Writer/Artist/Letterer Daniel Warren Johnson
Colorist Mike Spicer
Letterer Rus Wooton
Last Issue
Brooticus suffered what most would call significant defeat. Having been brutalized by the large Veldar that was being controlled by Magnum Khaos, barely being saved by Nate and a cowbell he found in his storage. Proving to us once again we need more cowbell. Jake and the others decide to regroup. The rift is now open enough for the Veldar to start a full-scale invasion of our world. Best have a sound mind for the coming war.
This Issue
Jake has some inner battles to face before the great outer battle. He goes back to his wife, Anne for the first time since his bout with cancer. Considering what we know of Jake, her apprehension is appropriate.
Meanwhile, we see another band take on Magnum Khaos and the Veldar horde. A black metal band no less. Sporting all of the corpse paint, goats, and bramble beasts one could ask for. Though their efforts are valiant, the band is quickly overrun by the hordes of Veldar. The power of their heavy not large enough to stop the apocalypse.
Thoughts
Seeing other genres of metal come to form in this comic is a treat. Brooticus being what I would guess to be a general power metal band in their aesthetic. This new band definitely captures the utter essences of black metal. It’s a very neat shout out that I am definitely geeking over.
The artwork is taking a turn for the darker and I’m honestly here for it. Norwegian Death Metal (aka Black Metal) is very dark at its core. For those who don’t know its the subgenre of metal responsible for several church burnings and what is now known as black metal tourism in Norway. You can take tours to each site of these burned down churches. Black metal is every bit as intense and intentionally edgy and evil as you could imagine. So seeing that be faced with something that is even more sinister is a nice subversion of the esoteric trope we have there.