Brik Collected Edition

by Adam Glass, Michael Benson, Harwinder Singh (Illustrator)

When Drew, a 12-year-old Jewish boy from Yonkers, loses his beloved grandfather to anti-semitic gang violence, he turns to tradition, anger, and Kabbalah to serve vengeance. Conjuring a supernatural defender to protect his city brings Drew unimaginable power power he may not be able to control. As the gangsters grow closer to discovering the identity of Yonkers' new vigilante and the soul within the golem begins to take permanent hold of the creature, Drew must decide what's more dangerous, the devil you know or the savior you don't. From writers Adam Glass (Suicide Squad, TV's Supernatural) & Mike Benson (Deadpool, Moon Knight), amazing debut illustrator Harwinder Singh, and colorist Gonzalo Duarte (The Bunker, Big Trouble in Little China)."

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2017

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brik is the story of a 12 year old boy who's tired of seeing the bad guys win. His grandfather tells him the story of how they created a golem to protect themselves from the Nazis. Drew summons the golem to bring justice to the neighborhood and rid themselves of the Russian gangsters plaguing it.

The Good: The last 3rd of this book is really good. The story through a curveball I wasn't expecting and seeing a golem as a vigilante was a kick.

The Bad: The first 2/3rds of this book is your stereotypical tale of a neighborhood terrorized by gangsters crossed with the standard golem tale.

The Ugly: The art looked kind of like an amateurish Norm Breyfogle. It wasn't very good.

Received an advanced copy from Oni Press and Edelweiss.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting idea, solid art, but I felt like the story was a little shaky in places. Still, a fun read, and worht checking out.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite enjoyable. I have predilection for coming-of-age stories and I've always been fascinated with the legends of the Golem (of Prague). Clearly this was right up my alley.
The story is well developed and the art is really very nice, and suits the story perfectly. The characters are interesting and the plot is engaging. My only gripe was that the characterization seemed very sallow. I was hoping for more complexity and intrigue I suppose. There is intrigue and a touch of mystery to go with the mysticism, but it just wasn't quite meaty enough for me. Still for the coming-of-age and golem aspects it pulls it from being a merely average read. Yes, very entertaining (it would make a great movie).

[Andy Hickman · Rating 2 out of 5]

BRIK, by Glass
Golem, super vigilante, and 12 year old Drew in an unjust world.
#1 – Grandad has a tattoo, “It tells you .. how to build a golem.”
#2 – “So it’s real. Gramps was telling the truth.”
#3 – “That was crazy. I mean .. I never .. I can’t believe it.”
#4 – “Except that you and I make a great team.”
#5 – “Who is this vigilante?! Who is it among you?!” – Desya
#6 – Epilogue was way too sappy. “What is a hero? …”

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drew is an average kid living in Yonker, NY; he hates seeing his community torn apart by bad guys. In an effort to comfort him, Drew's grandfather tells him a story about a Jewish community building a golem to help defeat Nazis in WWII. Shortly after this discussion, Drew's grandfather is killed by a gang of anti-Semitic Russian gangsters. Drew manages to discover the method for creating his own golem and sets out to avenge his grandfather. Naturally, the golem is difficult to control and Drew's mission is compromised. Can he learn from the mistakes of the past to clean up Yonkers?
Brik has an interesting premise and is, for the most part, entertaining. Characterization, however, leaves quite a bit to be desired which diminishes any emotional impact this story might have had. There are some surprising twists near the end, which will keep plot-oriented readers happy. It does lose some points for me on a couple of technicalities. Drew is depicted as 12, but some of the content suggests this is more appropriate for older readers. More than one animal is casually killed off without comment (granted, one is a mean junkyard dog, but still). Overall, not a bad choice for high school readers.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a golem double-feature today - the other was Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem - and this was the worse of the two. The art is clumsy, but the writing is even clumsier. Plot twists were predictable, characters were hardly developed and villains were over the top. And unlike other golem stories featuring a lumbering homunculus, this one leaps around like the Hulk. Cheesy and overlong.

[Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't resolve, but it is adorable.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm pretty soft when it comes to graphic novels, and when you add in my people, that softness gains a bit more and more. Brik wasn't the most remarkable feat of art or even that original of a story, but the revenge factor being taken out by raising and commanding a golem, sign me up. Of course, violent action to gain revenge isn't always needed. Sometimes a conversation can be had or whatever needs to happen for things to be resolved, but the real message is this: be good to people. Don't be an asshole. Stand up for those who can't and try to positively impact the world in any way you can.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique story and solid art made for a fantastic reading experience. Great for teens and adults. One of the best fantasy actions comics I've read in some time.

[Romany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t crazy about the art.