Barb Wire #1 is a new series written by Chris Warner and published by Dark Horse Comics about the female body hunter aiming to clean up Steel Harbor while making ends meet. Steel Harbor endured one of the worst periods of crime and decay but according to the new mayor things are starting to change. It’s not just empty words as money is being invested to make change, and even hints of gentrification are appearing. But there are still some criminal elements and this issue opens up with Barb serving as bail enforcement to pick up one Amos Lomas. Of course he doesn’t want to go without a fight and his friends are eager to jump in. However, Barb isn’t there by herself either, although her help is a little slower so it’s a good thing she’s extremely capable of handling the situation. And after finishing them off she’s told by the camera crew following her around for a tv show that the extra difficulty made for great footage. She’s not entirely fond of it but it does help her make ends meet along with the club she owns in the city. But despite a lull in the worst violence due to a truce between rival gangs who are on friendly terms with her, there are even worse threats brewing in the city. Can Barb help maintain peace in the city the current way or will a financial strain cause her to pursue more difficult bounties?

If you’re old enough to have memories of the Barb Wire movie back in the 90s then I suggest you do everything in your power to put it out your mind. And if you have no memories of the movie then you’re in good shape because the start of this series is too good to even be associated with it. And you don’t need to be familiar with the original comic books in order to jump into this series because the start of this issue does an excellent job in setting up the character while setting the stage in Steel Harbor. Yeah, Barb Wire was portrayed as a kick ass bounty hunter but her current life as well as an incentive to pursue tougher bounties was made clear. In this particular case I liked the TV show angle because it didn’t go overboard throughout the entire issue and was just limited to her actual bounties. And it’s also made clear early on that even though Amos Lomas was the first bounty shown, she has to deal with even stronger (and more interesting) antagonists making the city of Steel Harbor ripe with potential. The character development was entertaining, and I enjoyed the dynamic between the gangs and Hunter and Mace considering the truce in place. But Barb’s character development was more thorough with her family being introduced, financial problems, and even her sentiments towards bounty hunting. And there would be plenty of action once a bizarre warrior entered the fray. And I won’t give away any spoilers so I’ll just say that the long-awaited wait for the return of Barb Wire was well worth it, and this series is off to an explosive start.

SUMMARY

Barb Wire #1 is an excellent start to the series and is full of interesting characters, explosive action and enough charm to make me anxiously wait for the next issue. The character development is enjoyable with some interesting setups such as the TV show, financial trouble with the club and a very fragile truce between rival gangs. None of the characters feel like archetypes thanks to Chris Warner’s stellar writing, and Patrick Olliffe’s wonderful artwork makes every action sequence electrifying. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Release Date: 7/1/15

Writer: Chris Warner

Artist: Patrick Olliffe