Welcome back once again to comic book corner. This week I’m revisiting the book which began this series, Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR. If you haven’t already seen my review of volume one you can find it here.

As a quick recap, this series is created by Reeves and is written with the help of Matt Kindt. The art is done by Ron Garney with colors by Bill Crabtree. The series is published by BOOM! Studios and this volume collects issues 5-8 of the planned 12 issue run.

The story of this volume follows the immortal warrior known as B on his quest to find peace. These issues focus more on B’s relationships with the scientists Diana and Caldwell, who study him for the U.S government. After some convincing, B agrees to take part in Protocol X in order to gain more insight into his origins. Meanwhile, Caldwell begins to take shape as the major villain as he seeks to utilize B’s power for ulterior motives.

Although a lot happens in this issue I’m still left with many unanswered questions. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, volume two ends with some big cliffhangers that are certainly intriguing. However, I’m left wondering just how the story will be concluded in just four more issues. There are still many avenues the story could explore and I’m not sure if the conclusion can manage to be satisfying with so little time left to resolve things.

Some of the best aspects of this volume are the dialogue and paneling. The back and forth between characters is fantastic and B himself has some truly thought-provoking monologues. I certainly came to understand his torment on a more personal level.

The supporting cast is also fleshed out quite a bit here. Their respective motivations and character traits are more realized which helped to increase my interest in the overall plot. Caldwell is certainly believable as a villain though his goals are not wholly unique or original for this kind of narrative. Action scenes are utilized well to complement narration and ensure the reader always has something visually engaging to look at during dialogue-heavy scenes.

The paneling is also exceptional. Each page is laid out with care to ensure maximum dramatic intensity. Panels expand to allow for cinematic illustrations that emphasize important story beats or shrink down to bite-size chunks that mimic the quick pace of a fight scene.

I also enjoyed how this volume is structured. Each issue begins with a short vignette that is accompanied by a countdown. Only once you arrive at the last issue do the circumstances become clear.  The inclusion of this scene not only enforces the core themes surrounding B’s character but keeps the reader engaged. I read this volume in about an hour or so and I was certainly never bored. The story is constantly escalating and you will always be quickly flipping to the next page wondering what will happen next.

Even though I still have a few issues with the story, I found myself enjoying this volume more than the previous one. The interpersonal relationships certainly help to make things more interesting amongst the hyperviolent content. I’m holding out hope that the quality of this story will continue to increase and the final issues can deliver a meaningful conclusion.

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BRZRKR vol. 2

16.99

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Good dialogue
• Artwork and layout
• Quick pacing

Cons

• Villain is a little cliché
• Lots of cliffhangers