Head Lopper Volume 1: The Island or A Plague of Beasts

Head Lopper: The Island or a Plague of Beasts is a fun, rollicking, beautifully rendered adventure story. The story follows a hulking, bearded warrior who is known by several names:

Ever humble, he would prefer to just be called Norgal. As his many monikers imply, he is a skilled monster slayer, and his specialty is cutting off their heads. Here he is hired by the ruler of Barra to rid the realm of a plague of beasts unleashed by an evil sorcerer. He is accompanied on his journey by the head of Agatha Blue Witch, who constantly annoys and cajoles him.

In this book, he encounters and fights many adversaries, including the evil sorcerer, ghosts, giants, witches, giant fire-breathing wolves, a conniving royal advisor, greedy and vengeful priests, and a treacherous little man named Gnym. All of these creatures and beings are wonderfully, horrendously, and gorgeously drawn, which adds tremendously to the appeal of this book. There are also lots of twists and turns, double-crossings, and surprises in the plot that keep things very interesting and compelling for the reader.

This beautiful genre confection was created by Andrew MacLean, whose earlier graphic novel Apocalyptigirl was similarly fun and sumptuously illustrated. He might not have much work published as of yet, but the ones he display an excellent sense of craft and artistry. He speaks at length about his work on Head Lopper in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been ringing. Justin Partridge wrote, "Rarely has high fantasy looked this stylish or been this fun of a read." Publishers Weekly opined that "the strength of the action sequences and dynamic page layouts make it a worthwhile read overall." Patrick Larose praised MacLean as he "manages to take these typically thin-character types and makes them feel full and engaging again."

Head Lopper Volume 1 was published by Image Comics, and they have more about the book and series here. This book is pretty violent and bloody and has a few spots of profanity, so it is suggested for readers mature enough to handle those things.

ApocalyptiGirl

ApocalyptiGirl has pretty much everything I want in a sci-fi adventure: an interesting and compelling protagonist who is intelligent and resourceful, mech-suits, wasteland mutants, and a friendly/feral cat sidekick to round things out. The tale itself is one that seems familiar, a survivor (named Aria, and she sings opera to keep sane, just so you know) stranded on a devastated and hostile planet, trying to find a way home, but how it is executed here makes this book special.

 

Reading this book is like riding your favorite roller coaster: There are lots of twists and turns, plotwise, and even though some of them are pretty familiar, the story is still quite enjoyable. As you can see from the excerpt, the narrative quickly transitions from mundane moments to ones of great suspense and intrigue. The action sequences are tautly choreographed and build much tension. The artwork is dynamic, fun, and full of surprises. And although the story is familiar, it is well told and expertly crafted. I think it would be a big hit with adolescent readers especially.

This book is the creation of Andrew MacLean. I knew him from his work on the indie book Head Lopper, a barbarian story of course, and I know that he has been published in a number of comics anthologies. This is his debut graphic novel, and it is a sensational one. I found it instantly engrossing, well paced, and beautifully rendered, and I am looking forward to seeing his future projects.

All of the reviews I have read about this book are good, and many are glowing. Daniel Coleman wrote, "It’s a simple enough story that younger readers will be able to understand it, while still having enough nuance that older readers will get a little more from it." Chris Sims gushed, "I already knew going into this book that MacLean was great, but every page of Apocalyptigirl confirms that in a fantastic new way." Sam Roche echoed, "Every work he produces is brilliant and this spectacular graphic novel may be the best yet."

ApocalyptiGirl was published by Dark Horse, and they have a preview and more about this book here.