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The BERSERKER comic series is a violent thrill-ride. It sets up a world where power is found only in destruction, and the conclusion is not likely to be a “pretty” one. Heroes get slaughtered and there are numerous super-villains and secret societies vying for control of the future. Through it all, ordinary people with extraordinary abilities are trapped in the middle and used as pawns. (Sound familiar? The BERSERKER comic does things a bit differently. One major super-human ability [so far], more blood, more guts, and more chaos – all with a base in Norse history and mythology.)

The cover art for each issue is, once again, amazing. Dale Keown, Jeremy Haun and Dave McCaig really bring their A-games to the various covers with just a few choice images and colors. Violent, of course, but with careful details that seem to convey more than just a gorefest. The interior artwork – with art by Jeremy Haun, letters by Troy Peteri, colors by Dave McCaig, and inks by John Lucas (issue #2) – is also excellent.

Rick Loverd continues to do an great job with making the story engaging. In issues #1 – #4, we follow Farris Jorn as he struggles to come to terms with the murder of his best friend and fellow solider, Clint. He also has to deal with fits of anger and memory loss. The woman he loves is pulling away from him, tired of cleaning up his messes (literally). His job doesn’t pay well, and his boss gives him a difficult time — all while hitting on Farris’ girlfriend. When the stress finally overwhelms him and he ‘zerks out, he makes a decision that may alter the course of history for all of mankind.

Another character, Aaron Bural, is an athlete and believes that he has no real prospects for a successful life. But that doesn’t matter to him. He loves his girlfriend; she has dreams and he’ll do anything to support her. When he’s kicked off of his team for ‘zerking out (albeit a minor ‘zerk out in comparison to Farris’ episodes), the two of them decide to leave town early in order to start their new lives together. If only things were ever so easy. What happens next catapults Aaron into an existence he never would have imagined.

A number of other characters are introduced over the course of the four issues, soon to take center stage. It’s an emotionally and visually engaging series; the only problem may be that it’s so fast-paced that I, for one, am not sure if it’s going to be a short or long series. Possibly this is just the first arc. In that case, great, because these comics are to too good to wrap up so quickly.

In addition to introducing more characters, the first mention of Ragnarok takes place in issue #4. In recent years, the great Norse battle and apocalypse has grown in popularity, like other apocalyptic scenarios have (the Mayan calendar “2012/2013” prediction, for example). It’s interesting to see where BERSERKER will go with this, as the Norse version of the apocalypse is also ripe for all kinds of interpretations in this technological age.

Review by Nancy Greene

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