What do you think?
Rate this book
Murder Falcon #1-8
Murder Falcon
It's time to SHRED!!! From Daniel Warren Johnson creator of the Eisner-nominated EXTREMITY comes MURDER FALCON!!!
The world is under attack by monsters, and Jake's life is falling apart: no band, no girl, no future until he meets MURDER FALCON. He was sent from The Heavy to destroy all evil, but he can't do it without Jake shredding up a storm. Now, with every chord Jake plays on his guitar, the power of metal fuels Murder Falcon into all-out kung fu fury on those that seek to conquer Earth!
Collects MURDER FALCON #1-8.
The world is under attack by monsters, and Jake's life is falling apart: no band, no girl, no future until he meets MURDER FALCON. He was sent from The Heavy to destroy all evil, but he can't do it without Jake shredding up a storm. Now, with every chord Jake plays on his guitar, the power of metal fuels Murder Falcon into all-out kung fu fury on those that seek to conquer Earth!
Collects MURDER FALCON #1-8.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2019
About the author
Daniel Warren Johnson
135 books286 followersDaniel Warren Johnson is a Chicago-based comic book writer, artist, and illustrator. He's worked on titles for most major publishers, including Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image. His current series with Skybound/Image Comics is EXTREMITY, a sci-fi/fantasy title he is writing and drawing, and continues to update his webcomic Space-Mullet in his spare time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
June 29, 2019
Jake summons Murder Falcon to battle kaiju with the power of Heavy Metal. Like Brutal Legend, this is something of a metal album cover come to life. I'm not a metal fan, but this book was completely bonkers and just plain fun. Does it get any better than a metal band summoning creatures to fight kaiju by jamming out? There's also a darker undercurrent that can be gut-wrenching at times. You can tell Johnson put his heart and soul in this.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
June 7, 2019
Daniel Warren Johnson's Murder Falcon is a book that mixes I Kill Giants with heavy metal sensibilities. Which in short means that this book is rad, but also depressing as fuck. I am not a metal fan myself, but I can't help but admire the passion and excitement Johnson brings to his art and writing through his love of heavy metal music. The smaller story underneath all the excess, the shredding and the ridiculous giant monsters is absolutely heartbreaking, and also clearly comes from the author's personal experience. At 8 total issues the book does feel a bit stretched out, it could have had a much tighter pacing without losing much at all if it was a couple issues shorter. Still, Johnson's amazing artwork and the obvious love he has for his craft really comes through here, making it a really enjoyable read — as enjoyable as a book about cancer can be, but still.
February 24, 2024
9.1/10
Absolutely fantastic!!!
This is the first thing i read by DWJ and let me tell you, it is definitely not going to be the last.
Why isn't this more famous?
Picking up Murder Falcon, i had some idea of what i was about to read. I expected some crazy, ridiculous adventure type of story, with monsters and guys playing heavy metal to defeat them? It delivers that, but there is so so so much more.
Daniel Warren Johnson does an excellent job on both art and writing and it all comes together perfectly with the colours from Mike Spicer.
There is a perfect balance of humour, over the top action, grief and pretty much a bit of everything else.
Murder Falcon ended up being one of my favourite reads.
Absolutely fantastic!!!
This is the first thing i read by DWJ and let me tell you, it is definitely not going to be the last.
Why isn't this more famous?
Picking up Murder Falcon, i had some idea of what i was about to read. I expected some crazy, ridiculous adventure type of story, with monsters and guys playing heavy metal to defeat them? It delivers that, but there is so so so much more.
Daniel Warren Johnson does an excellent job on both art and writing and it all comes together perfectly with the colours from Mike Spicer.
There is a perfect balance of humour, over the top action, grief and pretty much a bit of everything else.
Murder Falcon ended up being one of my favourite reads.
August 18, 2022
Jakes life is in ruins when Murder Falcon comes into his life. Now, he has to help save the world through the power of heavy metal!
It sounds ridiculous and it is but Murder Falcon is a lot of fun. Big monsters, big guitars, big carnage. Jake and Murder Falcon put Brooticus, his old band, back together and with the help of musical instruments from another dimension, they intend to save the world.
Like I said, big monsters, big guitars, big carnage. Everything great about metal music and Godzilla movies is here. There are also a lot of sensitive moments and a big swerve in the middle I didn't see coming. I thought this was going to be a lot of Lobo style over the top shenangians. Don't get me wrong, there are shenanigans but the sensitive moments really elevate this book to another level.
As soon as the Horn made an appearance, I had a feeling how this was going to go down. I did read the Elric saga in two different formats this year. Still, this was one hell of a read. This one is NOT heading to half price books next time I go.
Four out of five Murder Falcons.
It sounds ridiculous and it is but Murder Falcon is a lot of fun. Big monsters, big guitars, big carnage. Jake and Murder Falcon put Brooticus, his old band, back together and with the help of musical instruments from another dimension, they intend to save the world.
Like I said, big monsters, big guitars, big carnage. Everything great about metal music and Godzilla movies is here. There are also a lot of sensitive moments and a big swerve in the middle I didn't see coming. I thought this was going to be a lot of Lobo style over the top shenangians. Don't get me wrong, there are shenanigans but the sensitive moments really elevate this book to another level.
As soon as the Horn made an appearance, I had a feeling how this was going to go down. I did read the Elric saga in two different formats this year. Still, this was one hell of a read. This one is NOT heading to half price books next time I go.
Four out of five Murder Falcons.
June 23, 2024
Love this book. Action-adventure / fantasy / buddy comedy / rock and roll, with a dash of grief and drama. Brilliantly written and beautifully illustrated as always, Murder Falcon is yet another must read and must own book by DWJ.
