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Skullkickers #1-2
Skullkickers: Treasure Trove, Volume 1
In Skullkickers, two hard-headed mercenaries kill monsters and cause havoc in their search for money, fame, and adventure! Along the way, they'll gore goblins, smash skeletons, punch plant people, and whomp werewolves!
Collects Skullkickers #1-11 and the two original short stories from Popgun Vol. 2 & 3, along with bonus material not in the softcover collections.
Collects Skullkickers #1-11 and the two original short stories from Popgun Vol. 2 & 3, along with bonus material not in the softcover collections.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published April 17, 2012
6 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Jim Zub
924 books326 followersJim Zub is a writer, artist and art instructor based in Toronto, Canada. Over the past fifteen years he’s worked for a diverse array of publishing, movie and video game clients including Disney, Warner Bros., Capcom, Hasbro, Bandai-Namco and Mattel.
He juggles his time between being a freelance comic writer and Program Coordinator for Seneca College‘s award-winning Animation program.
He juggles his time between being a freelance comic writer and Program Coordinator for Seneca College‘s award-winning Animation program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 25, 2016
There’s something to be said for hack-n-slash fantasy stories that don’t make you think, include absurdly high body counts, and feature the occasional bout of witty repartee: they’re like store-bought chocolate chip cookies…they’ll satisfy a craving even if they’re somewhat generic. Sometimes, by virtue of such meticulous crafting and clever manipulation of convention, that type of story can ascend to the level of homemade gooey goodness, and those are the ones you remember.
Skullkickers falls into the Chips Ahoy category, though there’s nothing wrong with that: Zub knows his way around an entertaining yarn, Stevens draws some kinetically cartoony pictures, and there are worse ways to spend an hour than gallivanting through the oversized pages of this collection. You just won’t be licking your fingers to savor every last little bit when you’re done.
(Then again, licking one’s fingers after handling paper that’s got that new-book smell might be a sign of a weird fetish that may or may not have internet sites devoted to it, so perhaps the use of a food metaphor in this instance could lead to unintended consequences…bottom line: I would suggest only licking your fingers after eating a gooey, homemade chocolate chip cookie, but if the new-page thing is your jam, well…I won’t judge. I just don’t want to watch. Or, do I…?)
Skullkickers falls into the Chips Ahoy category, though there’s nothing wrong with that: Zub knows his way around an entertaining yarn, Stevens draws some kinetically cartoony pictures, and there are worse ways to spend an hour than gallivanting through the oversized pages of this collection. You just won’t be licking your fingers to savor every last little bit when you’re done.
(Then again, licking one’s fingers after handling paper that’s got that new-book smell might be a sign of a weird fetish that may or may not have internet sites devoted to it, so perhaps the use of a food metaphor in this instance could lead to unintended consequences…bottom line: I would suggest only licking your fingers after eating a gooey, homemade chocolate chip cookie, but if the new-page thing is your jam, well…I won’t judge. I just don’t want to watch. Or, do I…?)
August 23, 2015
This was a load of good ole' swords and sorcery fantasy that was fun to read. I really enjoyed it. This Treasure Trove collects issues 1-11 from the Skullkickers comic and includes two additional stories.
Our two heroes (or more like anti-heroes) are mercenaries trying to make a living and a name for themselves. They end up facing off with a necromancer (who’s gotten a bit too big for his britches) and a ginormous evil plant. This novel is action packed, a bit crude at times, and occasionally hilarious.
I thought the book started out a bit rough, but the story got more interesting and the dialogue was better as the story continued. Our two main characters, Rolf and Rex, are your typical head-bashing type of warriors. However, there are hints that there are more to these two than first meets the eye.
The style is very cartoonish with a lot of “BAM!” “WHAM” types of dialogue/sounds scrawled across the frames. The drawing is also fairly cartoonish (not my favorite), but there is enough background detail to keep things interesting. I did really love the fact that everything is done in full and vibrant color. Also the illustrations are easy to follow and portray the characters actions and emotions well.
This is a very violent graphic novel, although I didn’t think it was as adult as Rat Queens is. There really isn’t any sexual stuff or drugs; just lots and lots of violence and drinking.
