Barda by Ngozi Ukazu

Barda Reviews

• 
  Maia

  Barda is the captain of a soldier unit from a torture/hell world called Apokolips. Her backstory includes being kidnapped as a child and tortured into serving as the perfect weapon in a very black and white interplanetary war. Her torturer is an old woman named Granny Goodness. They work for a classic evil emperor named Darkseid, who has the son of his major enemy locked in his dungeons. At the beginning of the book, Barda is told to investigate how this guy, named Scott Free, keeps managing to almost escape. This is challenging material to make something out of. It feels so ridiculous, so campy, so over the top, I had a hard time taking the premise seriously- especially as this torture world has to obey PG-13 movie rules about not showing any blood or actual human mutilation. All that being said, I think Ukazu wrote about the best modern take as you possible could with these characters. The writing is quippy, smart, empathetic; I enjoyed the page layouts, color palette choices, and the emotional arc she takes Big Barda on through the book, even though I wanted it to go a little farther at the end.
• 
  sophie

  i love you barda i love you ngozi i LOVE you little guy scott free. i had the highest expectations but also KNEW i would enjoy this, and it STILL blew me away. plus as a person who doesn't know any of the DC lore, i was delighted by all the silly words and names. but also more importantly the WRITING??? HELLO???? the way barda becomes Herself as the story unfolds and love being the only thing stronger than cruelty, but also something that has to be taught because otherwise you'll assume cruelty IS love, oh my godddd?? I think i would have exploded and died if i read this as a teen and i cannot wait for a generation of nerds to have their gay awakenings about barda, lol. it's also just so special to read an author's whole ass DC comic when you started reading her gay little webcomics as a teen, and now the rest of the world gets to be reminded of her greatness. ngozi cult rise UP!!!!!!
• 
  Benjamin A

  Like I have continued to say about these DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults (I wish they'd kept calling it DC Ink), I am not the target demographic but they are so incredibly entertaining and fun I just don't care. Ngozi Ukazu both writes and illustrates a beautiful story that lives delightfully in Jack Kirby territory and makes you feel all the feels. I desperately hope that she gets to tell another story soon. I'll be there on Day One.
  
  Special Thanks to DC Comics and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.
  
  
• 
  Joseph

  This was a beautiful story. I'm not familiar with the author, but she was really able to tap into Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga with relative ease. Barda has always been an interesting character to me, and seeing her here as a younger woman/teenager was so nice. She changes from a hardened Apololipitan warrior to a girl who can love.
  
  I'd love to read more about this Scott Free! as he was also a lovely addition to this story.
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  gaby.readsbooks

  I was not familiar with this character at all prior to reading this graphic novel and I still really enjoyed it. While it took me a little bit to understand all that was going on and how this world worked once I got into it I ended up liking it. I loved this authors previous graphic novel series and while this one is completely different I can still see her style in here. I liked the art style and the story of love in a place that tries to deter any kindness.
  
  Thank you to Netgalley and DC Comics for granting me access to an Advance Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  anna b

  Ngozi, I would go to the ends of the earth for you
• 
  Kait W

  This was action packed with a morally gray protagonist learning how to break from the oppressive regime she’s always served. There was a central romance, but I found her friendships and personal introspection and growth much more captivating elements. I’d definitely be interested in reading more of Barda’s story.
• 
  Jenn Marshall

  BARDA!!! Barda does not get nearly enough love so when I saw she was going to be one of the graphic novels I pre-ordered it immediately. That being said there was still a little bit of hesitation when I started, but that went away quickly because this book absolutely does her justice. I love the art style it fits the setting so well, but doesn't get too scary since this is meant for younger readers. It is well written without being cheesy. It is exciting and sweet. I think everyone will love this book not just younger readers, but I think it will especially engage them.
  
  5 stars
• 
  Jeremy Fowler

  Prepare to learn about an entirely NEW side of the DC Fan Favorite Big Barda!
  
