An Epic Tale of Blood and Drool – Review Of BattlePug

Riddle me this Batman…

What do you get when you combine Conan the Barbarian, giant baby harp seals, a massive, drooling pug, Santa Claus, a thousand angry gophers, and a tattooed naked woman lying in bed relating the whole story to her two talking dogs? A giant bucket-full of awesome, that’s what!

If Robert E. Howard and Boris Vallejo had a love-child, and it wrote a boy-meets-dog/revenge story while tripping on mushrooms, BattlePug might be the result.

Long ago, far away, in the tower of a mighty castle, Molly spins the tale of “The Warrior and the BattlePug” to her dogs, Mingo and Colfax.  I really won’t go into story details because it is honestly a treat to read.  Take the Conan origin and sprinkle on some Turner & Hooch, add in some dark twists and you have yourself a new bookmark to add in your favorite web browser.  Oh, did I fail to mention that it’s a free weekly webcomic?

The art is cartoony, but sharp, and the characterizations are phenomenal. The depiction of the warrior is reminiscent of an old-school Conan, with stern features and a hooked nose.  And, while BattlePug doesn’t say much, his expressions let you know that he wears his heart on his sleeve…err, paw.

Hey, it’s a free webcomic; so, it won’t cost you anything to take a look. Enjoy it. Tell your friends. If you find yourself as entertained as I was, consider a small donation, or at least buy a t-shirt (I did). As artists look for new ways to reach an audience, let’s make sure we support them in their efforts.

Mike Norton writes and self-publishes this weekly webcomic, with the help of Allen Passquala and Chris Crank. Norton has worked on a number of books over the past several years, including Green Arrow/Black Canary, Trinity, Runaways, as well as co-creating Gravity.  Most recently, he worked on Marvel’s Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt.

BattlePug has been picked up as a collection by Dark Horse. Look for it on shelves this summer. In the meantime, check battlepug.com weekly for volume 2 of BattlePug, the epic tale of blood and drool!