Hollywood’s favourite leading man Keanu Reeves can now add “comic book author” and “superhero” to his ever-growing resume.
The 55-year-old John Wick star recently teamed up with New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Matt Kindt to produce a 12-issue comic-book series, BRZRKR, which is set to be released in early October and centres around a violent demigod who has been wandering the earth searching for answers about his existence.
“I guess I’m in the writing room,” Reeves told USA Today during an interview about the project, adding that he’s been “Skyping pretty regularly” with co-author Matt Kindt while he’s in Berlin preparing for Matrix 4.
“We’re excited about what’s happening,” Keanu continued. “The story’s taking some really interesting twists and turns.”
The “action-packed and hyperviolent” story will be illustrated by Alessandro Vitti and follows The Berzerker, “this character who was born 80,000 years ago, half-man, his father’s a war god,” and who happens to look exactly like Keanu Reeves.
“It’s a little fantasy in reality. I had this image in my head of a guy fighting through the ages because of his father’s compulsion to violence,” but who’s also a man “trapped and trying to figure it out,” he added.
According to a description by comic book publishers Boom! Studios: “The man known only as Berzerker is half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence…even at the sacrifice of his sanity.”
“But after wandering the world for centuries, Berzerker may have finally found a refuge – working for the US government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, Berzerker will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence… and how to end it.”
Keanu said in a later statement that he has “loved comics since I was a young kid and they have been a significant influence on me artistically.” ”
“To have the chance to create BRZRKR and collaborate with legends in the industry… is a dream come true.”
