Comic Review: Battlepug 5: The Paws of War by Mike Norton from Dark Horse Comics

Battlepug 5: THE PAWS OF WAR

Writer: Mike Norton

Artist: Mike Norton

Cover Artist: Mike Norton
Genre: Humor, Fantasy, Action/Adventure
November 02, 2016

Dark Horse Comics

Format: FC, 72 pages; HC, 12'' x 8 1/2''

Price: $14.99

Age range:14

ISBN-10:1-50670-114-0

ISBN-13:978-1-50670-114-1

The Final Chapter!
THIS IS IT! The final battle between good and evil has begun! The Last Kinmundian and friends have reached the nefarious Catwulf and Zurn, but will they be able to defeat what they find? Revenge will at last be had in this action-packed finale to the Harvey and Eisner Award–winning web comic!

* Harvey and Eisner Award winner!
* Exclusive story pages not found anywhere else!

“If you appreciate good horror stories and gorgeous artwork, there’s no excuse as to why you haven’t bought this already. Go. Now.”—Comix I ReadGUEST REVIEWERS: Dani Harper, assisted by Toby the Pug, and Tux the 80-pound Unknown Canine

DANI: From the very beginning, it was clear that Battlepug had the ingredients of a truly outstanding graphic novel.

TOBY: “Pugs!”

TUX *scrunches down on the floor at Toby’s eye level* “I can be a pug.”

DANI: “Sure, Tux. But you’re still not sitting in my lap. Yes, Toby, this story has pugs. The narrator has a pug friend named Mingo, but the real star of the story is—

TOBY: “Sprinkles!”


DANI: “Aaand Sprinkles is a ginormous pug who befriends the bitter barbarian who is our true hero. The big nameless Kinmundian has lost everything he cares about and embarks on a quest for vengeance.”

TOBY: “Sprinkles lets the Kinmundian ride him. If I can just grow big enough, I could be a mighty steed for a hero too!” *runs over to his dog dish and chows down*


DANI: “Toby, I hate to tell you this, but you’re not getting any taller, just wider.”

TUX: “I can be a pug.” <joins Toby at the dog dish, inhales all the kibble>


DANI: “As I was saying, Battlepug was nearly perfect to start with. Mike Norton’s artwork is among the very best in the business, making every colorful page an experience all on its own. But even more amazing is his story. He took hugely disparate elements and blended them seamlessly.”

TOBY <bouncing> “It’s not every day you get a pug story that has giant creatures, and magic, and swords, and battles, and enchanted armor, and pirate’s dens, and walking bones, and-and-and EVERYTHING!”


DANI: “True, but Norton did something even better. He created a large and diverse cast of characters, and not only made them work together, he made the reader CARE about them.”

TOBY <thinking hard> “I thought I just cared about the pugs. But then I kind of worried about the Kinmundian. And I wanted to know more about Moll, and what was going to happen to Bryony… In the end, I guess I wanted to know what happened to all of them.” <falls over> “I think I pulled a brain muscle.”


DANI: “But you’re right!”

TOBY: “I am?”


TUX: “I can be a pug.” <falls over with a ground-shaking thud, narrowly missing Toby>


DANI: “Everyone that the Kinmundian met had their own story to tell, and we empathized with them and worried about them and cheered for them. That’s what made Book Five, the final book, so important. We needed to know what happened to all those characters we cared about. And that’s when we get to see the very best part of all.”

TOBY: “What’s the best part? Is it when— Mbmpf!” <finds a sock stuffed in his mouth>


DANI: “Careful now, no spoilers! It’s been said that the best stories are about CHANGE. Mike Norton made sure that his hero, the nameless Kinmundian, gradually changes in profound ways without realizing it. And in so doing, he brings about change in others too. That’s the best part of all.”

TOBY: “Mgyphmrr mewqikkm!” <sucking on the sock contentedly>


DANI: “Exactly. We can’t say anything more about this book, except that all the storylines are tied up nicely, and that readers will find ample resolutions—with a few surprises thrown in, of course.”

