Review - Barbaric: The Long Death #1
From Vault Comics
Returning to the world of Barbaric, Vault Comics has a new series out with The Long Death #1.
Wha--you didn’t think we’d come back? BARBARIC loves you! AXE LOVES YOU! And he’s giving you his heart, in the form of THE LONG DEATH #1. Our heroes slaughter their way ever closer to the answers to their big questions. Owen learns all about his curse; Soren learns about her curse; Axe gets drunk. The consequences are…BARBARIC.
Writer: Michael Moreci, Artist: Nathan Gooden, Colorist: Fabi Marques, Letterer: Jim Campbell, Designer: Tim Daniel, and Cover A: Nathan Gooden
We return once more to the wild, chaotic realms of Barbaric — only this time, we’re wandering alongside an unlikely but wildly entertaining trio: a detective fawn with questionable reliability, a powerful witch with a complicated past, and everyone’s favourite barbarian — accompanied, of course, by his wonderfully bloodthirsty, wisecracking axe!
The Long Death #1 delivers an excellent kickoff for this latest arc. We’re dropped into the story mid-quest, as the group searches for lost memories and pieces of a forgotten past. But before we truly join them on the road, we’re treated to a flashback from our detective fawn. It’s mysterious and intriguing, yet there’s a delicious uncertainty to it — his storytelling is abruptly cut short, making us question just how much we’re supposed to believe. The art, however, gives far more detail than the narrator does! It’s dark, it’s vivid, and it leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination in the best kind of way.
From there, the gang makes a stop at Soren’s former home — and let’s just say the welcome isn’t exactly warm. Things may have changed, but the reasons she left clearly haven’t, and that sets the emotional tone beautifully. We get a hefty yet well-timed dump of lore and background information that fleshes out her character while stacking the stakes high for what’s coming.
As the story pushes forward, we’re thrown into some truly exhilarating action sequences. Monsters strike from every corner, giving us a glorious, bloody battle that captures everything Barbaric fans love: brutal combat, comedy in the chaos, and smart visual storytelling that keeps your eyes locked on every panel. It’s messy, it’s gory, and it’s fantastic.
Then comes the cliffhanger — and it’s a great one. It ties into Barbaric’s established lore just enough to reward longtime readers, while also setting up a brand-new mystery that promises exciting revelations in the next issue.
Visually, the comic excels from start to finish. The artwork is expressive and bold, shifting effortlessly between eerie atmosphere, magical strangeness, and high-octane violence. The colouring enhances the tone of each location and moment, while the lettering style adds personality and clarity, guiding the reader through the narrative with ease.
Overall, this is an outstanding start to a new chapter in the Barbaric saga — full of intrigue, humour, brutality, and the promise of even darker things ahead. If this first issue is any indication, The Long Death is going to be a wild ride, and I’m absolutely here for it.
Get it at Forbidden Planet:
Pre-order the collection on Amazon:
