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“The Last Barbarians” #1

By | February 16th, 2023
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Barbarian is a loaded term. Historically speaking, it was a way of othering people who didn’t fall into the “advancements” of the Ancient Greek world. It literally derives from the sound of their language, which sounded like “bar” to those living in the various city-states of the Greek world. In the modern context, Barbarians are a “noble savage” trope. From Conan the Barbarian to Dungeons and Dragons, these characters tend to be seen as primitive and in solid communion with the natural world. Barbarians are known for their rage, lack of armor, and (in some cases) simplicity. Barbarians are strong, not intelligent. They are impulsive and quick to anger. While modern audiences might try to separate the origins from the character, it’s been there since the beginning. On the surface, “The Last Barbarians” #1 is a fairly straightforward comic. Still, Brian Haberlin and Hannah Wall understand that you need to have a solid, character-driven story to hook you into a wider conspiracy.

Cover by Brian Haberlin
Written by Brian Haberlin and Hannah Wall
Illustrated by Brian Haberlin
Colored by Geirrod Van Dyke
Lettered by Francis Takenada

To be Classless is a whole new low…

You’d think in a fantastic world full of giants magic and flying fish it would be a world of possibility. But you’d be dead wrong here! Sylv is a jack of all trades; she can fight with the best of them pick most pockets and even cast a third-level spell or two. It’s too bad for her that if you aren’t a member of a guild you are persona non grata: completely outcast from adventuring. That might be fine except she has her disabled seven-foot-tall brother to take care of. If she can’t find a job to support them both they’ll be dead in a ditch in a matter of weeks. So now her only hope is a quest from a sketchy cleric who promises only a true hero can save the day. Sylv has a lot of skills…and she’ll need them all to survive this hero’s journey!

While Brian Haberlin can be a bit divisive, “The Last Barbarians” #1 is a powerful premier issue that avoids many pitfalls of meticulously paced storytelling. While Haberlin and Wall give us little snippets of traumatic events in the lives of our protagonists, even suggesting that these events might be part of a larger conspiracy. But they don’t dwell on this mystery. Instead, most of the primary issue introduces us to the world and our primary characters, Sylv and Shadow. While Sylv’s narration might be a little tongue-in-cheek, aware of the tropes of existing in a fantasy world, it’s never overwhelming. Sylv is an interesting character to focus on, mainly because she’s an entry point into exploring what it means to be a “barbarian.”

In “The Last Barbarians” #1, Haberlin flips the script and makes being a barbarian less about being savage and instead embraces a barbarian’s versatility. Conan, for instance, has been a pirate, a mercenary, and even a king. His skills are varied and helpful in many contexts. In Haberlin’s world, a Barbarian is someone who doesn’t work for just one of the guilds of the realm, someone who refuses to specialize and instead chooses to be a jack of all trades. Haberlin’s reframing of what it means to be a barbarian is well executed on the page, as Sylv struggles not only to find a place in the world, it shows that barbarians are outsides, but they choose to be outsiders. Sylv is multitalented; she wants to explore these talents and won’t be held back by societal expectations.

It’s also interesting to see how Haberlin uses Sylv’s barbarian status to explore the world. We see Sylv use her cunning, strength, and wits to escape many situations. The strongest sequence, visually and through the narration, is Sylv’s fight with the giant. In a few panels, we see Sylv use her skills to escape the situation unscathed. There are also some funny lines and a fun concept that just being parental to a giant can save the day. That’s not something you’ve seen in a fantasy world, which adds to the charm. But it’s immediately undercut with the last line, “and they call me a barbarian.” It’s not that “The Last Barbarians” #1 has completely removed the “other-ness” of the phrase; it’s just changed the context. Barbarians are skilled, hard to categorize, and, in a sense, free. That’s the biggest thing as you work through the book. You get that sense of freedom, even as Sylv and Shadow struggle.

Continued below

There are also plenty of fun and memorable secondary characters in “The Last Barbarians” #1. First, you have Hedgy, an adorable hedgehog person who seems like a scumbum. Next, there’s Maisey, their optimistic and quick-talking friend. Finally, there’s Falk, a mysterious (and a little off) cleric, who gives her a job. It’s clear that Falk plays into the larger story, the mystery that will be unfurling in the coming months, but at present, he’s an employer, and that’s good enough for Sylv. That’s one of the best reasons why it works. While other comics take their time to tease out characters’ motivations, this one is simple. Sylv needs a job and is willing to work with anyone crazy enough to hire her.

While the dialogue and narration of the issue are genuinely strong, it takes a bit to get used to the art. There are moments in “The Last Barbarians” #1 that can sometimes feel a little uncanny valley, like certain webcomics that take screenshots of video game graphics and compose them into new stories. You get used to it, but there are moments when it stands out. It does seem like the panels that feature more natural lighting or darker backgrounds look better, or at the very least, the characters don’t look quite as smooth. When the characters are in the foreground or occupy most of the panel, they can sometimes feel slightly less natural. Scenes that take place in dusky streets or by firelight as the siblings prepare for sleep look much better than brightly lit tavern rooms or characters against stark white backgrounds. However, Haberlin does create incredibly effective moments. The giant “fight” does some impressive work with perspective and colors. Sylv’s tour of the guilds has some excellent visual storytelling. But the standout moment in the quiet scene as the two siblings look up at a flock of Wallis, flying whales marking the sky with immense beauty and grace. It’s the right level of fantasy and the little moments like that that make you want to keep exploring the world.

Again, it’s a pretty simple story, but if “The Last Barbarians” #1 does anything, it’s a reminder that simple doesn’t mean bad. The issue does a remarkable job of teasing short terms stakes with long-term story potential. That’s the formula that makes you want to come back, and I know it will be on my pull list in the future.

Final Verdict: 8.5 While the visual style of “The Last Barbarians” #1 takes some getting used to, the excellent characterization and intriguing world-building make it an adventure you want to go on.


Joe Skonce

Joe Skonce was born, raised, and currently resides in Ohio, but has been exploring fantastical and imaginary worlds for as long as he can remember. He loves big guys and barbarians, pirates and puppets, and is always down to find nerdy new things. Come say hi to him on twitter @tunabellgrande.

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