TUX: “I can be a pug.” <wanders off to find a sock>


4 “GRRRRRRRsnrrffl!” sheep for THE PAWS OF WAR

5 “I-can’t-believe-how-dang-perfect-this-story-arc-is” sheep for the overall BATTLEPUG series

* * * * *
Battlepug Facebook Page 
Battlepug Website: 
(read the comic, check out Mike Norton’s blog, and buy cool stuff )

Comic Review: BATTLEPUG – VOLUME 4 – THE DEVIL’S BISCUIT

BATTLEPUG – VOLUME 4 – THE DEVIL’S BISCUIT
Writer: Mike Norton
Artist: Mike Norton
Colorist: Allen Passalaqua
Cover Artist: Mike Norton
Dark Horse Comics

Genre: Humor, Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Publication Date: October 14, 2015
Format:FC, 72 pages; HC,
Age range:14

Preview

THE BARBARIAN AND HIS BATTLEPUG COMPANION are a nearly unbeatable team, but after one of his motley crew of adventurers goes missing, the last Kinmundian must split off from his friends and journey, alone, into the heart of the den of the pirate king to find him. The rest of the group must fend for themselves while Catwulf’s ferocious forces hunt them down. But with a BATTLEPUG at their side, they at least have a fighting chance!

......................................................................

Guest Reviewers:  Toby the Pug and Queenie the Pug, co-owners of author Dani Harper (who has negotiated for equal page space this time)

......................................................................

Queenie --- Like it says in the introduction, "come for the pugs, stay for the adventure".

Dani --- I agree. Fans of eccentric humor, and especially those who enjoy absurd mash-ups, will continue to be charmed by Mike Norton’s Battlepug webcomic. This latest book, THE DEVIL'S BISCUIT, is number 4 in the series, and continues the epic story with a collection of comics from the past year. As always, the artwork continues to be stellar, the coloring beautifully rendered, plus the panel layout is varied and interesting.

Queenie (sighing dramatically) --- It’s a pleasure to read this book just for the visuals. That is one hunka hunka burning pug!

Toby --- You keep taking the book to your kennel! I want to read it again!

Queenie --- I have seniority, I’m in charge of the book. You’ll just get drool all over it.

Toby --- Ha! You’re the one who’s doing all the drooling!

Dani --- If you two will just focus on the review, I promise I’ll get an extra copy so you each can have your own. Deal?

Toby and Queenie together --- “Deal.” *eye each other suspiciously just the same*

Dani --- All sweeping sagas have mysteries to be solved, and the opening scene confronts us once again with what just might prove to be the biggest mystery of all – our naked narrator, Moll. Confined to a tower high above a sprawling city, the beautiful woman has only a surly French bulldog (Colfax) and an affable pug (Mingo) for company.

Queenie --- Everyone knows, if you have a pug, you have it all.

Dani (muttering to herself) --- You certainly have a lot of SOME things … sneezes in your face, all-night snoring, room-clearing farts…

Toby --- I can’t hear you, you’re mumbling!

Dani (aloud) --- I was saying that you two are the light of my life, of course! While it’s true that pug companionship is very satisfying, this time we get a glimpse of secret sadness in Moll, a heaviness of heart that surprises her canine companions. Nevertheless, she continues to tell them the adventures of BATTLEPUG.

In case our readers have forgotten, or if they're new to the story, the hero is the last surviving member of the Kinmundian Tribe, known only as the Warrior. His enthusiastic steed is the faithful and freakishly ginormous pug –

Toby --- SPRINKLES! His name is Sprinkles! I wish my name was Sprinkles.

Queenie --- Ha! Your name should be Tinkles, the way you—

Dani --- Back on topic, guys! Anyway, all the reader really has to do is picture Conan the Barbarian riding a pug the size of an elephant in order to understand the quirky universe that Mike Norton has created. Our nameless Kinmundian warrior is on a quest for vengeance against his mortal enemy, Catwulf. Despite the hero’s desire for solitude on this mission, he's attracted both a genuine Canis Majoris and some unwanted followers. Book 3 showed us that, in spite of himself, he’s learned to care about his motley crew. As Book 4 opens, we again meet Scribbly, a crazy and mostly incoherent old hermit who nevertheless manages to explain what's going on to both the Warrior and the reader.

Toby – And Bryony’s back! She’s the one who named Sprinkles.

Dani --- Good for you, Toby. You remembered.

*Toby sticks his tongue out at Queenie when Dani’s not looking*

Dani --- Anyway, Bryony Bracken is a little girl with enough powerful magic to control and command the plant world.

Queenie --- She has a powerful vocabulary too! She cusses like a drunken sailor.

Dani --- That’s right, Queenie.

*Queenie makes a face at Toby*

Dani --- Moving on. Book 4 picks up where we left off in Book 3, with our heroes in a massive forest noted for unsavory characters. And sure enough, a band of thieves wander by talking loudly about the pirate king, Callistus, who will be attending the great Pirate Fest in the next town. Our heroes are captured –

Queenie --- And then they’re saved by a brand new character, Leighmin, a plant wizard like Bryony! Have you noticed that people come and go all the time in this story?

Dani --- True enough. In fact, Scribbly disappears during the struggle and can’t be found. Meanwhile, the new plant wizard reveals himself as a guide and mentor. Our heroes are used to a certain amount of weirdness by now. But they're unprepared to hear that they must split up and follow separate paths for a while. So for the first time since he met the big lug of a pug, the Kinmundian will have to leave his faithful steed behind.

Toby --- That part made me sad! *Snuffles loudly into the couch cushions*

Dani --- But first, he charges Sprinkles with the very important task of guarding Bryony, who has a destiny of her own to fulfill. And we know that the giant pug and little wizard girl will look after each other, right Toby?

Toby --- *Still snuffling* Yeah, I guess so. *Blows nose loudly, then farts. Looks around to see where the noise came from…*

Dani (gasping as she opens a window) --- Cough, cough, cough… So the Warrior walks to the Pirate Fest, blending in with some stolen clothes—

Queenie --- Ha! It’s a wonder he knew how to put them on. Apparently it's the first time he's worn pants since he was a kid.

Dani --- The important thing is that he spots Scribbly in the crowd and tries to follow him. A gang of thugs descend on the cape-covered old man, only to be beaten off by the Warrior. But it isn't Scribbly under the cape! Instead, it's a very small armor-clad human who introduces himself as Jangles the Lesser.

Queenie --- What did I just tell you? People come and go all the time in this story.

Toby--- Yeah, Jangles says he put on a cursed helmet that would make him live forever. But instead—

Dani --- NO SPOILERS! In fact, we’ve already said too much. What we can say, however, is that from this point on, the plot gets REALLY complicated.

Toby --- I’ll say! It made my brain hurt!

Queenie --- Everything makes YOUR brain hurt.

Toby --- Well, it’s not just me. Mingo’s brain got BROKEN in this story!

Dani --- Yes, well, that’s because THE DEVIL’S BISCUIT is true to its predecessors in the series. The pacing is just as fast and furious. It contains some amazing plot twists that none of us saw coming, plus some shocking revelations. There’s always a cliffhanger ending, of course –

Toby --- AND THIS ONE’S REALLY AWESOME! *runs madly in circles*

Dani --- Okay, I admit, it’s pretty good.

Toby --- *still running* I can’t WAIT, I can’t WAIT, I can’t WAIT for the last book! I wanna know what HAPPENED! *crashes into the side of the couch and falls over*

Dani --- Is he okay?

Queenie --- Yeah, he’s breathing, he’s fine. *kicks a couch cushion over Toby * What I want to know is how the writer’s going to resolve all this stuff with only one more book?

Dani --- I don’t know. And maybe Mike Norton doesn’t know yet either. He said he originally planned five books, but now? We’ll just have to see. In the meantime, I’m giving Book 4, THE DEVIL’S BISCUIT,

4 “I’ll-put-on-a-frilly-dress-and-dance-around-your-corpses” sheep.

Queenie --- Are you kidding me? It has pugs! It even has a pug MOUNTAIN this time! Automatic five!

Toby (from under the couch cushion) --- Yeah, it should be five!

Dani (sighing) --- We have this argument every time we review a Battlepug book. Look, if we were reviewing it for a pug audience, it would be five. But we’re reviewing this for humans, so it gets four.

Toby --- I’ll bet if the Battlepug was here, you’d give it a TEN!

Dani --- Okay, that’s probably true. Tell you what, I’ll give FIVE “pug-kisses-are-totally-unavoidable” sheep to the bonus pages in this book. There’s a fun collection of the Warrior and the Battlepug drawn by over a dozen guest artists.

*Toby farts again. Dani and Queenie flee the building…*

* * * * *

Battlepug Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/Battlepug-The-Web-Comic-123886081014933/timeline/

Battlepug Website (read the comic daily, check out Mike Norton’s blog, and buy cool stuff - http://battlepug.com/

Battlepug 4: THE DEVIL’S BISCUIT – buy link on Amazon –http://amzn.to/1VSxr77

Comic Review: Battlepug: Sit, Stay, Die! Volume 3

BATTLEPUG, Volume 3, “Sit, Stay, Die!”
Writer:Mike Norton

Artist:Mike Norton

Colorist:Allen Passalaqua

Cover Artist:Mike Norton
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Humor
Dark Horse Comics

Publication Date: October 29, 2014

Format:FC, 72 Pages; HC, 12" x 8.5"

Price:$14.99

Age range:14

ISBN-10:1-61655-594-7ISBN-13:978-1-61655-594-8

The Last Kinmundian and his trusty Battlepug have survived many trials on their way to confront the evil beast mage known as Catwulf, but their encounter with the Dead Walker may be their last. The third installment of this Eisner-award winning-webcomic sees our heroes climbing to the very brink of death. Will they slip over the edge?