I picked this up because I read somewhere that this was similar in theme to Rat Queens. It kind of is, but Rat Queens is a million times better...Rat Queens is more hilarious, has more interesting illustration, and just more depth and wit to it. Skullkickers does have a similar fantasy mercenary theme to it and is very violent but that is where the similarities end.
Overall this was a fun swords and sorcery type of classic fantasy graphic novel. It’s very tongue and cheek and parts of the story are very funny. The story and dialogue are a bit rough at the beginning but improve as the story continues. The illustration is also very cartoon-like which is not my favorite. I did enjoy the fantasy setting and all the uber violent action scenes. I would recommend to those who enjoy humorous fantasy graphic novels with a lot of violence and action. I really liked Rat Queens a lot more, but this was also an entertaining fantasy graphic novel.
Our two heroes (or more like anti-heroes) are mercenaries trying to make a living and a name for themselves. They end up facing off with a necromancer (who’s gotten a bit too big for his britches) and a ginormous evil plant. This novel is action packed, a bit crude at times, and occasionally hilarious.
I thought the book started out a bit rough, but the story got more interesting and the dialogue was better as the story continued. Our two main characters, Rolf and Rex, are your typical head-bashing type of warriors. However, there are hints that there are more to these two than first meets the eye.
The style is very cartoonish with a lot of “BAM!” “WHAM” types of dialogue/sounds scrawled across the frames. The drawing is also fairly cartoonish (not my favorite), but there is enough background detail to keep things interesting. I did really love the fact that everything is done in full and vibrant color. Also the illustrations are easy to follow and portray the characters actions and emotions well.
This is a very violent graphic novel, although I didn’t think it was as adult as Rat Queens is. There really isn’t any sexual stuff or drugs; just lots and lots of violence and drinking.
I picked this up because I read somewhere that this was similar in theme to Rat Queens. It kind of is, but Rat Queens is a million times better...Rat Queens is more hilarious, has more interesting illustration, and just more depth and wit to it. Skullkickers does have a similar fantasy mercenary theme to it and is very violent but that is where the similarities end.
Overall this was a fun swords and sorcery type of classic fantasy graphic novel. It’s very tongue and cheek and parts of the story are very funny. The story and dialogue are a bit rough at the beginning but improve as the story continues. The illustration is also very cartoon-like which is not my favorite. I did enjoy the fantasy setting and all the uber violent action scenes. I would recommend to those who enjoy humorous fantasy graphic novels with a lot of violence and action. I really liked Rat Queens a lot more, but this was also an entertaining fantasy graphic novel.
May 14, 2021
Fantasy comedy that tends toward silly but fun.
March 4, 2016
This was like best of the best Hollywood summer blockbusters (or what we call in India as masala movie), full on entertainment value. Yes, you may not get all those layer upon layers of intrigues or social commentary but really who gives a $#!T. Comics should be fun, and by Jove this book has got it in spades!
I normally like Ed Brubaker sort of books (oh I love some good Brubaker!!) in other words books with lots of grit noir quality, so sword-sandal-sorcery fantasy is not really my cup of tea. Hence I was a bit hesitant about this book, but this book is so much more. The banter between baldy and dwarf (yes, by that name you know the protagonists) is very funny and sounds like how real life friends talk. The action is kick-ass here.and the
The story does the work to hold the funny parts and action together, like a good summer blockbuster. Nothing much happen in this volume, just one adventure after another for two best friends (or at least as good a friend a mercenary can be!). Do not expect a great moving/intriguing story here just enjoy the ride. The art is very good. It is clean and comic book style. The best part are the facial expressions. In my opinion, jokes are at least half conveyed by body language and facial expression. And Jim Zub conveys them with aplomb.
So, if you are weary and tired of gritty comic book stories (Graphic novels, for serious people), dive into this to recharge your mind. Books like this and Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery are making my days a little brighter.
