'Grit' – Wickman, Castaniero, Gough, Myers (Scout Comics)

I'm always on the look out for more fantasy and Sword & Sorcery comics so when I heard tell of 'Grit' (thanks @AnthonyPerconti), it was a very easy purchase to make. And after half a day of chasing a frightened rabbit around my ex's living room, it was a very easy decision to crack open 'Grit', when I got home, and give it a read. Let me see if I can tell you all about it before Saturday becomes Sunday...

When a routine troll hunting gig takes a gruesome turn, the curmudgeonly Old Man Barrow finds himself in the company of a wannabe backwoods doomsday cult. Faced with a problem that can't be solved with the swing of his axe, he's forced to deal with the unintentional consequences of his brutal style of problem solving with the help of Ari, a wandering witch with a short fuse and a firm stance against ultra-violence. Things are bound to get strange for these begrudging traveling companions!

'Grit' was one of those very accessible reads that lets you in quite happily and leaves you to get on with the business of reading. Just the read I was looking for in order to put a little space between me and the rest of the day. Seriously, you try dislodging a rabbit from behind a drinks cabinet, I'll bet you'll want a book like 'Grit' as well ;o) But anyway...

'Grit' does trip itself up a little by skimping on the background and going straight for the jugular of the plot instead. I mean don't get me wrong, there's plenty that's good about the plot (and we'll get onto that in a bit) but the background and concept in general (Sword & Sorcery in a deep south setting? I'm all over it) are so fascinating to me that it's a real shame that we don't get to spend more time with it. And Barrow looks like he'll be a hero worth following so again, it's a shame that we don't get a lot in the way of background for him either. Although having said that, maybe you don't need to know too much about Barrow other than that he is deadly with an axe, has a past he is trying to forget and he doesn't want you to know that he's a little softhearted. Lack of real background to one side, I like him and that's half the battle when you're trying to get me to commit to your story. I'm hoping there'll be more 'Grit' to come so we can learn about the setting and what part Barrow plays in it. Not forgetting Ari either, the sorcery to Barrow's... axe (ahem)

The story itself is fairly simple (mostly fighting monsters... ok, solely fighting monsters) but told with enough verve and energy to get you on board and reading before you know you've been snared. There are some awesome monsters on display though and the mixture of Wickman's writing and Castaniero's potent artwork makes for some spectacular fight scenes at just the right moments (as well as regular background pieces that show how life is hard here, just before it shows you how short it can be as well).

'Grit' was a lot of fun to read and I'm ready for Volume 2 (if there is one). The world builder in me is hoping that the setting is explored in greater depth, I think it would be well worth it if it was.