Battlepug Volume 3: Sit. Stay. Die! collects the entire third year of the webcomic hit, Battlepug, and includes exclusive bonus material!
********************************

Guest Reviewers Toby the Pug and Queenie the Pug, co-owners of author Dani Harper (who may or may not get a word in edgewise)

QUEENIE – “First off, I’d like to express our appreciation to I Smell Sheep for having the good sense to bring in experts to review this book. As pugs ourselves, we’re able to provide readers with the ultimate perspective on the latest volume of BATTLEPUG.”

TOBY – “I wanted to say that! I’m the one who’s done a review before, so I should get to talk FIRST!”

QUEENIE - “Pfft! I’m more than twice your age, so I have seniority. Plus we’re in a hurry, because it’s HALFTIME, people! This is already the THIRD of five planned books.”

TOBY – “Five? Only five?” *counts on his front toes* “Um, um, Volume 1 was “Blood and Drool”, and, um, Volume 2 was “This Savage Bone”. And so this one makes, um, three – OMIGOSH THERE’S ONLY TWO TOES LEFT!” *runs in panicked circles*

Fiona the pug's review of Volume 1 Blood and Drool

Toby the pug's review of Volume 2 This Savage Bone

Dani Harper – *clears throat* “Mike Norton is Battlepug’s creator, writer and artist. And he’s won both an Eisner Award and a Harvey Award for this webcomic.”

QUEENIE – “That’s because there are pugs in the story, of course. You’d think more writers would take the hint. Why, if a pug had been written into the script for The Lone Ranger, it would have pushed the movie into Oscar territory.”

TOBY – “I’ll bet the awards don’t matter to Mr. Norton. He probably created Battlepug because it’s FUN.”

Dani Harper – “He’s certainly very talented. The story keeps rolling out zany surprises as it reveals more about the characters. And the quality of the artwork continues to be amazing.”

QUEENIE – “Pugs are excellent subjects. Including them elevates practically anything into an art form and—”

TOBY – “I have a Battlepug t-shirt!”

QUEENIE – “I keep telling you it’s for people – that’s why it doesn’t fit right. And stop interrupting me.”

TOBY – “Stop being bossy. I told you, I’m the one who’s reviewed before, so I get to talk! Battlepug is about a barbarian on a quest to find the villain who destroyed his people. And instead of a horse, he rides a giant noble pug –

QUEENIE – “Did you notice that nobody knows the name of the warrior?”

TOBY – “But we know the name of the pug! That’s the important part. He’s big and brave and his name is Sprinkles! And he has a mighty battle cry: BRAP! BRAP! BRAP! BRAP!” *leaps wildly across the furniture*

QUEENIE – “And we know the names of the friends that the warrior and his pug have made along the way – “

TOBY – *still bounding along the top of the couch* “BRAP! BRAP! BRAP!”

QUEENIE – “There’s the old man, Scribbly, and the little girl, Bryony, and the swordmaster, Black Sasha.”

TOBY – *panting* “And the best thing of all? The BESTEST thing? Sprinkles isn’t the only pug!”

Dani Harper – “That’s true. The whole story is being woven by a voluptuous girl named Moll who seems to be a prisoner in a high tower. She never wears anything except her henna tattoos and her only companions are a French bulldog named Colfax, and a pug named Mingo.”

TOBY – “I like Mingo. Colfax is a meanie.”

QUEENIE – “You said that last time. I read your review.”

TOBY – “Well, it’s even more true now. But there’s way cool stuff in this book too. The Warrior and his faithful Battlepug are up against this guy with a whole army of skeletons, and then the monster weasels come! And you’ve got to see the Skull Monkey!“

QUEENIE – “Let’s not forget there are some truly profound lessons in this story about magic and the importance of keeping the balance.”

TOBY – “And then we learn about PILLOWS! I had no idea they were so dangerous!”

QUEENIE – “Riiight.” *hides a pillow behind her back* “But let’s not give everything away – we don’t want to spoil it for the readers.”

