BRZRKR: Keanu Reeves character heads to the Old West in one-shot comic A Faceful of Bullets

Back in 2021, Keanu Reeves teamed up with BOOM! Studios to bring us the comic book series BRZRKR, which Reeves wrote alongside Matt Kindt, working off of Reeves’ original idea. Netflix secured the rights to bring a live-action film adaptation of the comic book to their streaming service – and to follow that up with an anime spin-off series that will “expand the BRZRKR universe by exploring different elements of the story”. So far, there have been twelve issues of BRZRKR, as well as a couple one-shots called Poetry of Madness (which pit the comic’s lead character, an immortal called B., against a Lovecraftian nightmare) and Fallen Empire (which told of B.’s distant past). Reeves is also writing a book called Elsewhere with China Miéville that is “set in the world of BRZRKR“. While all of these stories play out on the page, the Netflix movie remains in development. Now it has been announced that we have another BRZRKR project to look forward to: a one-shot comic book called A Faceful of Bullets, which shows us a B. story set in the Old West.

Written by Jason Aaron and featuring art by Francesco Manna, BRZRKR: A Faceful of Bullets digs into an unexplored chapter in B.’s history, telling the following story: When B. finds himself in the middle of a grudge match between a greedy land baron and his runaway daughter, he must decide if he will play the role of a guardian angel, or succumb to his violent tendencies. And when the runaway prays for the vengeance she so obsessively clings to, God’s answer might be more than she bargained for…

BRZRKR follows an immortal warrior’s 80,000-year fight through the ages. The man known only as “B” is half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence… even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the earth for centuries, B may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, B will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence… and how to end it.

According to BOOM! Studios, this one-shot kicks off “the second volume of BRZRKR: Bloodlines – a series of standalone extra-length comic specials starring franchise protagonist B.” Reeves provided this statement: “Having new writers and artists explore B.’s history in these Bloodlines Specials is something that is so exciting to me. Jason and Francesco teaming up for a brutal, tragic Western was a perfect match for BRZRKR and the types of stories we want to tell in this universe.“

Aaron added: “The world of BRZRKR is so visceral and action-packed that I’ve been a fan from the very beginning. “So it’s super exciting to get to craft the first Wild West chapter of this epic saga, in the grim and gritty spirit of Leone, Corbucci, and Peckinpah.“

Manna had this to say: “When I was a child I used to watch so many Western movies with my dad. I was in love with Leone, Corbucci, and Ford. I didn’t understand why or how, I just felt like there was some kind of magic that kept me hooked, watching and watching again and again. It’s very inspiring to let BRZRKR play with that magic and create a fresh and bloody vision of those old fashioned vibes.“

BRZRKR: A Faceful of Bullets will be reaching the shelves of comic shops sometime in June. Dan Mora’s character designs for the Old West version of B. can be seen below. To see a few of the covers that have been created for the one-shot comic, click over to SuperHeroHype.

Are you interested in BRZRKR, and will you be picking up a copy of A Faceful of Bullets? Let us know by leaving a comment below.