There are a lot of comics out there, but some just stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With Don’t Miss This we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we look Andrew MacLean’s “Head Lopper,” which starts its third series this week. (Also be sure to check out our interview last week with MacLean where he gave us a preview of what to expect in this new arc.)
What is This
“Head Lopper” is an action adventure comic written and illustrated by Andrew MacLean. Mike Spicer colored the first series, “Head Lopper: The Island or a Plague of Beasts,” while Jordie Bellaire colored the subsequent “Head Lopper and the Crimson Tower” and “Head Lopper and the Knights of Venora.” Since MacLean publishes this quarterly through Image Comics, the issues are longer, packed with action, spectacle, danger, and humor.
What’s It All About?
“Head Looper” is set in a fantasy universe beset with magic, warriors, and multiple races of creatures. Our hero is Norgal, the massive, bearded, and muscled warrior who roams the land with the head of the witch, Agatha, attached to his belt. Along the way, he fights evil, possessed kings; gets tossed around by magic; enters a gladiatorial arena; and more. Essentially, if MacLean can figure out a way to put Norgal in some insane situation, you can bet he’s going to be put in that situation.
What Makes It so Great?
This whole show lives and breathes by MacLean’s art. It’s dynamic and energetic, kinetic and wild. Page after page, set piece after set piece, MacLean delivers the scale, the danger, the excitement, and the thrill you’d expect from an adventure story. Since he’s given more pages, MacLean’s also has the time to draw out tension and control the flow of action. In the earlier issues, he went for double-page spreads, like this battle with the wolves:
Recently, he’s gotten tighter, more aware of gesture and inference, of how we read through a page.
Or of how just characters staring each other down can leave the reader in as jittery anticipation as a feat of acrobatics.
Additionally, MacLean’s sense of comic timing is as tight as his action scenes. He peppers the series with visual gags, bad jokes, and snappy dialogue.
Everything about the book is an experience, a wild ride that reminds you of how fun comics can and should be.
How Can You Read It?
“Head Lopper: The Island or a Plague of Beasts” and “Head Lopper and the Crimson Tower” are both collected in trade from Image Comics. All the individual chapters are available digitally.
The latest arc, “Head Lopper and the Knights of Verona,” begins Wednesday, September 12 in “Head Lopper” #9, both digitally and in print.