Dani Harper – “I think it’s safe to say this book contains a critical turning point for the Warrior. He suddenly realizes that his desire for revenge isn’t the most important thing anymore.”

TOBY – “And then there was the gigantic – and then, BAM, the— the— fuzzy…wanna…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.”

QUEENIE – *removes pillow from Toby’s face* “I SAID we weren’t going to give away the story!”

Dani Harper – *confiscates pillow* “Ahem. We need to tell people that they can Like Battlepug on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Battlepug-The-Web-Comic/123886081014933. And if they want to read the strip as it’s created, they can check out Mr. Norton’s commentary and maybe even shop in the Battlepug store at http://battlepug.com/ ” *shakes Toby awake*

TOBY – “Wha – what? Where were we?”

Dani Harper – *whispering* “It’s time for the rating, give the rating!”

TOBY – “Four thumbs up!”

QUEENIE – “I knew he wouldn’t do it right. We’re on I Smell Sheep – they don’t use thumbs! And why isn’t it five? The book’s got TWO pugs! That puts it practically off the scale.”

Dani Harper – “Sorry, but we’ve had this conversation before. It’s not fair to non-pugs, and we want to be known as balanced reviewers.”

TOBY – “Yeah!” *sticks tongue out at Queenie* “So it gets four ‘who’s a giant dead skull monkey killer?’ sheep!” *whispers* “But pugs will know it’s really worth a five, right?”

Dani Harper and QUEENIE – “Right!”

Comic Review: Battlepug: Vol 2 - This Savage Bone by Mike Norton

Reviewed by Dani Harper, Fiona the Pug and Toby the Assistant Pug

BATTLEPUG: Vol. 2 - This Savage Bone

Writer and Artist: Mike Norton
Colorist: Allen Passalaqua
Genre: Still no genre for pugs. Someone should fix that… Meanwhile, you’ll find it under Humor, Fantasy, and Action/Adventure
Publisher: Dark Horse
Publication Date: First edition release is August 7, 2013
Format:FC, 72 Pages; HC, 12" x 8.5"

Price:$14.99

Age range:8

ISBN-10:1-61655-201-8

ISBN-13:978-1-61655-201-5

Preview
When the Warrior was just a child, the beast mage Catwulf destroyed his village. Since then, the Warrior has become strong, and he will have his vengeance! Joined by his trusty steed and friend Battlepug, a crazy loon, elite warrior Black Sasha, and a foulmouthed child mage named Bryony, the warrior will not be denied revenge, but is the group ready to meet one of the most powerful mages in the world in battle?

* Mike Norton (artist on the hit Revival)!

* Never-before-seen material in a handsome hardcover collection.

“There are some concepts that are just so ‘wrong’ that they wrap around to ‘right’.”—Stumptown Trade Review

“Yeah, it’s Conan on a pug. And it is awesome.”—Stumptown Trade Review

DANI HARPER: THIS SAVAGE BONE is a collection of the second year of BATTLEPUG webcomics by writer and artist Mike Norton. 

FIONA THE PUG: We reviewed Volume 1, BLOOD AND DROOL* too. Personally, I think having a genuine pug’s point of view is the key to an outstanding critique.

Review of Vol 1 here

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: I wanna review this book too! You guys have all the fun.

FIONA THE PUG: Who let him in? I left him shredding papers for you in your office.

DANI HARPER: I said he could come – Battlepug is his hero! He even has the t-shirt.

FIONA THE PUG: Humph. Well, I can’t argue that Battlepug IS one hot hunka burning pug. And that’s not MY t-shirt is it? *runs to check the glass collector’s case in her kennel*

DANI HARPER: A little background is required here, just in case the reader isn't familiar with the first book. The hero of the story is actually The Kinmundian, a barbarian who lives for vengeance. As a child, his entire village was destroyed by a giant baby seal commanded by the evil villain, Catwulf. This has left the big frowning warrior with a distaste for animals in general, and big ones in particular.

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: But then the giant pug saved his life!

DANI HARPER: And loyally refused to leave his side. So what else could the Kindmundian do but adopt him as his trusty (but slobbery) steed and continue on his quest?

FIONA THE PUG: *returns wearing a Battlepug t-shirt* I’m not sure a pug should be used as a steed. I mean, wouldn’t PETA have something to say about that?

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: But he’s really big and strong, way faster than any horse, and besides, he likes to be a steed, so it’s a special case. I want to be a steed when I grow up.

FIONA THE PUG: You wouldn’t make it as an eggplant.

DANI HARPER: FIONA!

FIONA THE PUG: Sorry, Toby. You would totally make a great beast of burden – er, I mean a battle beast.

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: *wags tail and smiles*

DANI HARPER: In the beginning, the Kinmundian is determined to hunt down Catwulf on his own, but as time goes on, he reluctantly acquires companions. In the first book, the warrior is not only joined by the giant pug, but by “Scribbly”, an old man of questionable sanity. Scribbly plays a major role in explaining things since the Kinmundian says little and the pug says nothing except “BRAP, BRAP”, “snort” and other assorted noises.

FIONA THE PUG: Ha. Shows how much you know. Pugs have a very complex system of language, largely based on subtle body signals.

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: *farts and looks around to see where the noise came from*

DANI HARPER: I do NOT want a translation of that! *takes laptop to the far side of the room* 

As I was trying to say, there are other characters in the book. Scribbly was in the first book, but we should make mention of the fact that the entire story in both books is being narrated by Molly, a voluptuous woman wearing nothing but henna tattoos. She lives in a tower that apparently has no door (and leaving the reader to wonder what HER story is). A sarcastic French Bulldog, Colfax, and a sweet-natured regular-sized pug, Mingo, are her only companions and provide the captive audience for her continuing saga of the Kinmundian—

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: And the Battlepug! Don’t forget him!

FIONA THE PUG: Battlepug is so brave! In Book Two, he gets a lot more opportunities to show off his pugly courage.

DANI HARPER: He certainly does. A lot of the charm of the first book was the “you’ve got to be kidding” surprise of the whole thing. I was afraid that the writer would have trouble maintaining that. But no, the brilliant absurdity continues as the barbarian’s quest is confronted by bizarre and dangerous obstacles at every turn. And yes, it’s usually the brave and noble pug who comes running to the rescue, much to the warrior’s chagrin. A quote from the book:

Scribbly: “How many times has that mutt saved us now?”

The Kinmundian: “Too many.”

DANI HARPER: This book picks up exactly where the last one left off, without missing a beat (it IS a series, after all), and the exasperated Kinmundian simply can’t catch a break and go questing for revenge in peace. Instead, he picks up two more unwanted allies, a foul-mouthed little girl named Bryony (who is actually a powerful mage), and her protector, an outcast warrior named Black Sasha. Bryony falls in love with the giant pug—

FIONA THE PUG: Who wouldn’t? He’s so totally droolworthy!

DANI HARPER: -- and promptly names him “Sprinkles”.

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: I object! Battlepug’s a superhero, and you can’t give a superhero a silly girly name like Sprinkles! That’s like calling the Incredible Hulk “Cupcake”.

FIONA THE PUG: Snort! You’re lucky Dani changed your name when she adopted you. It was a doozy!

DANI HARPER: Break it up, you two!

Anyway, the visual quality of both the webcomic and the book remain high. It’s beautifully colored and there’s a lot of originality in the layout -- the comic panels are arranged with variety and style, yet remain easy to follow. So the storyline, the visuals, the great characters – all are maintained in Book Two.

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: But Colfax is still cranky all the time, and really mean to Mingo the Pug. Colfax hurts his pugly feelings a lot, and that hurts MY feelings. I wish the writer would change that.

FIONA THE PUG: I can’t believe I’m agreeing with Toby, but me too. You should send a letter to the writer.

DANI HARPER: I think that Colfax is cranky because he keeps hoping for the story to contain “flaming devil monsters who spit fire AND carry flaming machetes”, and so far, those are the only things that haven’t shown up. He probably likes Mingo very much underneath, just like you secretly care about Toby, Fiona. It’s like, well, brothers and sisters. They bicker a lot, but they've got each other’s backs when the chips are down.

TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: Are there chips? I want some.

FIONA THE PUG: Everyone should know how Mike Norton’s pugs helped him come up with this brilliant story. Tell that part!

DANI HARPER: Right. The preface to THIS SAVAGE BONE contains a few words from Eric Powell:

“Mike drew a bunch of superhero books for Marvel and DC then. Good stuff. But then fate stepped in. The moment Mike came up with his Eisner Award–winning webcomic, Battlepug, is now a legendary story.

As the knowledgeable now tell, it was on Easter Sunday in a Thai food joint called the Uncomfortable Elephant. Mike, who is an excessive pug hoarder, was treating his gaggle of little monkey-faced dogs to some spicy fried pork dumplings when all of a sudden he threw the table across the room and screamed, “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! A BARBARIAN’S FIGHTING PUG!”

