With little more than the vaguest of plans, Deadheart is certain she, Ka, and Serra can stop Doxon. But what tricks does the witch have up her sleeve? Find out in Queen of Swords #1 from Vault Comics!
QUEEN OF SWORDS #1
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Corin Howell
Colorist: Kike Díaz
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Editor: Adrian F. Wassel
Publisher: Vault Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: June 14, 2023
Previously in Queen of Swords: Soren, Ka, and Steel join forces with Serra in order to open a portal to Hell and free Owen. They pull him out just as he and Deadheart were facing off against Death. In a twist of fate. Steel gives his human life to bring Deadheart back to the world of the living also. Owen is still on a quest to kill Gladius. Deadheart decides to retrieve the magical orb and strike at Doxon. Ka joins her, and Serra asks to accompany them. Deadheart now wields Steel’s sword but discovers it has been fused with the soul of Ga’Bar, who does not like barbarians.
A WOMAN ON A QUEST
If you have been curious about the world of Barbaric, Queen of Swords #1 is a great jumping-on-point. Deadheart is freshly back from the dead and heading out on a quest of her own with Ka, Serra, and a talking sword who gets snarky when Deadheart tells tales of her past adventures. The story opens as the women find an abandoned pirate ship they intend to loot for gold – adventuring is not cheap. We also learn that Ka, the assassin, plainly does not trust Serra, the witch. They find their treasure and get into a fight with a crew of zombie pirates. Ga’bar, the sword, is torn between admiration and telling Deadheart she was just lucky. Ka orders Serra to show her stuff. She insists her magic is not that powerful, but Ka keeps goading her. As her temper rises, her magic blasts most of her clothes off and she wipes out the zombies.
When we get a chance to breathe, we learn about Serra’s background. She was never a hugely talented witch, but she joined her sister’s coven. Ultimately, she fled and hid until one day, Soren came to her and begged for her help. She learns that not only is Soren magical, but she is also a natural-born witch and thus incredibly powerful. That night, her sister contacts her in her mind and urges her to kill Soren.
Ka is on a mission to pay off the Assassin’s Guild in town, so they won’t interfere. Serra goes with her and loses no time in calling her out for this, even though Ka has long since left the Guild. They do hear a rumor that the Pestilent Lands are lingering nearby, and we learn that they are a land that does not follow the natural laws.
Meanwhile, Deadheart goes to a bar where a bouncer insists that no barbarians are allowed. Deadheart is remarkably low-key and cheerful in her speech and face, but she is not afraid to do some fighting when the time comes; after all, she is a barbarian. She beats up the bouncer and throws him through the wall around the time that Serra and Ka return.
The plan is for the three of them to storm the Citadel. Serra can create a diversion with magic. Deadheart can wipe out guards from behind. And Ka will sneak in to grab the orb. It is not until they move through town that Serra senses that something seems off. Her magic exposes that everyone in town is already dead. The tower is being stormed by Xeken, and Doxon’s men get to the orb first. They flee by jumping into the Pestilent Lands.
BLOOD TIES THAT CAN NOT BE AVOIDED
The art of Queen of Swords #1 is terrific. The opening scene at the pirate ship is mainly there to introduce us to the main characters, but it is a perfect action scene as well. The ship is stuck in a cave, tattered with age. Deadheart is lovely, but she is unabashedly muscular and happy to punch her way through a rotting wall. Touching the pirate treasure is enough to raise the ghost of the captain who summons his zombie crew, who rise from water. Then the fight begins in earnest and is capped off by Serra displaying her magical powers.
I like the character work as well. This is a world where not everyone is human. Serra has long ears and looks Elvish. The representative of the Guild who receives Ka’s money appears to be amphibious, a sort of shapeless fish-man with a jaw full of sharp teeth and a surprisingly cheerful and chatty demeanor. It’s little things like that which allow the story to drift effortlessly from serious events to moments of humor, which are a running thread. Ga’bar also fits with this as he swings back and forth from misogyny to being unabashedly impressed by Deadheart.
BOTTOM LINE: A THRILLING ROMP
Queen of Swords #1 is an energetic story right out of the gate, full of interesting characters and their various conflicts. This is a great jumping on point, and it is a lot of fun to see a handful of women facing a big quest. Don’t be intimidated by the price – this is a longer-than-average book with a story to match.
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Queen of Swords #1
Deadheart is back, and she has some work to do to try to stop Doxon.
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By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.