  As a long-time DC fan, I have truly loved all of these reimaginings of DC's iconic heroes and antiheroes. Barda is another fantastic glimpse into the story that we have all heard and adored, but in this case we finally get a deeper glimpse into the humanity that develops within Barda. I think that Ngozi Ukazu really captured the soul of Barda in this story. You get to see the relentless soldier fury slowly become more in touch with their inner self. I really enjoyed this different story.
  
  Also, as a fun note, I loved getting to see Granny Goode in this light. The illustrations made me giggle just a bit and I think that gave this a dash of humor, while also telling a fun story.
  
  Check this out!
• 
  Artemis Crescent

  'Darkseid is...
  and life on Apokolips is tough--
  but then, it is hell, after all.
  And no one knows this better than Barda,
  Granny Goodness's right-hand warrior.'
  
  
  
  I knew very little about Big Barda before reading the latest DC YA graphic novel, 'Barda', by Ngozi Ukazu, and it is indeed a good introduction to her character for newcomers.
  
  It is a shame that she isn't as exposed and well known as other DC superheroes, even nowadays, in 2024, for she is an awesome and awe-inspiring heroine. Big Barda is like a bigger, beefier, and more aggressive and tragic Wonder Woman, with a cool helmet and golden Mega-Rod. She transforms from a villain and antiheroine from a severely abusive background - on Apokolips, DC's version of hell - into a full-fledged heroine. Out of love for a man, Scott Free aka Mister Miracle, yes, but I actually don't mind this, as long as that relationship is properly developed and the characters themselves are likeable.
  
  Barda is a mighty muscle maiden, and 'Barda' does a wonderful job in its writing and development of her, as a toughened, calamitous soul with a hidden heart of gold; a strong and flawed abuse victim; a product of a sheltered, imprisoned, cultish upbringing, who you want to see escape and be free.
  
  The art is nice, expressive and cartoony without undermining, shortchanging or sugarcoating the story's dark, mature themes. The colour palettes befitting a scene's mood and environment, and the shadowing, are very well done.
  
  As short as 'Barda' is at 193 pages, it is terrifically paced, its themes are clearly established and integrated and interwoven into its storytelling fabric and binding, and all its characters are memorable. Some richly and joyously so.
  
  As well as Big Barda herself - the top warrior woman who secretly wants to know about love, when it is forbidden and punishable by torture and death on Apokolips, as decreed by Granny Goodness and Darkseid - there are the Female Furies she leads: the bloodthirsty and jealous Lashina, the bookish, pompous stick-in-the-mud Bernadeth, the brawny meathead Stompa, the wild, violent and unhinged Mad Harriet, and the sweet, vulnerable and tragic Auralie. They're like female, villainous and humanoid versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The male characters consist of Darkseid, who only appears in one scene at the beginning, and the violent red-eyed "enemy" from New Genesis (warring with Apokolips), Orion, whom Barda thinks she might be in love with, and likes to spar with on their encounters, and Scott Free, her actual true love, who isn't nearly as interesting as the female characters combined, but he is a funny and clever little chap of an acrobatic escape artist (Barda and Scott - a tall, big woman and a small, skinny man - are subversive relationship goals). Oh and there's Himon, I guess, who is in a single scene. Seriously, who cares about that generic, useless old duffer?
  
  But I have to highlight Granny Goodness here. Until now I never caught on to just how evil, sadistic and scary she is, or is supposed to be, in all my years of consuming DC media. In 'Barda', she is a psychopathic, sociopathic dictator, and an abusive maternal figure to Barda and the other Furies, who loves to manipulate, torture and break others, under the guise of a sweet little old lady (she is short in this graphic novel, anyway). Everything she does is twisted and cruel; she has no standards, there is no line she will not cross. If she knows your weakness, knows how to break you, either to subjugate you or just for fun, then you're as good as dead, if not actually dead by her torture devices. She dominates and controls out of "love" and "concern", see, like most domestic abusers in real life. She achieves both passive-aggressiveness and physical aggressiveness simultaneously and flawlessly - her words cut as sharply as her actions, and her tools and weapons. She is creative in her sick abuse.
  
