BARBARIAN LORD review

(Review by Melody Werner)
Barbarian Lord graphic novel review:

Barbarian Lord is a 2014 graphic novel published by Clarion Books. Written and illustrated by Matt Smith. Heavily inspired by the likes of Conan, the Barbarian and Lord of the Rings, it is set in a Beowulf-esque land and follows the eponymous Barbarian Lord. I read this a few weeks ago at my local library (at time of writing). It's a great book and well worth the read.

The monochrome art is rock solid. The aesthetic is a bit cartoony and the anatomy can be blockish, which can be divisive topics. Definitely depends on your preferences as to whether you'll like the visuals. The overall polish outside of art is very nice. The action is a bit restrained, though still cool and acts as a nice bit of punctuation. The character designs are simple but mostly work well at differentiating between characters, though there are two characters specifically who look very alike. The cover art is solid.

Barbarian Lord's narrative is pretty straightforward, but it's a story told well in a way which hearkens back to old tales like Beowulf, which is suitably thematic. The book excels most in its storytelling, rather than the plot itself. The way it is told adds a lot of flair to it. The narration and dialogue are great. Barbarian Lord is a strong protagonist who is very badass and feels much like a mythological hero. The pacing is lightning fast.

Barbarian Lord is a cracking OGN, which is very satisfying to read. If you're the kind of person who's interested by its elevator pitch, I think you'll really enjoy it. I don't think it's necessarily the greatest thing ever, but what it does, it does very well. Can't go wrong giving it a gander. It gets an 8.5/10 from moi.

Great

Summary:
Barbarian Lord is a really enjoyable book with exceptional storytelling, slick art, a badass main character, cool fights, and quick pacing. It doesn't have many discernible flaws; it just stands on its strengths.

(originally posted: 8/31/2017)