I normally like Ed Brubaker sort of books (oh I love some good Brubaker!!) in other words books with lots of grit noir quality, so sword-sandal-sorcery fantasy is not really my cup of tea. Hence I was a bit hesitant about this book, but this book is so much more. The banter between baldy and dwarf (yes, by that name you know the protagonists) is very funny and sounds like how real life friends talk. The action is kick-ass here.and the
The story does the work to hold the funny parts and action together, like a good summer blockbuster. Nothing much happen in this volume, just one adventure after another for two best friends (or at least as good a friend a mercenary can be!). Do not expect a great moving/intriguing story here just enjoy the ride. The art is very good. It is clean and comic book style. The best part are the facial expressions. In my opinion, jokes are at least half conveyed by body language and facial expression. And Jim Zub conveys them with aplomb.
So, if you are weary and tired of gritty comic book stories (Graphic novels, for serious people), dive into this to recharge your mind. Books like this and Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery are making my days a little brighter.
March 30, 2015
Great fun and genuinely funny.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advance copy of this new graphic novel collection which tells the tales of two adventurers in pursuit of pay, food and drink, and monsters to slay, and the chaos and destruction they leave behind them.
I loved fantasy from a very young age, starting with the Hobbit and reading whatever I could find anywhere, book, magazines, comics whatever. I don't know when I came across Fritz Leiber's Tales of Lankhmer featuring the adventures of two adventurers for hire Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, but I was a fan. I loved the stories, the ambience, the feeling the Leiber was able to convey. And I loved the humor and comradery that Leiber did so well. Which I why I loved this graphic novel collection, featuring characters and settings that seemed familiar, but new and even better funny. And a lot more violent. Skullkickers Compact Attack Edition Vol. 1 written by Jim Zub with art by Zub and Edwin Huang Chris Stevens, and Misty Coats tell of two men who might have been ill met, but have made the best of it, trying to make a living fighting monsters, and doing right, though the results may vary.
Shorty and Baldy as they call each other, better known as Rolf Copperhead, a dwarf with an axe and an ability to take lots and lots of damage, and Rex Mareud, a bald human with a pistol, are trying to make a living in small town that seems beset by monsters. And lots of broken things due to the actions of Shorty and Baldy. A noble is assassinated in town, the body stolen and the two are hired to find the remains. They do so, but things go from dead to worse, nearly destroying the town they are meant to protect. Avoiding blame the two are brought to the capital, where at a party the same assassin strikes, and makes it look like the two are killers of the worse kind. This also leads to a lot of fighting, Rolf being hurt, and tons of destruction. LIves are saved, many are taken, and the two adventures live on to fight another far, presumably far away.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, not just for the story and art, but for the characters, the violence, and the humor. Comedy and fantasy are tough. A little looks like not caring about the material, and too much makes one wonder if they are reading a parody. Balance is important, and it is something this comic has in spades. The characters are funny, the bad guys have motivation. There is a mysterious presence. The characters are not what they appear. And why does Rex have a gun, something nobody seems to understand. The art is really good. The characters are clean and crisp, with a lot of kinetic action that leaps off the page. Magic looks mysterious, monsters look monstrous, and even the simple panels show an attention to detail that is missing from many books. Really standout work.
A really enjoyed this quite a bit and can't wait for more. There are quite a bit of plot points dropped in and I look forward to learning about the characters, and having fun with them. The book includes a variety of shorter pieces, with different takes on the characters, which are also good. A lot of story for a very good price. I can't wait for more.
I loved fantasy from a very young age, starting with the Hobbit and reading whatever I could find anywhere, book, magazines, comics whatever. I don't know when I came across Fritz Leiber's Tales of Lankhmer featuring the adventures of two adventurers for hire Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, but I was a fan. I loved the stories, the ambience, the feeling the Leiber was able to convey. And I loved the humor and comradery that Leiber did so well. Which I why I loved this graphic novel collection, featuring characters and settings that seemed familiar, but new and even better funny. And a lot more violent. Skullkickers Compact Attack Edition Vol. 1 written by Jim Zub with art by Zub and Edwin Huang Chris Stevens, and Misty Coats tell of two men who might have been ill met, but have made the best of it, trying to make a living fighting monsters, and doing right, though the results may vary.
