Launching a Claw series in the wake of the crossover with Dynamite's successful Red Sonja revival is a natural move for DC/Wildstorm as the publisher attempts to capitalize on the niche popularity of the barbarian genre. If there's one thing that the genre is all about, it's machismo. Big burly men doing bloody but righteous deeds while scantily clad females revolve around them. It makes Chuck Dixon a natural choice to write the series. He and the rest of the creative team achieve the macho tone that's called for here quite well. I've never been one for the genre, though, but fans of Conan and Red Sonja will find more of what they enjoy here.
Valcan Scaramax, better known as Claw thanks to the demonic hand that's been grafted onto his body, joins an army in a bloody campaign, and it forces him to take life after life, even that of a one-time friend. A mysterious witch woman appears to him and tells him to embark on a quest, even arranging for a trio of mercenaries to join him along the way. But the strange sorceress learns something from Claw herself... that the barbarian once tried to rid himself of his curse by cutting off his hand, only to see it grow back. But that means there's a piece of discarded demonic flesh out there that's gone unattended for some time.
Andy Smith's art exhibits a strong Neal Adams influence early on in the book, but there are also touches of Butch Guice, Joe Kubert and even Jim Lee to be found at various points in the issue as well. At the end of the opening scene, the visions of monsters isn't as effective as called for by the moment and the mood. The creatures look far too cartoony and generic. Also, it merits note that Smith's artwork is not unlike the line art that Mel Rubi has provided for Dynamite's Red Sonja, which, as a result of the recent crossover, could be seen as Claw's unofficial sister book.
There are elements in this book that, to my surprise, drew me in. The opening scene features a seer who goes to horrific lengths to avoid the supernatural images he's seeing, and though we've seen this sort of thing before in other horror stories, it nevertheless has an undeniable impact. Furthermore, the notion of a detached lump of demonic sinew skittering around the landscape is creepy and oddly entertaining.
Other elements in the story are much harder to swallow, notably the soldiers' decision to attack Claw simply because he opted to leave the battlefield after the bloody fracas. Also, Claw's decision to heed the magician's directions, despite the fact she was clearly malevolent, makes little sense. He and his new colleagues come off as rather dim as a result of their blind obedience. 5/10
