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The Anchor, Volume 2: Black Lips
Freak of nature, beast of burden, hulking outcast, medieval prize fighter, Viking raider...Gods own leg-breaker. The Breeder and his monstrous offspring have been defeated, but the mysterous Wound has set his sights on The Anchor's companion, Hofi. The Anchor must choose between finally learning the truth about this past or saving the life of the one he loves. Cataclysmic action, quirky humor, and profound pathos for fans of HELLBOY and THE GOON.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Phil Hester
920 books65 followersThis Eisner Award-nominated artist was born in eastern Iowa, where he went on to study at the University of Iowa. His pencilling credits include Swamp Thing, Brave New World, Flinch, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Clerks: The Lost Scene, The Crow: Waking Nightmares, The Wretch (nominated for the 1997 Eisner Award for Best New Series), Aliens: Purge, and Green Arrow.
Since graduating from the University of Iowa, he has been in the comics industry for over 15 years.
Since graduating from the University of Iowa, he has been in the comics industry for over 15 years.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 4, 2011
The cover on this graphic novel made it hard to pass it up. What exactly was this about? Who is this guy? What do the bastions of Hell look like in Phil Hester’s world? Wait, do I have any more questions? Quickly to the back page synopsis:
“Freak of nature, beast of burden, hulking outcast, medieval prize fighter, Viking raider... God's own leg-breaker. One thousand years ago a hulking outcast sought refuge in the crumbling ruins of an ancient monastery and offered in return the one thing he had to give - his fists. Transformed into an immortal warrior monk standing at the gates of Hell itself to keep our world free from its invading armies, The Anchor is mysteriously tricked into centuries of slumber. But today, this holy warrior rises to battle all the unholy monsters unleashed during his slumber. Cataclysmic action, quirky humor, and profound pathos for fans of HELLBOY and THE GOON. Brought to you by Eisner Award-nominated writer/artist Phil Hester (GREEN ARROW, SWAMP THING, THE COFFIN, FIREBREATHER, THE DARKNESS) and fan-favorite artist Brian Churilla (REX MUNDI, THE ENGINEER, CREEPY).”
I have always been a big fan of profound pathos; it rolls right off of my tongue. Better yet it sounds like something Robin of Batman & Robin would say: “Holy Profound Pathos Batman!” I see that you agree. The description of the graphic novel hits every nail on the head and so does The Anchor. The character of the Anchor is ugly yet cute in an ugly sort of way. The sum of his parts, as he seems to be brought together by many different forces, is profound and moving. Much can be learned by listening to his words and thoughts as Phil Hester walks a tightrope of frivolity and deeply insightful meanderings. The artwork is a great compliment to the prose of this graphic novel; the teaming of the two really makes the work standout and jump from the page. If you haven’t had the chance to discover this character, don’t sentence yourself to a life in the fires of agony, let The Anchor show you the way of light, understanding and love.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, Linkedin &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
“Freak of nature, beast of burden, hulking outcast, medieval prize fighter, Viking raider... God's own leg-breaker. One thousand years ago a hulking outcast sought refuge in the crumbling ruins of an ancient monastery and offered in return the one thing he had to give - his fists. Transformed into an immortal warrior monk standing at the gates of Hell itself to keep our world free from its invading armies, The Anchor is mysteriously tricked into centuries of slumber. But today, this holy warrior rises to battle all the unholy monsters unleashed during his slumber. Cataclysmic action, quirky humor, and profound pathos for fans of HELLBOY and THE GOON. Brought to you by Eisner Award-nominated writer/artist Phil Hester (GREEN ARROW, SWAMP THING, THE COFFIN, FIREBREATHER, THE DARKNESS) and fan-favorite artist Brian Churilla (REX MUNDI, THE ENGINEER, CREEPY).”