Shorty and Baldy as they call each other, better known as Rolf Copperhead, a dwarf with an axe and an ability to take lots and lots of damage, and Rex Mareud, a bald human with a pistol, are trying to make a living in small town that seems beset by monsters. And lots of broken things due to the actions of Shorty and Baldy. A noble is assassinated in town, the body stolen and the two are hired to find the remains. They do so, but things go from dead to worse, nearly destroying the town they are meant to protect. Avoiding blame the two are brought to the capital, where at a party the same assassin strikes, and makes it look like the two are killers of the worse kind. This also leads to a lot of fighting, Rolf being hurt, and tons of destruction. LIves are saved, many are taken, and the two adventures live on to fight another far, presumably far away.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, not just for the story and art, but for the characters, the violence, and the humor. Comedy and fantasy are tough. A little looks like not caring about the material, and too much makes one wonder if they are reading a parody. Balance is important, and it is something this comic has in spades. The characters are funny, the bad guys have motivation. There is a mysterious presence. The characters are not what they appear. And why does Rex have a gun, something nobody seems to understand. The art is really good. The characters are clean and crisp, with a lot of kinetic action that leaps off the page. Magic looks mysterious, monsters look monstrous, and even the simple panels show an attention to detail that is missing from many books. Really standout work.
A really enjoyed this quite a bit and can't wait for more. There are quite a bit of plot points dropped in and I look forward to learning about the characters, and having fun with them. The book includes a variety of shorter pieces, with different takes on the characters, which are also good. A lot of story for a very good price. I can't wait for more.
October 16, 2018
This is one of the best collections I have read in a long while. I am a big fan of Joe Abercrombie which means I like a little kick-ass in my fantasy. Well, Skullkickers delivers in a big way! This is a series of stories with Baldy (An enormous guy you do not want to meet in a dark alley) and Shorty (A dwarf you do not want to meet in a dark alley) and their adventures. The violence made me laugh. The dialogue made me laugh. Hell, the sound effects made me laugh! If you like your humor a little on the dark side and don't mind the odd gratuitous bloody accidental death, then this book will entertain!
Zub, Stevens, Huang, and Coats are at their finest here. There are some extras thrown into this collection to make it all the more special, and even a recipe for stew. (Just have to find some unicorn meat...) I am off now to order the next volume in the series.
Zub, Stevens, Huang, and Coats are at their finest here. There are some extras thrown into this collection to make it all the more special, and even a recipe for stew. (Just have to find some unicorn meat...) I am off now to order the next volume in the series.
February 17, 2026
Two monster killing mercenaries are hired to get the body of a noble man back. This leads to a zombie horde, a psychedelic soup trip, a possessed leg, a bunch of naughty fairies, talking squirrels, and two wanted posters.
Whores and Gold! This is such a fun and well drawn comic. I love that it is reprinted in this format. This is perfect for those that love fantasy adventures and role-playing games like D&D and Baldur's Gate. I am super excited to see what these guys get up to in the next volume.
Whores and Gold! This is such a fun and well drawn comic. I love that it is reprinted in this format. This is perfect for those that love fantasy adventures and role-playing games like D&D and Baldur's Gate. I am super excited to see what these guys get up to in the next volume.
January 22, 2023
I was really looking forward to this one due to the near unanimous praise for this book I've heard over the years. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. I really think that you need to be on the same wave length for the humor to land and I obviously was not on the same page. There's a lot of fun art, but just nothing that made want to see "what's next."
February 21, 2022
Two mercenaries having their run of the world - a relatively narrow world where they are hated by the local authorities but lauded for the work they succeed in doing. And they make a big mess along the way.
November 8, 2023
Fun, mindless fantasy violence with a good helping of irreverent comedy. Jim Zub proves to be as great a writer with his early material as with his excellent recent work. The cartoony-style art is a perfect fit for the adventures of the two anti hero protagonists, with emphasis on "anti".
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I recieved an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and OniPress. I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.
This was amusing. I really liked the first part of the story, but I feel like they get a little more lost or hard to follow as the chapters carried on.
This was amusing. I really liked the first part of the story, but I feel like they get a little more lost or hard to follow as the chapters carried on.
December 10, 2017
This is light fun hack-n-slash fun.
October 2, 2018
Good volume.
