Sláine – The Horned God

Unquestionably one of the greatest stories ever told.

After Bad Eye got me into Conan and then Northlanders I got really excited about well-written barbarian books. I bought all the Dark Horse Conan TPB's, starting collecting Northlanders, picked up the Viking hardcover, and in London I got my hands on the Horned God.

When I was growing up 2000AD was my first exposure to comics (the Beano doesn't count!). The Horned God was being published at the time but as I didn't cotton on to it right from the get-go, I couldn't really follow the story. It didn't make any bloody sense. So I just looked in awe at Bisley's jaw-dropping paintings. The writer, Pat Mills, is actually the creator of 2000AD, so it's one hell of a power duo creating this thing.

Clearly Danzig was paying attention because he commissioned Biz to paint the cover of Thrall: Demonsweatlive. Which is fucking amazing.

Anyway, Pat Mills draws from many traditional Celtic folklores and infuses them into Sláine's mythos. He creates a rich story that is many levels deep, but doesn't leave you scratching your head. It's compelling and vast, but still manageable. He strikes a perfect balance.

I really dug the story thematically. It's very focused on establishing a harmony with nature. And Sláine isn't as one-dimensional as Conan can be, for instance. Sláine is more like the thinking-man's barbarian. He's just more tempered than Conan. His feral nature is actually MORE intense than Conan, but he doesn't go running around turned up to 11 all the time. I think Mills made Sláine more human and it helps ground in when you're reading such a fantastical story with dragons and multiple dimensions.

Bottom line is that this book is one of the greatest achievements in the history of comic books. No doubt. When you're talking about all time greats, this has to be included. I can't wait to read it again.