I think this book is rather simple for a Grant Morrison story. His presence isn't really felt here, while the artwork is just fantastic. The story is really basic, Joe is left alone in his house one night, and has a low blood sugar induced hallucination. He travels through a fantasy world, whose mythology is based on his every day items and the locations in his house. It was fun, but there wasn't much more to it. Joe The Barbarian focuses on a diabetic teenager who is suffering from hypoglycemic shock and it is casuing him to have dangerous hallucinations. He is transported into a fantasy world where he must fight his way through in order to return to reality. The art work of Joe The Barbarian is absolutely amazing and Joe is a very likable character. He is a withdrawn and lonely boy but he's very creative and that creativity is emphasized in his fantasy world.The story is intersting and I've read nothing like it so far, but it was difficult for me to follow along. It just seemed to jump around far too much. Also, many different characters are introduced but we never get the chance to really get to know them. They appear and are mentioned from time to time, but are hardly ever heard from again. This really caused me to lose interest in the story and I had to put it down for a short time. After getting back to it, I must say it's still a good fantasy read with wonderful illustrations and characters but the story does lack depth.
What do You think about Joe The Barbarian (2011)?
It is a good book for the graphic novel genre. The artwork is outstanding.
—Kim
Interesting idea, poorly executed. Expected better from Morrison...
—jjdmx