December 25, 2018
This is a damned fine adventure series. Read it and enjoy.
May 11, 2020
I enjoyed this more than I expected. Not a huge fan of the art style but the characters are fun and it's good "popcorn fare."
September 19, 2021
A super-fun fantasy romp.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Collects the first 2 trades in a nice little package to revisit this story about 2 meathead bounty hunters killing monsters left and right while cracking wise in a fantasy setting. One's a dwarf and one is human. Both lack any redeeming qualities. I like the 2nd story better than the first one. Having elves and fairies take revenge on a town is just a lot of sadistic fun with subverting tropes and fantasy stereotypes.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley for the arc! Finally posting my review. An action-packed read for fans of comic books and fantasy! This series follows a man and a dwarf as they pick up odd jobs while constantly being in the wrong place at the wrong time. While this read wasn’t necessarily up my alley, I know that readers who enjoy comics with action, humor, and mayhem will enjoy following the hijinks the two morally gray protagonists get caught up in. Funny, entertaining, very bloody, and a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the villainess and the character concept art and mini comics in the back.
November 30, 2025
I’ve not read any Skullkickers comics before. This story just sounded fun.
And it was. Mayhem pursues these characters as they are hired to bush and bash, and generally hurt villainous people and entities. And try to get themselves out of trouble as they are wrongly accused for attacks other’s committed bashing and murder.
Following the story line through the artwork was fun. But the text narrative didn’t grab me in the same way.
However, you do get a massive comic to enjoy. There is also a section at the end where you can get a feel and see the history of the Skullkickers comics.
Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
And it was. Mayhem pursues these characters as they are hired to bush and bash, and generally hurt villainous people and entities. And try to get themselves out of trouble as they are wrongly accused for attacks other’s committed bashing and murder.
Following the story line through the artwork was fun. But the text narrative didn’t grab me in the same way.
However, you do get a massive comic to enjoy. There is also a section at the end where you can get a feel and see the history of the Skullkickers comics.
Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
November 5, 2013
Bold action, bold characters, and a bold style, everything about this series is in your face. Yet it is done in such a way that it works. It's visual humour is matched by its writing with scene or time changes being described as "post-violence", and "property destruction". Dialogue too gets a creative overhaul when it is preceded with phrases like "body language translator", referring to their non-verbal communication at the moment. The most noticeable, and by far most used form of amusing verbiage is the sound effects, which are not limited to your normal set of onomatopoeic words. Instead the author also uses funny descriptions like "painful smack" to highlight the action in the scene.
Vibrant colours, thick blood spurts, and characters proportioned with the muscles of a tank, all add to this over-the-top effect. In the end this is a case of the bad guys, taking out even bigger bad guys, after all these are mercenaries, so havoc follows them. Wherever they go they stir up trouble both unintentionally, and intentionally.
As of yet there is no "plot" per se, other than to go where the winds lead them in pursuit of money, and reputation. These limited reasons will either need to be expanded upon, or addressed in later volumes to keep things interesting.
As added bonuses to this library bound edition, the two original short stories are contained in the back. Also there are a few random games.
Skull-kickers is all about exaggerated humour, and violence, and while swearwords are blanked out, it is still only appropriate for older teens.
Vibrant colours, thick blood spurts, and characters proportioned with the muscles of a tank, all add to this over-the-top effect. In the end this is a case of the bad guys, taking out even bigger bad guys, after all these are mercenaries, so havoc follows them. Wherever they go they stir up trouble both unintentionally, and intentionally.
As of yet there is no "plot" per se, other than to go where the winds lead them in pursuit of money, and reputation. These limited reasons will either need to be expanded upon, or addressed in later volumes to keep things interesting.
As added bonuses to this library bound edition, the two original short stories are contained in the back. Also there are a few random games.
Skull-kickers is all about exaggerated humour, and violence, and while swearwords are blanked out, it is still only appropriate for older teens.
June 30, 2014
This is that comic-book experience I always imagined--you kick back on a lazy day, open your comic, and enjoy a bright, campy adventure. Our un-named characters don't have complex personalities, they're pretty straight-forward guys. Let's kick some skulls, get paid, and get some beer. No further drive than that...just do enough mercenary work to pay that tab at the end of the night. Don't expect more from them or the story, and you'll like this series just fine. The dwarf especially tickled my funny bone. (If you're familiar with Dragon Age, think Oghren...but toned down.)