I have always been a big fan of profound pathos; it rolls right off of my tongue. Better yet it sounds like something Robin of Batman & Robin would say: “Holy Profound Pathos Batman!” I see that you agree. The description of the graphic novel hits every nail on the head and so does The Anchor. The character of the Anchor is ugly yet cute in an ugly sort of way. The sum of his parts, as he seems to be brought together by many different forces, is profound and moving. Much can be learned by listening to his words and thoughts as Phil Hester walks a tightrope of frivolity and deeply insightful meanderings. The artwork is a great compliment to the prose of this graphic novel; the teaming of the two really makes the work standout and jump from the page. If you haven’t had the chance to discover this character, don’t sentence yourself to a life in the fires of agony, let The Anchor show you the way of light, understanding and love.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, Linkedin &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
March 25, 2010
I'll start off by saying that I enjoyed this comic. I enjoyed the references, to mythology, Vikings, and ancient Scotland. (Being a former student of Celtic history).
Though unfortunately it was nothing earth shattering i my mind. I had concerns as many others, that this could be a "Hellboy" ripoff. I can assauge those fears for the most part, though inevitably some similarities remain, Anchor is its own thing.
While the text in the book is often lengthy and poetic, the art and colors sometimes bespeak a more juvenile audience.
Casting Anchor as a God fearing holyman certainly is a fun twist, as is his two bodies conundrum (read it to find out). But the characters have yet to develop deeply enough for me. It is alot to expect in the first four issues, but I like deep comics. I think the next arc may be doing something to delve deeper into the characters lives and shake things up (hopefully). On a similar note, I found the chapters (issues) to be somewhat formulaic. (1. Find Monster, 2. Beat monster, 3. Eat monster's soul, 4. Gain more lost memory, 5. Repeat.)
The Last issue (#4) did end on a cliffhanger enough to hook me into reading the next arc. Though depending on how long I can stand the suspense, I may be waiting for the next TPB to be coming out since at $3.99 an issue, my pocketbook might be hurting. The low price of this TPB is what convinced me to finally read the story.
Though unfortunately it was nothing earth shattering i my mind. I had concerns as many others, that this could be a "Hellboy" ripoff. I can assauge those fears for the most part, though inevitably some similarities remain, Anchor is its own thing.
While the text in the book is often lengthy and poetic, the art and colors sometimes bespeak a more juvenile audience.
Casting Anchor as a God fearing holyman certainly is a fun twist, as is his two bodies conundrum (read it to find out). But the characters have yet to develop deeply enough for me. It is alot to expect in the first four issues, but I like deep comics. I think the next arc may be doing something to delve deeper into the characters lives and shake things up (hopefully). On a similar note, I found the chapters (issues) to be somewhat formulaic. (1. Find Monster, 2. Beat monster, 3. Eat monster's soul, 4. Gain more lost memory, 5. Repeat.)
The Last issue (#4) did end on a cliffhanger enough to hook me into reading the next arc. Though depending on how long I can stand the suspense, I may be waiting for the next TPB to be coming out since at $3.99 an issue, my pocketbook might be hurting. The low price of this TPB is what convinced me to finally read the story.
October 25, 2010
Update-It turns out the book on Goodreads is actually volume 2 that I finished yesterday. If writer Phil Hester elects to never revisit this character at least he gave him a good send off. We pretty much get all of the Anchor's background and even learn mroe about Hofi (no spoiler here). to resolve this story the Anchor travels to Hell and even takes on Satan. WHile there are some religious overtones and themes to the Anchor's story Hester avoids hitting the reader over the head with his views on the subject.
A read for fans of Hellboy and Atomic Robo to enjoy. A mysterious figure ends up in Reykjavik to battle a monster that is destroying the city. This figure turns out to have his physical body on Earth while his soul guards a gateway against demons to keep the demons from getting to Earth. While The Anchor is fighting a two front war, and he doesn't seem to be aware of it it, we get monsters, and secret divison of DARPA (shades of James Rollins) to deal.
A read for fans of Hellboy and Atomic Robo to enjoy. A mysterious figure ends up in Reykjavik to battle a monster that is destroying the city. This figure turns out to have his physical body on Earth while his soul guards a gateway against demons to keep the demons from getting to Earth. While The Anchor is fighting a two front war, and he doesn't seem to be aware of it it, we get monsters, and secret divison of DARPA (shades of James Rollins) to deal.
