Lovecraftian nightmare.” In a statement, BOOM! Studios says that the story will revolve around a secret cult who plot against the King Azaes of Atlantis. In line with the previous series, it appears B.’s ability to ensure might makes right will not save the day.

Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR Blends Violence With Soulful Art

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The original BRZRKR series, despite its winding tale of betrayal and woe, depicted B. as very much a tragic victim of circumstance. This unkillable monster's tragic 80,000 year-long life seemed very much beyond his ability to control or demonstrate agency over, in part due to his overpowering battle rage, which he had suffered from the time he was a child. His title in this preview as “Poseidon’s pet demon” speaks here to a place within the story related to Greek mythology, a reference to one of the sole historical renditions of the Atlantis story, found in the Athenian philosopher Plato’s dialogues. The juxtaposition of these two ideas, that of a brutal, immortal warrior alongside a culture based on a philosophy of reason, likely is no mistake. A running undercurrent of BRZRKR is the evocation of the human soul within art, no matter how grim and grotesque.

Ready for more intense hyper-violent adventures from Keanu Reeves? BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness goes on sale July 26, wherever comic books are sold.

Source: BOOM! Studios