Someday I am going to publish my own comic, and when I do, I hope I have even half as much fun as Carl Critchlow has writing and drawing Thrud the Barbarian. The good people at Titan Comics released a new hardcover collection of the Thrud comics this month, and they sent me a copy for your reviewing pleasure. I had not heard of Thrud before now, but the big lug seems to be popular among the role-playing crowd because his comic strips made regular appearances in the 1980s role-playing magazine White Dwarf. Some of those early strips are included in this hardcover edition, and they’re a hoot. But this book’s main feature is five full-length, stand alone Thrud the Barbarian comics that Critchlow wrote and drew starting in 2002. Fortunately, one doesn’t need a deep understanding of Thrud and his world to enjoy this book.

Thrud the Barbarian is more than just a Conan parody. Thrud is a big, beefy pile of physical humor and role-playing revelry. The comics in this collection make for some nice, light entertainment, though I would have personally liked a little more depth behind them. At least Critchlow’s art style is a quest for the eyes, with a flare for medieval carnage and silly comedy.

Comic Rating: 6/10 – Pretty Good.

Thrud the Barbarian is big on muscles and short on brains, but who needs them when all your problems can be solved with a giant ax? Thrud is the biggest, meanest, toughest bad boy in medieval times, but all he really wants in life is some good beer and maybe some gold. And as we all know, pursuit of money and beer is bound to get anyone into trouble. Sure enough, across these five issues, Thrud’s simple needs somehow manage to get him wrapped up into all manner of adventure. Whether he’s hired to escort a scientist on an expedition into a frozen wasteland or he ends up impersonating a king, Thrud’s adventures are always lively. And when drawn in Critchlow’s signature style, I can see why the character became so popular back in the 80s.

The art is detailed and cartoony, exactly how i like it. Critchlow’s style seems perfectly suited to this medieval world, with a penchant for swinging axes, suits of armor and flying heads. This comic features several decapitations, and each one is better than the last – comically speaking, of course. Critchlow can handle the large and the small, from mapping out every muscle in Thrud’s over-sized body to giving full life to the giant monsters he faces.

Everybody needs a good arch-nemesis

As much fun as the issues are, part of me thinks Thrud might have worked best in shorter comic strips. The full issues are entertaining, but they don’t offer much depth, especially in Thrud himself. His character really is no deeper than swinging an ax and wanting a beer. So in each issue, it’s the characters around Thrud who actually provide the story. And while those characters do their job, they’re clearly nothing more than filler. Thrud is the only character who matters in each comic, and he’s usually the least interesting. Unless, of course, you get a giddy thrill from the idea of an ax-wielding warrior slicing his way through hordes of enemies. And who among us doesn’t?

Spam! It’s what’s for dinner!

Thrud the Barbarian is a gleeful comedy series. It’ll give you a few laughs and you’ll have a little fun reading. It’s definitely meant for the role-playing crowd, poking fun at a lot of the popular and familiar tropes. Necromancers, turnips, potions, wrestling and kingly duties all get a good thwopping from Critchlow in Thrud the Barbarian. This is the perfect sort of book to pass around at your next D&D game.

The hardcover Thrud the Barbarian is available at Amazon.com.