Over the last few years, Barbaric has grown from one great story to a booming franchise (thanks, in part, to the work of its two creative gurus/leads, Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden). Really, if you have a story that basically hinges on a bloodthirsty, talking axe, it’s easy to see why audiences would demand more. In addition to the two previous volumes — Murderable Offenses and Axe to Grind — and the recently-wrapped third volume, Barbaric: Hell to Pay, 2023 will feature two new titles.
But before Barbaric: Wrong Kind of Righteous debuts later this fall, there’s the franchise’s first-ever spin-off series. Queen of Swords: A Barbaric Story, from Moreci and artists Corin Howell and K.J. Diaz, follows three new characters: Serra, the “witch with a checkered past”; the assassin Ka, with an “agenda of her own”; and the smash-first-think-later barbarian Deadheart. Joined by Ga’Bar (who is trapped in Deadheart’s sword), the trio will help further the series’ patent levels bloody madness while also giving readers the chance to explore the “dark magic that turned Soren into the tattooed witch she is today.”
Queen of Swords: A Barbaric Story #1 is officially out this week (6/14). To get a better grasp of its place, and the larger events surrounding Barbaric, we recently spoke with both Moreci and Gooden. The pair broke down this latest story, the larger goals and happenings in their “Barbaric-verse,” and what might be next for comics’ weirdest and bloodiest cast of ancient warriors.
Main cover by Corin Howell. Courtesy of Vault Comics.
AIPT: Why the focus or interest on building out the Barbaric universe? Is there some larger end goal or objective here?
Michael Moreci: I think it’s a natural progression to any narrative in a rich universe. There’s countless other stories that do this — Hellboy, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc. The goal is just to tell more stories and explore more places within a universe people seem to enjoy. In this case, the Barbaric universe.
Nathan Gooden: For me, it is about exploring all the different parts of this crazy world we created. I wanted to create a menu of items for readers. Main stories, side quests, and one shots. I hope readers like them all, but I wanted them to have one item off the menu that they LOVE.
AIPT: How does this story fit in with the rest of the Barbaric-verse (trademark pending)?
MM: As we see at the end of Hell to Pay (our most recent Barbaric arc), a lot of our characters share an overlapping goal: Destroy Gladius and his witch sidekick, Doxon. Serra’s quest is a little more immediate, so we’re sending her on a mission to help that overall goal. So, it all ties into the larger narrative; what Queen of Swords does is it gives us a step in that direction while allowing us to spend some time with different characters — Serra, Deadheart, and Ka. It’s a blast, a bit of a side quest, but the stakes are still very real.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
NG: It is an amazing spin off that explores parts of the Barbaric world , where Owen and Axe won’t go. Soren’s past is filled with emotion ,heart, and complicated relationships. Frankly, Owen has none of these.
AIPT: How much, if anything, should folks have read of the other stories and/or main title before they leap into Queen of Swords?
MM: I mean, it would be disingenuous for me to say “none.” I think you could read Queen of Swords cold, but it would be way richer if you read it in context of having read all three volumes of Barbaric.
NG: Ideally you would like to be up to date on Barbaric, but it is not a necessity. This is meant to stand on its own as a complete adventure. Just having a loose knowledge of the Barbaric world is enough.
AIPT: The book promises to detail Soren’s origins. Why does Soren continue to be someone who’s especially compelling in a book packed with big characters?
MM: It’s funny, but I never had big plans for Soren when I started writing Barbaric. But she’s such a great character—she’s fun and powerful and just mysterious enough to make her compelling but knowable. Plus, she’s a great opposite to Owen. I think she’s the most human one, the most grounded one, and that tends to be our—the readers’—entry in. It’s like Frodo in LOTR; there’s plenty “bigger” characters, but we need Frodo to understand the humanity of it all.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
AIPT: One of the things I love about this series is the dynamics between the groups across stories. What is that relationship like here between Ka the assassin, Deadheart the barbarian, and the witch Serra?
MM: Well, I don’t want to give too much away! But they’re three unique, strong people — and unique, strong people don’t always get along. They’re going to learn how, though, to achieve their goals. It’s a classic setup; but they do share things in common, especially when it comes to killing Doxon.
AIPT: We meet yet another taking weapon in the decidedly sassy Ga’Bar. How does it compare with Axe? And what’s the deal with talking weapons?
MM: Talking weapons are our thing! And Ga’Bar isn’t the last one we’ll encounter. So, where Axe is annoying and a bit nuts, Ga’Bar is a straight-up, unapologetic asshole (one of my favorite kinds of characters to write!). His dynamic with Deadheart is one of my favorite things ever.
NG: Axe and Ga’Bar are very different characters. They are both very comical, but the roles are reversed. Axe is the boss. He controls whomever is wielding him. Ga’Bar is told what to do by the wielder.
AIPT: Does this universe become easier or more complicated to operate in as you tell more and more stories?
MM: Honestly, I think it’s easier. Sure, there’s a lot to remember and a lot of threads to keep track of, but the system we’re attempting compartmentalizes the story, you can say. I know Serra and co’s goals, just as I know Owen’s and co’s goals, and I know where they overlap (and how they’ll overlap). Having spinoffs gives me the opportunities to go to different places and explore the universe in unique ways, which is something I really love.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
NG: A little of both. We get to share the world with other creators, but because characters are in both series we have to work diligently to keep the continuity. I can’t enough how much I loved working with Corin Howell. I don’t know if I could have split the work anyone else.
AIPT: How do you keep track of and/or decide the movements of characters between stories and their subsequent development?
MM: Oh, I have a Barbaric bible — everything’s there. Every character, weapon, story thread, maps, everything. It’s all tracked. It’s the only way I can keep tabs on everything!
AIPT: Where does this one rank for you compared to the other stories? What do you think makes it feel fresh or novel?
MM: I honestly think this is just as good, if not better, than all the Barbaric books. It might be the strongest, because now I have the benefit of experience — I know what Barbaric is, what makes it what it is, and I was able to fashion that knowledge into what Queen of Swords has become. It’s a perfect distillation of what I want Barbaric to be.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
AIPT: Feel free to spoil as much or as little, but what can we expect from the rest of this story/title?
MM: There’s some big twists in store, especially with our characters, and there will be big ramifications for the Barbaric universe. This is not, and I underline not, a throwaway story. Queen of Swords very much counts in the Barbaric-verse.
AIPT: How much does this story inform or reflect the rest of the books planned for 2023?
MM: We won’t see much of the effects from Queen of Swords just yet — the final Barbaric book for 2023, Born in Blood, will find Owen, Axe, Soren, and Steel doing something very different. But, that volume, and Queen of Swords, most definitely dovetail in 2024.
AIPT: Why should any pick up issue #1?
MM: Because it’s fun! In the words of Jack Black, when asked in High Fidelity why he’d see Evil Dead 2: “Why wouldn’t you see it?! It’s so funny, and violent…” I think that says it all!
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.