This comic book has a cute little story idea turned into something more. With Morrison adding some strange elements, as only he can, and partnered with the breakthrough art by Murphy the comic book stands out on the shelves this week. This is something I definitely recommend. Read Full Review

I seem to remember that this series was originally mooted as a 3 issue mini-series, which makes me wonder whether the creators will be able to sustain their tale for the full 8 issues that are now promised by the cover. For the moment, however, Im finding Joe The Barbarian to be imaginative, entertaining and very well illustrated, and I look forward to seeing how Joes quest progresses. Read Full Review

Morrison's writing isn't bad here as he choreographs many of the changes that Murphy and Stewart pull off so well, but the effectiveness of those techniques is mostly in the hands of the artists. Morrison's development of the fantasy world and its story is very basic, the sort of thing that you've seen before in numerous fantasy stories. While it is the sort of world that a boy Joe's age would think of, not much of it is surprising or up to that level often associated with Morrison. His writing is effective at creating an interesting fantasy story with a neat twist, but without as skilled an artist as Murphy, it wouldn't read nearly as well since, so far, the story hasn't progressed beyond its clever premise yet. Read Full Review