From writer Sean Lewis and artist Jonathan Marks Barravecchia comes the final chapter of this powerful epic on war and colonialism in Bear Pirate Viking Queen #1. This penultimate issue subverts the expectations set by the prior chapters to drive home the thematic point in a memorable and intentional anticlimax. With more thoughtful scripting and more staggering visual work from Barravecchia, this issue rounds off one of the most unique and unforgettable comics of this year.
“As the Viking and Queen finally go to war, the Bear’s true purpose emerges.”
Writing & Plot
Sean Lewis has been making a statement with every issue of this mini-series, and Bear Pirate Viking Queen #3 serves as the final word on this story of imperialism. As the Viking and the Queen square off in a battle of conquerors, the story’s true main character is revealed. The titular Bear leaves the two monsters to their vengeance, while he returns to the victims of both Viking and British conquest. While it may come off as anticlimax, the message here is what makes this comic stand tall. The Pirate, the Viking, the Queen, and all of their quests for power and bloodshed are unimportant compared to the people who fall victim to their unceasing war. The survivors who continue living as themselves – despite being enslaved by monsters from across the sea – are the ultimate victors, as long as they keep living and remembering who they are while the empires who took them fight and burn. Lewis leaves behind the storm and bloodshed to bring us an ending that is both melancholic and hopeful – a stunning and unforgettable ending to an equally unique mini-series.
Art Direction
Jonathan Marks Barravecchia has made himself one of the best comics artists of this year with only three issues of Bear Pirate Viking Queen, and his best work may be here in the final chapter. The busy, chaotic page layouts and clashing imagery from prior issues give way to one dominated largely by splash pages. BPVQ has structurally always felt like the comic book equivalent of going through a hurricane, with Barravecchia’s art battering the reader with a deluge of striking imagery in complicated panel overlays and sequential direction. As such, this final issue feels like the equivalent of sailing out of a storm into the sunlight. Barravecchia’s work here sees him crafting incredible splash pages of unique character and setting design. The reader is taken on a journey, through the eyes of the Bear visualizing the lands and gods of their original home. The latter two-thirds of this comic feel like a dream, with Barravecchia’s compositions presenting us with gorgeous watercolor depictions that will make you hang on the page. His work here cements the comic’s themes of hope and perseverance even in the darkest of circumstances, and it’s some of the best visual work in comics in recent years.
Verdict
Bear Pirate Viking Queen #3 is a beautiful and surprising end to one of the best comics of 2024 so far. Sean Lewis subverts expectations by literally leading us away from the chaos to redirect attention to the victims of this story of unending conquest, resulting in a brilliantly executed anti-climax. Jonathan Marks Barravecchia’s art takes his already incredible visual work to new heights, offering full splash pages and subtle pacing to bring this mini-series to a memorable close. Be sure to grab this issue when it hits shelves on July 3rd!