…No one knows what specifically triggered the image of a warrior astride a battlepug in Norton’s huge noggin, but I believe it was the ferocity with which his unreasonable number of dogs were going at those dumplings…

“The rest is now history. Mike took his epic to the web and, using a sense of humor only matched by his superb talent as an artist, produced the strip we all know and love today.”
TOBY THE ASSISTANT PUG: Can we have spicy fried pork dumplings too?

FIONA THE PUG: I second that idea! Who knows, if you fed us good stuff like that, maybe it would inspire your writing, Dani. Think of it – if you would just write about pugs instead of wolves and shapeshifters, then you’d have an instant bestseller!

DANI HARPER: I’ll take that under advisement. *rolls eyes when pugs aren’t looking*

As far as the rating goes, I very nearly took one off for the giant spider attack (ICK!), but Toby and Fiona convinced me that would demonstrate “personal prejudice unbecoming a reviewer”. And I have to admit, the creepy crawly scene provided what is arguably the best line of the book: 

“Okay, who’s the damn fool who dropped a giant dead spider on my ass?!”

Anyways, I’m giving BATTLEPUG, Volume 2, THIS SAVAGE BONE four ginormous village-eating sheep.

* * * * Author Dani Harper writes paranormal fantasy. She is “helped” by Fiona the Pug, her executive secretary, and Toby, who has recently graduated from apprentice to “assistant pug”. www.daniharper.com

Fiona and Toby

Sheep Comic Review: Battlepug: Vol 1 Blood and Drool (ARC)

Reviewed by Dani Harper and Fiona the Pug

Writer: Mike Norton

Artist: Mike Norton

Colorist: Allen Passalaqua

Genre: Humor, Fantasy, Action/Adventure

Publication Date: July 04, 2012

Format: FC, 72 pages; HC 8 1/2" x 12"

Price: $14.99

Age range: 14

Dark Horse

The epic tale of blood and drool begins here! Join Molly and her dogs Mingo and Colfax, as she recounts the legend of "The Warrior and the Battlepug"—a tale of a fearless barbarian, his trusty and freakishly large pug, and evil baby harp seals. This volume collects the first year of Mike Norton’s Battlepug—the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the fan-favorite webcomic by Mike Norton, Allen Passalaqua, and Crank!

* By famed Runaways artist Mike Norton!

* Includes extras not seen on the website!

It’s a pugly job, but someone’s gotta do it!

DANI HARPER:  BLOOD AND DROOL is a collection of the first year of BATTLEPUG webcomics by writer and artist Mike Norton.

The concept in a nutshell is this:  Barbarian teams up with A Giant Pug.  Yup, just picture Conan riding a monstrous, snorting, wheezing, giant-of-a-squashy-faced-dog and you’ve got it. 

FIONA THE PUG:  A VERY HANDSOME hunk of giant dog. *drool*

DANI HARPER:  How does an adventure story get made out of the oddest Odd Couple ever? With brilliant absurdity. After reading this comic, I’ll be looking at baby seals, candy canes and gophers very, very differently.

FIONA THE PUG:  And looking at pugs with far more respect.

DANI HARPER:  I DO have respect for pugs!

FIONA THE PUG:  You tried to put me in a bumblebee costume! That’s SO not respectful!

DANI HARPER:  But you liked the tutu!

FIONA THE PUG:  That was different – we’ll talk about this later.

DANI HARPER:  The barbarian warrior is known only as “The Kinmundian”, and he is the sole survivor of his tribe. He lives for revenge, he has plenty of wrath to spare and a permanent frown. This makes him the perfect straight man for the comical giant pug. The pug doesn’t intend to be comical by the way – he’s loyal, loving and accidently handy in a fight – but his appearance does it all. Even a rainbow-farting unicorn couldn’t make a better foil for the grim-faced Kinmundian warrior.

FIONA THE PUG:  I agree with the loyal and loving part. But you forgot brave. Plus I think the pug adds immeasurable dignity to the story, and I resent your unicorn remark. Just see what happens to your shoes later…  

DANI HARPER:  *making a mental note to move all footwear to higher ground* The story itself is one bizarre surprise after another but still manages to have a plot. It begins with evil baby seals, and the truth about Santa Claus, and just keeps on delivering. Of course, a barbarian and a giant pug can’t help but attract pals, and the secondary characters are great. “Scribbly”, an old man whose sanity is questionable yet seems to have more common sense than the rest, keeps the story rolling along nicely by filling in details. Somebody has to – after all, the pug doesn’t talk and The Kinmundian is a man of few words. (BTW, the pug isn’t completely silent. It delivers epic lines such as "Snort! Snort! Wheeze!", which are common to the entire pug race.)