  She is terrifying. On a deep-seated, almost triggering level.
  
  Has any incarnation of Granny Goodness ever worked with the Joker? I think they would get along like a literal house on fire, or the Joker would be too disturbed by her to want to be associated with her again.
  
  It's great to see Barda eventually break free of Granny's abuse and brainwashing - that love is bad and wrong, and dominance and cruelty are right and necessary. She succeeds with the help of finding an old "propaganda" romance book on a battlefield, which she keeps hidden, and flowers that can't possibly grow on Apokolips (right?), and the prisoner Scott Free, whom she is assigned by Granny Goodness to torture. I have to wonder if the other Furies will also see the light someday, and escape Granny, Darkseid and Apokolips...
  
  Oh, but I have to comment on the comic's problematic race representation: Why is Lashina, a Black woman and the only POC character (as far as I can tell), portrayed as unconscionably barbaric, and after Barda's position as Granny Goodness's right-hand soldier and torture instrument?
  
  'Barda' - heartbreaking and devastating, yet amazingly hopeful by the end... though it's a slow burn, with baby steps towards change (it's a realistic depiction of the book's themes that way). It is a solid recommendation by yours truly, for anyone who is a fan of Big Barda, or is interested in her; curious about her and her origins. Her dark, painful origins. And bright, loving present and future.
  
  Her story has a message to all abuse and trauma victims out there: There is hope. There is always a way out; a chance of escape. You are strong. Stronger than you think. Keep going. Keep trying. Move forward. Things will get better, even if it doesn't seem like it right now.
  
  Believe in love.
  
  Final Score: 4/5
• 
  Jenna

  I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
  
  My allegiance has always been to DC and I can point out their characters far easier than I can their competitors. I was familiar with Big Barda through the Justice League cartoons and her appearances in the Lego video games. The primary reason I picked up this comic was due to the author, Ngozi Ukazu. I've loved her previous works in Check Please! and Bunt! I'm honestly surprised this title didn't have an exclamation point as that seems to be the author's calling card. I love her art style and trademark slow burn romance. The story was hard to follow and I often got lost in the various plot lines, but at least the illustrations were pretty? Luckily I had some brief knowledge on the characters beforehand, but I don't recommend this for readers going in blind. I definitely plan to continue following Ukazu's work in the future, but I'll leave Barda back on Apokolips with Granny Goodness.
  
  
• 
  Estibaliz79

  3.25
  
  I guess I should start by saying I hadn't previously heard of the DC character, Big Barda, so I approached this graphic novel completely blind and anew. And what I found here was a more interesting story than the art and teenage approach might make you think at first sight, but still quite a simple one in some other regards.
  
  Namely, that superficially developed love story, at least for anyone not familiar with Barda and Scott beforehand, and that world setting that it is quite confusing at times.
  
  The art was also a bit too juvenile and cartoony, and didn't always fit the tone of the story, but at least it offers a pretty fun approach to the action scenes, and the use of colors to differentiate some parts of the narrative was pretty clever.
• 
  Mohan Vemulapalli

  In a world without hope, where love is forbidden, one young woman dares to reject the brutality of her surroundings to find both. Ngozi Ukazu, of "Check Please !" fame out does herself in this slick, hopeful and thought provoking relaunch of Jack Kirby's "New Gods" saga. Ukazu's version provides a fast paced and clever adaptation of an old classic that should be accessible and enjoyable to both existing fans and those who are discovering the material for the first time.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, DC Entertainment, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
• 
  mad mags

  (Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for violence, including torture.)
  
