BRZRKR #2: Highlanders Make the Best Guardians (Spoilery Comic Book Review)

The story of Keanu Reeves the Highlander continues in BRZRKR #2, where we finally get to see his origin story.

To recap on the previous issue of BRZRKR, our still-unnamed hero (known only as B) showed off his combat prowess taking out some random people for the US government. He does so with extreme prejudice, although he does hesitate at killing a child before a US soldier does it for him. In the end, he starts to tell his origin story to a doctor, and that’s where the last issue ends. This issue picks up that thread.

As the previous issue of BRZRKR, Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt are the creators and writers of this story. Artist Ron Garney is responsible for the fantastic art. Colorist Bill Crabtree and letterer Clem Robins are responsible for the colors and letter respectively. BRZRKR #2 will release on April 28, 2021, from Boom! Studios for $3.99. You can find print editions at your local comic book store, or you can download them digitally from ComiXology, iBooks, Google Play, or Madefire.

Warning: Spoilers for BRZRKR #2. If you have any wish to experience the glory of Keanu Reeves the Highlander’s origin story yourself, stop here and come back after you’ve experienced it.

BRZRKR #2: Plot Summary

So basically, BRZRKR #2 is B telling his origin story. It’s a bit wild, really. Turns out, he’s a demigod, which kinda explains his immortality. Apparently, his mother called upon an ancient god of their tribe, and did it with said god, which resulted in Keanu Reeves, I mean, B. B was just your ordinary hyper-strong and hyper-fast child, with a bit of tendency to kill anything and anyone that was unfortunate enough to be within reach of him. So what did his tribe do? Why, they trained him to be their champion, of course.

You’d think it’d go horribly wrong. And well, it does for a few members of B’s tribe. However, those were all accidents on B’s part, and overall, they actually succeeded. Even at the end, B admits that being his tribe’s guardian was the last time he’d ever felt happy. Which is kinda depressing when you think about it. However, that’s where BRZRKR #2 ends. We’ll just have to see just how B becomes unhappy in the next issue.

BRZRKR #2: The Good

I would say that the best thing about BRZRKR are the action sequences, and BRZRKR #2 delivers on the same. As ultra-violent and bloody as the action scenes are, there’s definitely a choreography to them. The over-the-top nature of those action scenes combined with the ludicrous blood and gore puts me in mind of movies like 300. Remember the slow motion actions and almost dance-like moves of Leonidas and his Spartans in that movie? Yeah, like that. When we finally get to see that BRZRKR live action movie and anime from Netflix, I do honestly hope for scenes like those.

I also like how BRZRKR #2 is finally giving us some hints of an overarching plot. The doctor asks some very specific questions about B’s past. Questions that seem to suggest that the US government is very interested in making more supersoldiers with B’s powers. I mean, it makes perfect sense on their part. As powerful as B is, he’s just one man who wants to die. If the US government can make an army of Bs, they can just send him off to the Great Beyond without any worries about what happens after offing him. That is, assuming that they ever find out how to kill B. Which at the moment, seems less and less likely.

BRZRKR #2: The Bad

I honestly do struggle to find anything bad to say about BRZRKR #2. I guess the worst thing I could say about this issue is that the story seems to be a bit slow-paced. A bit. I also kinda feel sorry for B’s teacher in his tribe, but based on B’s personality at the time, it seemed very much like it was an accident on B’s part. He really didn’t mean to do that to his teacher, I think. At the very least, B’s teacher certainly didn’t seem harsh enough to make B do anything to lash out against him the way he did to a local bully. He just seemed like a kindly old hunter trying to teach his ways to a child eager to learn to control himself. He really didn’t deserve what happened to him, even accidentally.

Conclusion

B tells us his origin story in BRZRKR #2. Or at least, he tells us half of it. We’ll just have to wait for the next issue before he finishes the other half. If you want to read this half though, check out Boom! Studios for details on how you too can read about the adventures of Keanu Reeves: Mighty Highlander. I mean, B. I always get them confused.

Source: Boom! Studios