The art is very cartoon-ish, but I found it endearing and the colors definitely made it stand to others on the shelves. Their use of sound-effects I go back and forth on in my opinion. Along with the usual "kra-kow!" of gunshots and "thud!" of falling/slamming things, you get sound effects like "powerful smack!", "paniful-impact" and "dramatic arrival!". On one hand, I love it because it puts me in mind of the 1960's Batman show. But I also thought these descriptive effects were over-used and it lessens their "comedic-impact!".
I'm a sucker for the fantasy genre, there is absolutely no denying that, and Skullkickers is all about making fun of the cliches that make that genre up. It's what made me impulsively buy this volume at a discount comic book store. I don't regret it and I look forward to checking out the next volume when I get a chance.
The art is very cartoon-ish, but I found it endearing and the colors definitely made it stand to others on the shelves. Their use of sound-effects I go back and forth on in my opinion. Along with the usual "kra-kow!" of gunshots and "thud!" of falling/slamming things, you get sound effects like "powerful smack!", "paniful-impact" and "dramatic arrival!". On one hand, I love it because it puts me in mind of the 1960's Batman show. But I also thought these descriptive effects were over-used and it lessens their "comedic-impact!".
I'm a sucker for the fantasy genre, there is absolutely no denying that, and Skullkickers is all about making fun of the cliches that make that genre up. It's what made me impulsively buy this volume at a discount comic book store. I don't regret it and I look forward to checking out the next volume when I get a chance.
April 23, 2013
Skullkickers: Treasure Trove is about two guys (a dwarf who uses axes and a big, bald guy with a magical pistol) who go around town and kick skulls in. This all takes place in a mid-earth type of setting. Hence the title: Skullkickers.
The first arc, our two main characters set off to find the killer responsible for assassinating a noble person. They fight zombies and a boss-like character at the end of the first arc.
The second arc of this beautiful hardcover continues right off where we left our main protagonists as they battle in a sewer and visit a different town. However, their opponents are much different from zombies. One character I really liked was the elven thief/ranger named Kusia. I am a sucker for female elves as I used to play one in D&D.
Anyways, I thought this was a real fun adventure but I just could not stand the '66 Batman noise words in practically every panel. It took away from the art and its abundance was too annoying. It was okay here and there but felt like it was excessive and I just wanted it to stop. They might as well of had one of the characters take a dump and let the artist write every fart noise the dwarf made.
Would I recommend this book? Uhh, maybe. I liked it to a point where I would like read more about Kusia but might end up dropping it to save some dough because the noise words were just the worst for me.
The first arc, our two main characters set off to find the killer responsible for assassinating a noble person. They fight zombies and a boss-like character at the end of the first arc.
The second arc of this beautiful hardcover continues right off where we left our main protagonists as they battle in a sewer and visit a different town. However, their opponents are much different from zombies. One character I really liked was the elven thief/ranger named Kusia. I am a sucker for female elves as I used to play one in D&D.
Anyways, I thought this was a real fun adventure but I just could not stand the '66 Batman noise words in practically every panel. It took away from the art and its abundance was too annoying. It was okay here and there but felt like it was excessive and I just wanted it to stop. They might as well of had one of the characters take a dump and let the artist write every fart noise the dwarf made.
Would I recommend this book? Uhh, maybe. I liked it to a point where I would like read more about Kusia but might end up dropping it to save some dough because the noise words were just the worst for me.
Read
April 2, 2015I read a free issue of Skullkickers through Comixology a while ago and thought it was a pleasant, ridiculous romp: two fantasy characters kicking ass and taking names in a violent fantasy world. It was not a particularly deep or interesting comic, but that first issue was clearly not trying to be anything more than a violent romp. So I didn't follow up.
But then, at the library, I found a collected edition, so I picked it up. And, you know, it takes a certain amount of skill to do this sort of violent romp successfully. And most of the time, Skullkickers is pretty successful, with moments of real fun (like the repeated opening scene of a burial) or the way the protagonists get hunted by the armed guard, a rabid village populace, and the vengeful thieves guild.
