© Boom! Studios
Pre-Reading Questions:
- What type of comic books do you like reading?
- How often do you read comic books?
Vocabulary:
- team up /teem-uhp/
[phrasal verb] – to join another person, or form a group with other people, in order to do something together
Let’s team up to finish this task faster.
- issue /ISH-oo/
[noun] – a group or series, or one of a group or series, of things that are made available, published, or printed at the same time
The sixth issue of my favorite manga will be delayed.
- illustrate /IL-uh-streyt/
[noun] – to draw pictures for a book, magazine, etc.
The action scenes in this new comic book are perfectly illustrated.
- existence /ig-ZIS-tuhn/
[noun] – the fact of something or someone existing
According to a book I read, this law came into existence in 1920.
- harbor /HAHR-ber/
[verb] – to think about or feel something, usually over a long period
Eric’s friends are harboring suspicions about Samuel’s motives.
A famous actor, a musician, a film producer, and now, a comic book writer? Yes, Keanu Reeves has teamed up with Matt Kindt, New York Times graphic novelist, to bring “BRZRKR” to life. “BRZRKR” (read as “Berzerker”) is a 12-issue series that will release its first issue on October 7.
Illustrated by Alessandro Vitti, BRZRKR tells the tale of Berzerker (resembling Reeves himself) who has been living for hundreds of years. He currently works for the US government in exchange for the truth about his timeless existence. All 12 issues of the comic book series will be distributed by Boom! Studios.
Interested? You may want to read the official summary first: “After wandering the world for centuries, Berzerker may have finally found a refuge — working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else.” Reeves and Kindt reveal that the series involves action and violence, so it may not be suitable for everyone.
55-year-old Reeves mentions that he started getting fascinated with comic books when he was around 10 years old, although he harbored no interest in writing or drawing one not until this year. But he did dream of playing Wolverine as a kid, so what about BRZRKR? “I’d love to play Berzerker!” is Reeves’ answer.
Comprehension Questions:
- According to the article, at what age did Reeves become fascinated with comic books?
- In the article, how many issues will BRZRKR have?
- When will the first issue of BRZRKR be released?
- What is BRZRKR all about?
- Who is tasked to illustrate the comic book series?
Discussion Questions:
- Based on BRZRKR’s summary, what is your first impression of it?
- If BRZRKR becomes available in Japan, are you going to buy the series? Why or why not?
- Have you read comic books in English? If yes, please tell me more. If not, what English comic books do you want to read?
- What are the differences between Japanese and Western comic books?
- Which do you prefer, reading comic books or watching series? Why?
[phrasal verb] – to join another person, or form a group with other people, in order to do something together
Let’s team up to finish this task faster.
[noun] – a group or series, or one of a group or series, of things that are made available, published, or printed at the same time
The sixth issue of my favorite manga will be delayed.
[noun] – to draw pictures for a book, magazine, etc.
The action scenes in this new comic book are perfectly illustrated.
[noun] – the fact of something or someone existing
According to a book I read, this law came into existence in 1920.
[verb] – to think about or feel something, usually over a long period
Eric’s friends are harboring suspicions about Samuel’s motives.
Illustrated by Alessandro Vitti, BRZRKR tells the tale of Berzerker (resembling Reeves himself) who has been living for hundreds of years. He currently works for the US government in exchange for the truth about his timeless existence. All 12 issues of the comic book series will be distributed by Boom! Studios.
Interested? You may want to read the official summary first: “After wandering the world for centuries, Berzerker may have finally found a refuge — working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else.” Reeves and Kindt reveal that the series involves action and violence, so it may not be suitable for everyone.
55-year-old Reeves mentions that he started getting fascinated with comic books when he was around 10 years old, although he harbored no interest in writing or drawing one not until this year. But he did dream of playing Wolverine as a kid, so what about BRZRKR? “I’d love to play Berzerker!” is Reeves’ answer.