  So I have to admit, I didn't know anything about Big Barda (or Darkseid, for that matter) going into this. (I'm a big comic book reader, I just gravitate towards more self-contained titles or series. The sheer volume of DC/Marvel lore is kinda intimating!) I just saw the title on Netgalley and thought it sounded like a badass comic about a badass woman. And that it is.
  
  After some quick research on Wikipedia, I was ready to go. Like everyone on Apokolips, Barda serves Lord Darkseid - in her case, as leader of the Furies. Barda and her elite band of warriors travel the verse in search of variables to complete the Anti-Life Equation, with which Darkseid can conquer the world.
  
  Life on Apokolips is one of suffering and cruelty. Love is not allowed, or even spoken of - yet, thanks to contraband books from other worlds, love occupies much of Barda's waking hours. (And they are many, thanks to the PTSD induced insomnia.) Nor is Barda the only dreamer on Apokolips: her friend Aurelie likes to dance when she thinks no one can see. (But Darkseid sees all.)
  
  When Granny Goodness (rightfully) fears that Bard's heart is growing soft, she sends Barda to the X-Pit - not as a prisoner, but as a torturer. Her mission: break Scott Free, one of the few inmates who dares attempt escape. Instead, she falls in love.
  
  BARDA is a fun and compelling introduction to the character, for newbies like me; and likely an engaging take on an old tale for longtime fans. The art is lovely, and the narrative is filled with heart, pathos, and even a tough of humor. (I positively cackled at the scenes where the Furies gossiped about Barda torturing a man.)
• 
  Leonie

  I really liked the art style, but without any background knowledge about the characters I was honestly really confused about a lot of the plot.
• 
  J

  This was truly delightful! I've always been a fan of Ngozi's art and this was no exception. I didn't know the character at all but I loved the way that Ngozi drew them as well as how beautiful the art was. Also for such a short story, it really packs a punch.
  
  Thanks so much to DC Comics and NetGalley for a chance to read and review!
• 
  Jules G

  Kirby would have been so proud to see this story told
• 
  Cassandra

  *An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
  
  Two of my favorite things came together in this book- Ngozi Ukazu's iconic art style and DC Comics (yes, I know it's redundant but I use the vernacular of the people).
  
  I only knew enough about Barda and Apokolips to be aware that the story I was in for was not going to be anywhere near as cheery as Ukazu's seminal
  Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey. Barda is one of Granny Goodness's warriors but she doesn't have the heart of a warrior, just the build of one. She's softer than her fellow soldiers and she knows it. However, when she meets one of Granny's prisoners, Scott Free, she realizes that she's not just different than her sister soldiers but she's no longer willing to play soldier at all. Barda is going to free Scott at any cost.
  
  DC storylines aren't known for slight of hand or shocking plot twists. Neither are Ukazu's graphic novels. Both are iconic because of their self-aware genre pandering (I mean this in the best possible way) and their full-of-heart characters. This story is about a strong woman discovering that vulnerability is it's own strength. It's about two archetypical characters denying their plot-given destinies and saying "eh, I'm going to do my own thing" without a care for gender stereotypes or societal pressures. It's the best sort of rebel story.
  
  This was an absolute gem and I cannot wait for the release date to roll around so more people can experience the product of a one-in-a-lifetime partnership. I hope DC and Ukazu work together again.
• 
  Ana M

  It gave me She-ra vibes
• 
  Sesana

  A pretty straightforward take on Barda and, by extension, Scott Free/Mister Miracle. I was a little surprised by just how straightforward this was at first, but Barda's journey is YA ready, when you think about it. She's pulling away from an abusive parental figure, in the form of Granny Goodness, and an abusive religion, in the form of the Darkseid cult. At the same time, she's exploring her own emotions, especially love: what it is, and if she's even capable of it. I'm pretty familiar with the denizens of Apokolips, so I'm not sure how well readers who'd never encountered these characters would be able to follow what's going on here. I think they'd be able to just follow the emotion of the story, because what really matters is pretty clear.
• 
  Reece

  It's a great book looking at one of my favourite comic book couples (Barda and Mister Miracle), but unsurprisingly, this has Barda at the forefront.
  Focusing on an aspect not usually fleshed out, which is her stunted emotions as a result of life on the loveless world of Apokolips.
  
