Beowulf (Speakeasy)

(Speakeasy, 2005-2006)
™ and © 2005 Hawke Studios

History’s greatest warrior has walked among us for 1,400 years and he’s about to face—something—and he’s about to face it alone. The nature of the “something” is only one of the mysteries Brian Augustyn teases readers with in this introductory issue.

Augustyn is a dependable writer. He tells readers plenty about Beowulf. A flashback to a World War I battlefield demonstrates the hero’s power and resilience. Wulf’s keeping track of a courageous young soldier until the soldier’s death at the age of 104 reveals his loyalty and longevity. That he is part of a police special talents squad and seeks a peaceful end to a crisis shows compassion and intelligence. That’s enough to get me in Wulf’s corner.

Mysteries include ordinary folks turning into super-beings, the Department of National Security taking an interest in such folks, a sinister National Security agent, and the previously mentioned “something.” Whatever’s going on here, Augustyn has me wanting to learn more about it. The comic book also looks good. It appears to have been shot from Dub’s pencils with decent-if-occasionally-monotone color by Pierre Andre Dery.

— Tony Isabella

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