Head Lopper vol. 4: The Quest for Mulgrid’s Stair

Have you ever wondered what Norgal the Head Lopper was up to before he wandered the wilderness with the severed head of Agatha the Witch?  Well, you finally get to find out in this volume as their travels, along with warrior-thief Brishka, and guileless one-eyed Goat, take them back to one of Norgal’s old haunts.  The problem with that is the king who ran the kingdom while the Head Lopper was there is still around and he’s none too keen on letting his old employee, who might have a grudge against him, run around free.  Fortunately some quick thinking from Brishka saves their bacon and has the party (plus one) taking off on a quest for some mystical objects that will make the kingdom in question impenetrable.

So far, so standard for “Head Lopper,” right?  Well, I left out the part at the beginning where Norgal tears a monster for bits to get a key that shines like starlight.  What is the key for?  To unlock the titular object that will lead to the immortal Mulgrid himself.  Norgal has some questions for the immortal, and he has a hunch that this being may have some answers as to who’s been chasing him and Agatha.  As for that party in question, they’ve decided that the time for subtle manipulation and stealth is over.  Now it’s time to send out the lizard-men assassins!

Standard-issue “Head Lopper” would still be pretty fun as Andrew MacLean’s “Not-Conan” saga has plenty of style to trade on as well as quality action to show off as well.  Things are a bit more lively this time around as Brishka, and Goat to a lesser extent, makes for an excellent addition to the cast as she’s able to interact with Norgal as a peer in addition to her general badassery.  Then there’s the business with Mulgrid that changes the dynamic of the story, while also giving us a hint at bigger things to come.  This volume does end on more of a cliffhanger note than usual, but it also delivers the goods while letting us know that there’s a plan for things to get more epic from here.