There's also a lot of silly violence, which has a cartoony quality both because it is so over the top and because we never doubt the safety of our heroes. And maybe that's part of the fun here: we never get in too deep, so it always remains pleasant enough.
But then, at the library, I found a collected edition, so I picked it up. And, you know, it takes a certain amount of skill to do this sort of violent romp successfully. And most of the time, Skullkickers is pretty successful, with moments of real fun (like the repeated opening scene of a burial) or the way the protagonists get hunted by the armed guard, a rabid village populace, and the vengeful thieves guild.
There's also a lot of silly violence, which has a cartoony quality both because it is so over the top and because we never doubt the safety of our heroes. And maybe that's part of the fun here: we never get in too deep, so it always remains pleasant enough.
January 5, 2015
I love this comic! Funny as hell, exciting, wonderfully written, marvelously drawn, and a lot deeper than the premise would lead one to suspect. I wasn't familiar with the comic, or with Jim Zub, until some web comic (Schlock Mercenary, perhaps?) provided a link to where it's been republished on the web, 3 comic pages per week. Well, I started at the beginning, read up as far as they'd gotten, and I've kept up ever since. Some web comics I'm happy to just read for a while and then forget about. Others, like this was for me, are so good that I feel a need to give the author money in some way. When I saw that this book (and volume 2) were available, I snapped them up. And I was happy to read through these stories again.
Volume 2 is up on the (many!) shelves full of unread books at my house; I'm saving it for when I need some laugh-out-loud satisfaction. Or when I get my hands on Treasure Trove Volume 3. Whichever is first. Awesome stuff.
Volume 2 is up on the (many!) shelves full of unread books at my house; I'm saving it for when I need some laugh-out-loud satisfaction. Or when I get my hands on Treasure Trove Volume 3. Whichever is first. Awesome stuff.
October 31, 2015
This collects the first two TPBs of the SkullKickers story, with a bevy of extras. I'm not sure what I think of the series - it's tongue-in-cheek over-the-top fantasy action with two likably-insane mercenaries who deal with any trouble with their fists, managing to escalate things to insane heights before punching their way back out. Oh, and it's a fairly stock fantasy world but one has a gun (leading to a very funny scene where a room of guards are basically trapped by the gun on its own, managing to shoot themselves every time they try to claim it). There's lots of violence, mainly played as slapstick, and the mercenary heroes are fun to read. And the artwork is well done, with the coloring work being the highlight. It's fun and silly and violent; I don't think it'll stick with me for long, but I enjoyed the read.
July 24, 2014
This was a lot of fun. If you're into parodic or comedic takes on D&D tabletop gaming, a la The Order of the Stick and Table Titans, this is certainly worth checking out. The two protagonists embody a lot of the classic meathead / meatshield characterizations of D&D brawlers, and there are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. I look forward to further adventures featuring these less-than-honorable monster punchers in subsequent volumes!
February 18, 2013
What a fun series! The Treasure Trove is a great collection of volume 1 and 2, plus Four Tavern Tales. The collection is sturdy and absolutely beautiful... not to mention that is has one of the most hilarious fantasy stories within it's hard bound cover.
If you're a comic fan and you don't have this on your shelf, what's wrong with you?
If you're a comic fan and you don't have this on your shelf, what's wrong with you?
August 22, 2023
A dwarf and a gunslinger walk into a bar...
Drunken rowdy murder-hobos. This is a DnD-style story if you had a group that wasn't big on role-playing and just wanted to roll dice and break things. It eventually turns into a meta-commentary of the narrative of the genre, but was ultimately still fun. No romance either.
Drunken rowdy murder-hobos. This is a DnD-style story if you had a group that wasn't big on role-playing and just wanted to roll dice and break things. It eventually turns into a meta-commentary of the narrative of the genre, but was ultimately still fun. No romance either.
September 2, 2012
It's a fun, light-hearted adventure series, which takes the adventure stuff seriously while including huge doses of humor. Like Ghostbusters with swords and axes! Recommended for fans of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories.
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