BRZRKR is a comic book series created and written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt and drawn by Ron Garney.[1] The comic follows an immortal warrior, known as Berzerker, as he fights his way through the ages.[2] The first issue of the 12-issue limited series was published on March 3, 2021, by Boom! Studios.[3][4] It raised more than $1.4 million USD in its funding campaign on Kickstarter.[5]
| BRZRKR | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Boom! Studios |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| No. of issues | 12 |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Keanu Reeves Matt Kindt |
| Written by | Keanu Reeves Matt Kindt |
| Penciller(s) | Ron Garney |
| Inker(s) | Ron Garney |
| Letterer(s) | Clem Robins |
| Colorist(s) | Bill Crabtree |
Reception
editIssue #1 sold over 615,000 copies,[6] making it the top-selling single issue since Star Wars #1 in 2015.[7] It received positive reviews, with an average of 8.5/10 from 20 critics at ComicbookRoundup.[8]
Collected editions
edit| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRZRKR Vol. 1 | BRZRKR #1–4 | November 2021 | 978-1684156856 |
| BRZRKR Vol. 2 | BRZRKR #5–8 | September 2022 | 978-1684158157 |
| BRZRKR Vol. 3 | BRZRKR #9–12 | October 2023[9] | 978-1684157129 |
Adaptations and spin-offs
editOn March 22, 2021, Netflix announced it was developing a live-action film adaptation and a follow-up anime series based on the comics with Reeves cast as the lead.[10] In October 2021, Mattson Tomlin was writing the live-action film adaptation.[11]
In July 2022, during Keanu Reeves' panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it was announced that the anime series adaptation will be produced by Production I.G and have two seasons.[12]
On July 23, 2024, a novel entitled The Book of Elsewhere, which is set in the world of the BRZRKR comic book series, was published. The novels is a collaboration between Keanu Reeves and British author China Miéville.
A one-shot spin-off comic written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, with art by Rebekah Isaacs and colors by Jordie Bellaire, titled BRZRKR: Fallen Empire, was released on November 29, 2023. The comic had cover variants by Joëlle Jones, Jenny Frison, and Yanick Paquette.[13]
In October 2023, Boom! Studios announced the first volume of the "Bloodlines" spin-off run, written by Keanu Reeves and Mattson Tomlin and illustrated by Steve Skroce. It was released on March 27, 2024.[14]
In February 2024, writer Jason Aaron was revealed to be writing a "standalone Western story" for the "Bloodlines" run of the series with artist Francesco Manna, titled A Faceful of Bullets, set for release on June 26, 2024.[15]
References
edit- ^ Owoseje, Toyin (2020-07-20). "Keanu Reeves is writing comic books – the first issue is out in October". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ Mihalcik, Carrie (2020-07-20). "Keanu Reeves is writing a 'brutally violent' comic called BRZRKR". cnet.com. CNET. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (2020-07-17). "Whoa! Check out an exclusive look at Keanu Reeves' action-packed first comic book, 'BRZRKR'". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ September 2020, Chris Arrant 28 (28 September 2020). "Whoa! Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR comic book pushed back four months". Newsarama. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Salkowitz, Rob. "Keanu Reeves's Bloody Blockbuster 'BRZRKR' Moves To A New Format". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (2021-02-04). "Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR #1 Sells Over 615,000 Copies To Comic Stores". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
- ^ Jennings, Collier (2021-02-06). "BRZRKR #1 Is the Best Selling Comic Since Marvel's Star Wars #1 in 2015". CBR. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
- ^ "BRZRKR #1 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
- ^ Reeves, Keanu; Kindt, Matt (2023-10-10). BRZRKR Vol. 3. BOOM! Studios. ISBN 978-1-68415-712-9.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (March 22, 2021). "Keanu Reeves to Star in and Produce 'Brzrkr' Live-Action Film and Anime Series for Netflix". Variety. Penske Media Corporation.
- ^ Weintraub, Steve (October 4, 2021). "Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney Discuss Their Comic Series 'BRZRKR' and Reveal Who's Writing the Live-Action Netflix Movie". Collider. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
Reeves told me that Mattson Tomlin (writer of Project Power and one of the writers on The Batman) has been hired to write the live-action movie and it's in the early stages of development.
- ^ Loo, Egan (July 22, 2022). "Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR Anime Series Animated by Production I.G With 2 Seasons Planned". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- ^ "BRZRKR: Keanu Reeves' Immortal Warrior Returns in Fallen Empire". IGN. August 23, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "BRZRKR: Bloodlines Vol. 1 Collection Revealed by BOOM! Studios". October 19, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Babb, Tiffany (February 22, 2024). "Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR taps Jason Aaron to write standalone Western story". thepopverse.com. Retrieved February 23, 2024.