April 25, 2011
Phil Hester - Author
Brian Churilla - Illustrator
4.5/5
We rejoin The Anchor (Clem, to his friends) as he endeavors to defeat the final 2 furies sent by the devil to attack the mortal realm. Although no hellspawn can match his physical might, a nefarious demon lord hatches a plan to strike at The Anchor in his only vulnerable spot -- his heart. A mysterious, mummy-like creature covered in bandages guides Hofi Eriksdotter towards a strange confrontation with The Anchor ... a confrontation that will reveal much about the pious behemoth, and lead to a journey into the depths of Hell itself.
More great stuff from Mr. Hester and Mr. Churilla. Highly recommended.
Brian Churilla - Illustrator
4.5/5
We rejoin The Anchor (Clem, to his friends) as he endeavors to defeat the final 2 furies sent by the devil to attack the mortal realm. Although no hellspawn can match his physical might, a nefarious demon lord hatches a plan to strike at The Anchor in his only vulnerable spot -- his heart. A mysterious, mummy-like creature covered in bandages guides Hofi Eriksdotter towards a strange confrontation with The Anchor ... a confrontation that will reveal much about the pious behemoth, and lead to a journey into the depths of Hell itself.
More great stuff from Mr. Hester and Mr. Churilla. Highly recommended.
September 13, 2010
It's interesting enough that I would want to read more of the series.
March 18, 2019
I really enjoyed the first volume. It had those kaiju vibes in known cities with a dash of god of war.
This second volume / finale is drastically different in every way.
The quality of the actual book is better. Thicker pages and the book feels twice the size.
The art is much cleaner and lacks the charm of the first volume. Almost like they went to computers to end it on the cheap.
The plot is just a hot nonsensical mess. It also pretty much lacks any big monster action besides the opening where an abortion joke is made.
Really torn on if I want to get rid of this set as a whole or keep it. Was only $4 total and I’d get $5 for it all from a local shop...
More like a 2.5 than a 3.
This second volume / finale is drastically different in every way.
The quality of the actual book is better. Thicker pages and the book feels twice the size.
The art is much cleaner and lacks the charm of the first volume. Almost like they went to computers to end it on the cheap.
The plot is just a hot nonsensical mess. It also pretty much lacks any big monster action besides the opening where an abortion joke is made.
Really torn on if I want to get rid of this set as a whole or keep it. Was only $4 total and I’d get $5 for it all from a local shop...
More like a 2.5 than a 3.
January 11, 2023
The Anchor closes up shop after finally remembering his past and battling Satan. The pacing is off in places as it's clear Hester was told to wrap this up quicker than expected. Hester does a good job of touching on some slight religious aspects without pushing an agenda on the reader. Churilla's art works very well in this kind of a setting.
April 14, 2018
Nice art by Brian Churilla but the story of a man cursed to battle the demons of hell for a millennium didn't resonate with me. Not exactly sure why but this was reasonably enjoyable but missed the mark a bit.
June 25, 2022
Generally a very fun graphic novel, I could imagine this being turned into a series. Very good illustrations and characters are pretty good, overall a good experience
September 29, 2024
Very fun read! Some twists, some turns, and curb stomping the fucking devil. Let’s goooooo
April 9, 2010
Great art and some of the coolest looking monsters can't keep you from thinking this is 'Hellboy-lite'.
The main character is interesting and I like the bits set in Hell, but when it moves to earth, it all starts to feel a bit 'been there, done that, saw the movie with Ron Perlman.'
I will admit, the deer centaur was a brilliant monster, but this just turned out to be one of those stories that I wanted to like more than I did.
The main character is interesting and I like the bits set in Hell, but when it moves to earth, it all starts to feel a bit 'been there, done that, saw the movie with Ron Perlman.'
I will admit, the deer centaur was a brilliant monster, but this just turned out to be one of those stories that I wanted to like more than I did.
November 9, 2015
3.75 Stars
This is not so much a Vol 2 as it is a second half of one story. This issue fills in the background that was missing from the first book. Overall an enjoyable story that was nothing earth-shattering or overly original.
Art is somewhat cartoony, but consistent.
This is not so much a Vol 2 as it is a second half of one story. This issue fills in the background that was missing from the first book. Overall an enjoyable story that was nothing earth-shattering or overly original.
Art is somewhat cartoony, but consistent.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews