Queen of Swords #1 — That Was…F*cking Amazing
Credit: Vault Comics
So the title of this review might be stealing a line from the foul-mouthed, bloodthirsty, evil-spirit Ga’Bar, who lives within a sword, but it holds true for Queen of Swords #1 which hit shelves this week by the creative team of Michael Moreci, Corin Howell, and Kike Diaz from Vault Comics. This was a thoroughly enjoyable debut issue from a team who know what readers want. There’s humor, there’s character development, there’s plot setting, there’s world-building, and, fortunately for Ga’Bar, there’s blood.
Queen of Swords marks the first spin-off from Moreci’s Barbaric franchise and helps build the Barbaric Universe which will continue to grow in September with Barbaric: Wrong Kind of Righteousness (there’s a reason that Moreci and Vault have deemed 2023 as “The Year of the Axe” afterall).
The issue wastes no time introducing our main characters: Serra, a reluctant witch with a dark past, La’Kandra, or Ka, a former assassin guild member, and Deadheart, a lovable Barbarian who enjoys nothing more than smashing skulls and is the wielder of Ga’Bar. Each of these characters are immediately given their own distinct personalities and, over the course of the issue, we’re also shown their individual motivations for being a part of this motley crew. We also learn more about the series’ ultimate story, a conflict between Serra and her sister over the fate of Soren, the natural-born witch from the original Barbaric series. Moreci’s writing masterfully covers a lot of ground in this first issue without making it feel overstuffed or verbose.
Credit: Vault Comics
The writing is equally matched with brilliant art from Howell and Diaz who bring every scene to life with nuanced designs, vibrant color palettes, and an acute knack for capturing emotion on page. While the visuals don’t drastically diverge from the previous Barbaric stlye, Queen of Swords’ artistic duo intricately designed a new world for the characters, and reader, to explore with visual delights on every page.
Fans of Barbaric will immediately feel at home with this new series and those who are new to the universe won’t feel as though they’re missing out thanks to the care Moreci took in laying the groundwork for this series to live on it’s own merits.
Rating: 10/10!
Credit: Vault Comics
