Other than a quick skim of the Brath Prequel, this is my first exposure to Crossgen's barbarian/Roman-style epic. While I found the single issue a little bit lacking in some regard, it does give me the sense that I might enjoy the story in the trade paperback format. Dixon has created an accessible story here, because even without the benefit of the previous six issues, I had no trouble sorting out what was going on. The downside is that he's created a fairly slow story, an issue where not much of anything happens, and while the beautifully-rendered backdrops and characters certainly catch the eye, the story flies by quickly without leaving much of an impression.
It's easy to compare this book to the recent Dixon/Crossgen book El Cazador. Like El Cazador, Brath is based on a historical period that is not common in comics, and it is clearly based on plenty of research and executed by some exceptionally talented artists. Di Vito, Paris and Schwager provide some impressive spectacle this issue, including a ship out on the sea with the beaten lead character lashed to the front, a lush Irish-style countryside and an analogue of Rome that calls to mind the impressive sets of the film Gladiator. Brath's origins seem to lie in a combination of the epic films Gladiator and Braveheart, and to my mind, the art team has done a great job evoking the same sweeping majestic look as the creators of those films.
However, while Brath is visually spectacular, it moves along, at least in this issue, at a snail's pace. At the beginning of this issue, the barbarian leader Brath has been captured and is on his way to the capital. At the end of the issue, he's at the capital. Not the most exciting of developments, and the kind of thing that a traditional writer like Dixon would tend to skip over in a page, so it surprises me that he spent an entire issue on it. Oh, there are some subplots brewing back in Brath's homeland, including an action scene involving his wife, but they don't really get much more exciting than the journey Brath is on.
Though the story doesn't really go anywhere fast, though, it is at least well-done in terms of style and keeping the reader's interest. I liked that Brath is sort of a non-entity in this issue, being talked about instead of doing any talking, as it helps to build up his reputation as a dangerous character. I also like that Dixon includes some flavor in the dialogue, with the general's view toward his homeland or the two guards briefly discussing their homes, as it makes them more than cardboard obstacles for the hero to overcome. It makes the world feel a little more real. If only Brath, like El Cazador, was using real settings instead of analogues for Rome and Ireland, it would feel even more real.
My impression is that the failings of Brath lie not so much in the creative team as the format, and that the characterization and world-building that Dixon and company are doing here would work much better in the more expansive trade paperback format. Certainly the notion of rival clans of barbarians being the last holdout against an Alexander the Great style conqueror holds plenty of interest, and the artwork by Di Vito is stunning to behold.
