Groo: Hell on Earth

Aragones's dimwitted barbarian, Groo, has been comically messing up for nearly 30 years, and he hasn't learned a thing in all that time. This new adventure finds Groo and his loyal dog, Rufferto, facing war, global warming and the general ineptness of politicians. Aragones molds these serious themes into a sardonic commentary. The setting is an undefined time resembling the Middle Ages, and pollution from weapons' factories leads to the threat of climate change as well as imminent war. Groo falls through a factory ceiling, creating a makeshift chimney that releases the pollution, which eventually drifts to the neighboring kingdom, alerting them to the increase in weapons production, setting off an even larger war. The story switches between Groo, haphazardly commanding an army in search of the enemy, and the Sage, Groo's intellectual friend, traversing the world to persuade people of the dangers of climate change. Similar setups lead to some repetitiveness and a flagging story, but Aragones's distorted, comical character designs and signature background details keep the tale engaging. (Feb.)