  As a title for young adults, it's a very important lesson for kids/teenagers; learning how to interpret their own emotions and how to act upon them. Finding happiness in your own self and determination, not lost to the emotional demands of your superiors/parental figures. Seeing Barda go from the escapist fantasy of a book (something many can relate to) to real tangible affection was great to see.
  
  The backdrop of Apokolips and New Genesis are drawn well, and the settings have a meaningful impact when reading. Especially as they're not washed out by simple portrayals of a hellscape and paradise.
• 
  Rachel Rauch

  Going into it, I had never heard about Barda in the DC Universe and expected a story about the first bard hero. However that’s not exactly what we got. The story is amazing and there’s lots of wonderful humorous moments to be found in it. But I feel like a lot of it happens a little too quickly and I didn’t quite buy Barda’s feelings towards Scott. I would have liked to see more development towards Auralie and Barda’s relationship. Why if she was the worst Fury did Barda save her time and time again? I just… I felt like there was something there that never got explored. Great, but didn’t blow me away.
• 
  Nancy

  Oh Ms. Ngozi, I’ve loved your work & stories since the online days of Check Please!, so many years ago. Seeing you write one of my favorite pairs of little (& not so little!) superheroes is a dream come true. I loved it & honestly didn’t want this story to end. Can’t wait to keep on reading whatever you do next!
• 
  Emily✨

  Picked this up because it's Ngozi, had never heard of Big Barda or the Apokolips/New Gods group before. This was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed Ngozi's signature art style applied to a superhero story (psst, btw, did y'all know that Ngozi is
  the first Black woman to write and illustrate a comic for DC?). Idk if I felt the romance was developed enough to really sell me on it, but it was still cute! The Female Furies were a cool, dynamic group.
  
  TW: torture, brainwashing, kidnapping
  
  My thanks to the publisher for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
• 
  Rahul Nadella

  This is actually really good, I expected either a bland story or something so bad it would piss me off, but instead it's actually really well-done. I immediately got sucked into the pages with Barda and Granny Goodness, and was pretty disappointed when it came to an end. I now care about this Barda. She's been humanized. I understand what she's gone through, why she acts the way she does. I pity and feel for her. Actually, the art here makes the comic a bit ironic. We're on Apokolips, with brutal torturers, murderers, and our protagonist is tasked with breaking a slave so he'll never think about escaping again. Obviously, it's written for a young adult audience but it was still quite a compelling story, even in those short few pages.
• 
  Nolan Buro

  I absolutely loved this. Instantly one of my favorite non-Kirby New Gods stories. All the character voices were perfect and the art alternated between adorable and intense. Can't wait to read it again.
• 
  sky

  I am not immune to scottbarda
  
  completely biased review i love barda and scott sooo much so im thrilled this was a ya retelling of them falling in love. thank you for this i needed it
• 
  ♡

  ahhh loved this one! It’s the best DC young adult graphic novel. Perhaps me not knowing much except the basics about Barda and Scott helped so I couldn’t nitpick on differences. I enjoyed Barda’s journey discovering love 🥲 Really great writing and I wish there was a sequel!
• 
  Magen

  I don't know much about this DC character but I love Ngozi Ukazu's work, especially art style, so I had to check it out. I really enjoyed it! Our main character Barda is stuck between what she knows and the things she yearns for, it's very beautiful and emotional in turn. The ending is very hopeful and I love the idea that you can always change and what more for yourself despite where you come from.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and DC Comics for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  M Caesar

  beyond adorable and cute, despite taking place on apokolips? definitely gonna read jack kirby's fourth world stuff soon.