FIONA THE PUG:  *to herself* If only you knew what that really meant…

DANI HARPER:  The BATTLEPUG saga is presented as a bedtime story told by the voluptuous Molly. The narrator is naked except for her henna tattoos, although she does manage to keep her best assets coyly hidden. Moll has an audience of exactly two – Mingo and Colfax. Mingo is an adorable but not too bright pug of normal size and Colfax is a cranky French bulldog. (Obviously Mike Norton has a fixation on squashy-faced little dogs – something I understand completely as I’m owned by two pugs myself.)

FIONA THE PUG:  Actually you’re owned by me. I have paperwork to prove it. We just let Toby THINK he owns you too.

DANI HARPER:  Being dogs, Mingo and Colfax are completely immune to Moll’s curvy appeal but 12-year-old boys may have trouble turning the page. (Note to 12-year-old boys – Moll and her canine pals break into the BATTLEPUG story from time to time so it’s worth moving past the beginning.) At first I wondered if this story-telling vehicle was necessary, but quickly realized a nude narrator adds to the delightfully campy atmosphere. Moll’s sensuality and occasional innuendo is absurd in its own right, plus Mingo and Colfax squabble like kids and deliver some terrifically silly lines.

FIONA THE PUG:  Colfax keeps being mean to Mingo. Pugs are very sensitive creatures. Molly should give Colfax a time-out for the rest of the story.

DANI HARPER:  Writer and artist Mike Norton has been working in comics for over ten years, and his artwork has become well-known. Currently he’s been reunited with longtime comic book creator Sean McKeever to draw Marvel’s Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt. McKeever says “Mike and I have collaborated on over 400 pages of comics together…. Aside from being a great friend, he’s far and away my favorite artist to work with. He brings such a wonderful mix of energy and emotion to the page that he makes me look good.”  (For the rest of this article written by Ben Morse, go to: link) 

FIONA THE PUG:  I agree, Norton is totally talented. Have you SEEN the cute butt on that giant pug?

DANI HARPER:  The artwork of BATTLEPUG is top of the line. Beautifully detailed and wonderfully colored. (BTW - The color artist is Allan Passalaqua, who works for DC and Marvel – there’s only about 40 people in the US who can do what he does! Here’s a link to an interview with Passalaqua explaining his craft and talking about comics he’s worked on 

The panel layout of BATTLEPUG offers a lot of visual variety too – there’s nothing stiff or old-school about this comic. The lettering is easy to read, with the narrator boxes and dialogue bubbles well placed. I had no trouble following it.

FIONA THE PUG:  Everyone needs a daily dose of pugly heroism. To get yours online, go here –  http://battlepug.com/   BUT, don't you dare miss reading the pug-oriented blog below it, which publishes reader pics of their pugs. You’re sending mine in, right?

DANI HARPER:  Er, absolutely.  So, Mike Norton is a heckuva busy guy and he has also has non-pug blog. Plus he co-hosts a weekly podcast with his pal Chris Crank, who does all the excellent lettering in BATTLEPUG. Norton calls it “sort of a comic book show”, and both have mentioned that it sounds better if you’re drunk.

And for fans of BATTLEPUG, the coolest t-shirt EVER is available here

FIONA THE PUG:  Does it come in pug size? Because I absolutely want one. I want Toby to have one too so I can look at the giant heroic pug as well as wear it – hey, doesn’t this hunky pug have a name?

DANI HARPER:  Not in Volume 1. Maybe we find out later?

FIONA THE PUG:  Hope so. You’re buying me a copy, right? And I don’t want to share with Toby because he’ll lick it and get it all slobbery.

DANI HARPER:  Okay, okay, everybody gets their own – sheesh!  Anyway, with so much going for it, it’s no wonder that the BATTLEPUG web comic has been nominated for an Eisner award (Results will be announced Friday, July 13 at Comic-Con International) As for a rating, Fiona and I argued quite a bit.

FIONA THE PUG:  It has a PUG – that’s an automatic five!

DANI HARPER:  Non-pugs might think that extreme however, so I’m giving this fabulously crazy comic FOUR squashy-faced sheep!

Special thanks to our guest reviewer!

Dani Harper is a paranormal romance author. Fiona the Pug is her executive secretary. www.daniharper.com