Fantasy worlds of all kinds tend to feature many different characters, but The Last Barbarians offers a fantasy world where everyone can only have one role. If you’ve ever played Dungeons & Dragons, you know the magic-wielding characters tend to have advantages hand-to-hand combat characters can’t ever wield, which seems to be the case with this new series from Image Comics. It’s a world where there are guilds, and you’re only allowed to be in one, but our main character doesn’t want to accept those rules.
The title of this series directly connects to the law of those with only one talent. If you attempt to have more than one, you are dubbed a Barbarian. Enter Sylv, a character who wants to find work, pay her nightly lodging, and have a couple of ales before bed every night. It seems that’s too much to ask, though, as we learn that she’s been blacklisted from all the guilds and can’t get any work at all. What’s a girl to do if nobody will hire her? It turns out she takes a job with some shady folks that’ll set her on an adventure where anything can happen.
As fantasy worlds go, The Last Barbarian feels unique with creatures you don’t usually see in fantasy while familiar types like ogres walk around too. Brian Haberlin draws the book using a digital art style that allows for hyper-detailed backgrounds–a skull mountain in particular is gorgeous–with a slightly cartoony simpler look to characters. The visuals are one step removed from a Pixar film, with nice lighting by color artist Geirrod Van Dyke. I’d argue the book is a little too dark for its own good, but the grungy and depressing atmosphere certainly suits the situation Sylv is in.
Meet Sylv. She’s a laugh riot.
Credit: Image
Tucked away in the narrative is a secret past for Sylv, which should be interesting to unpack. Is she a “chosen one” like in many other tales, or does she have a reason for being good at so many skills? It’s an interesting question to keep you coming back, although I was hoping for more to chew on once at issue is over. Much of this issue is devoted to a day in the life of Sylv and could have used a little faster plotting. A chunk of time is spent introducing a friend, for instance, but if Sylv and her brother are leaving town anyway, how important was it to establish the town and a few of its characters?
The Last Barbarians is an intriguing start to a fresh take on fantasy tropes and world-building. The main character is compelling enough with a secret to keep you coming back, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat to see more amazing creatures in this fantasy world.
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