An utterly magical adaptation of a seminal graphic novel. Of the two 2000AD audiobooks I have listened to, The Horned God was by far the best. While Slaine is the title character, his dwarf Ukko, played superbly by Gerry O’Brien, has the star performance.

Much of the appeal of The Horned God was in its brutally beautiful art. This adaptation uses 3D audio and fantastic sound design to recreate some of that visceral sensation of seeing a battle on the page and has a rather more immersive effect.

The characters are brought to life delightfully by a cast where every performance is captivating. I especially like the use of regional Irish accents used by the different tribal chiefs.

Slaine is a difficult character to like, and this is not exactly a redemption story. Stubborn, arrogant, ambitious, and vicious, Slaine is determined to achieve his goals no matter the cost. The themes of nature, feminism; especially how history sidelines the role of women, and how history is inherently unreliable are all explored through the lens of Celtics myths. It lingered with me long after I had finished trying to grasp what Pat Mills and Simon Bisley were trying to say.

Fantastic stuff. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.