Review by Ian Keogh

Way, way back in the day monsters were a constant threat, and their ravaging the land was only stopped by the Bezerkers fighting them off and protecting otherwise helpless communities like the little people of Bailiwick. Unfortunately, those were the good times, and there’s a reason young Barb is the last Bezerker. What she has going for her, though, is the powerful sword she’s keeping away from a shadowy wizard, a devilishly positive can-do attitude, and Porkchop the yeti as a companion. Mind you, he’s not as terrifying as his reputation.

That’s rather a theme for Dan Abdo’s joyfully meandering plot, turning the standard quest from fantasy stories into something more akin to the country bus ride with Barb being turfed off at every stop to do something like retrieving sausages or gathering razzleberries. The bigger purpose is her needing to fulfil a mission for the remaining Bezerkers, but readers will soon forget about that as she braves the Bear Beast Cave, and sees off the Grub of Death, while Razor Beak Ridge holds no fears. Along the way the sword helps out by enabling her to transform into a Bezerker, yet she’s severely weakened after using it.

Barb’s adventures are pitched at all ages, so while the monsters have terrifying names, they’re drawn in a way that’s not going to induce sleepless nights by Jason Patterson. He adopts a wonky, naive style with bright colouring, intended to look as if drawn by a child, so Barb has a big head with big eyes and a tiny thin body. Everything remains stylistically consistent throughout, creating a flat world of adventure.

A policy is to ensure everything remains upbeat. Lessons to be taken away are that any obstacle can be overcome with a little thought and planning, being kindly, and understanding opens doors, and even monsters aren’t so bad if you talk to them.

Barb’s adventures are fun and funny, and as is the case for any fantasy story worthy of the name, a trilogy is needed for Barb to complete her mission, and while some problems are solved here, the major threat of Witch Head is carried over into Barb the Brave: The Ghost Blade.

In the UK all three volumes are under the title Barb the Brave, while the original US editions just refer to her as Barb.