January 5, 2020
Wild graphic novel full of heavy metal music, adventure, and fighting monsters… that needs a big content warning for cancer. As a former heavy metal listener myself in my teens, I enjoyed the hell out of this... but the rest of my review is going in spoiler tags.
June 4, 2021
Jake fights the forces of evil with the power of METAL!
No, really, there's actually a strong message behind the obvious concept. I thought it was two issues too long, but still a helluva story.
No, really, there's actually a strong message behind the obvious concept. I thought it was two issues too long, but still a helluva story.
March 22, 2021
“The power of metal fuels me!”
I wasn’t sure if I was going to actually like this comic very much. Turns out I loved it!
What’s it about?
Jake is depressed. He used to play metal music on his guitar and was pretty great at it but he hadn’t played much recently after some bad things happened... that is until monsters fueled by anxiety start attacking the world and he discovers one monster fighting badass known as Murder Falcon is actually connected to his guitar playing skill. Yep, the better Jake’s playing, the better Murder Falcon is at fighting! Before you know it, they’re getting the band (both the metal one and the group of world saving badasses) back together!
Why it gets 5-stars:
The story is pretty great. A more deep than I expected but still fun mix of love for metal, metaphors about life and monster fighting.
The artwork! At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like it but it ultimately worked, especially for this story.
The characters are well written and interesting. They surprisingly and fortunately have much more depth than metal guys and monster fighters! Even the villains in this story actually have more depth than most villains seem to.
There’s a lot of action here. There were a couple of moments that made the action scenes feel rushed but that ended up improving later on in the book and either way, made this book exciting throughout.
This book isn’t too predictable.
I expected this to be a comedy but it isn’t. That being said, it still has a couple of decent moments of comic relief.
This comic while being fun, is possibly also one of the most emotional comics I’ve read.
The metaphors are very interesting and well done. Describing depression, anxiety, etc. as monsters destroying humanity and tearing the world apart is a very powerful metaphor that works very well. I also like the metaphor of metal being a force that fights anxiety so well (while I don’t play an instrument (at least not at the time I’m writing this review) I listen to a wide variety of music and metal seems to often help emotionally, even more than other genres).
There’s references to metal music sprinkled throughout that fans will likely enjoy.
The ending is very well done.
Overall:
Part of why I read this comic is actually because I’ve been trying to reduce stress lately and in that, I’m fixing to read some more fun comics (don’t worry followers, I’m still gonna read and review that dark, violent, gritty shit too!). When looking for good comics that are a lighter, more fun tone, someone I know recommended this. Glad they did because this is exactly the kinda thing I wanted!
A fun, action packed but also emotional adventure about fighting the world destroying monster that is depression with the power of metal! Only 3 questions are why didn’t I read this sooner, why haven’t more of my friends read this and where do I find these metal album tribute variants?
(Cool AF!)
Highly recommend this one!
5/5
I wasn’t sure if I was going to actually like this comic very much. Turns out I loved it!
What’s it about?
Jake is depressed. He used to play metal music on his guitar and was pretty great at it but he hadn’t played much recently after some bad things happened... that is until monsters fueled by anxiety start attacking the world and he discovers one monster fighting badass known as Murder Falcon is actually connected to his guitar playing skill. Yep, the better Jake’s playing, the better Murder Falcon is at fighting! Before you know it, they’re getting the band (both the metal one and the group of world saving badasses) back together!
Why it gets 5-stars:
The story is pretty great. A more deep than I expected but still fun mix of love for metal, metaphors about life and monster fighting.
The artwork! At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like it but it ultimately worked, especially for this story.
The characters are well written and interesting. They surprisingly and fortunately have much more depth than metal guys and monster fighters! Even the villains in this story actually have more depth than most villains seem to.
There’s a lot of action here. There were a couple of moments that made the action scenes feel rushed but that ended up improving later on in the book and either way, made this book exciting throughout.
This book isn’t too predictable.
I expected this to be a comedy but it isn’t. That being said, it still has a couple of decent moments of comic relief.
This comic while being fun, is possibly also one of the most emotional comics I’ve read.
The metaphors are very interesting and well done. Describing depression, anxiety, etc. as monsters destroying humanity and tearing the world apart is a very powerful metaphor that works very well. I also like the metaphor of metal being a force that fights anxiety so well (while I don’t play an instrument (at least not at the time I’m writing this review) I listen to a wide variety of music and metal seems to often help emotionally, even more than other genres).
There’s references to metal music sprinkled throughout that fans will likely enjoy.
The ending is very well done.
Overall:
Part of why I read this comic is actually because I’ve been trying to reduce stress lately and in that, I’m fixing to read some more fun comics (don’t worry followers, I’m still gonna read and review that dark, violent, gritty shit too!). When looking for good comics that are a lighter, more fun tone, someone I know recommended this. Glad they did because this is exactly the kinda thing I wanted!
A fun, action packed but also emotional adventure about fighting the world destroying monster that is depression with the power of metal! Only 3 questions are why didn’t I read this sooner, why haven’t more of my friends read this and where do I find these metal album tribute variants?
(Cool AF!)
Highly recommend this one!
5/5
October 6, 2022
This book rocked!
The art and the premise might have you thinking this book is super outrages and you would be right! But it’s outrages in all the best ways!
An ex musician is approached by a mythical bird creature that obtains its magic from Heavy Metal music. When monsters from another world start to take over our world, it’s time to get the band back together. Murder falcon must help Jake face his past so they can save the future! I wasn’t excepting this book to be as emotional as it was. Coming to grips with personal situations and how it can affect your art is hard but this book does it right. It’s about growth, who you can trust and, most importantly, believing in your work.
The art and the premise might have you thinking this book is super outrages and you would be right! But it’s outrages in all the best ways!
An ex musician is approached by a mythical bird creature that obtains its magic from Heavy Metal music. When monsters from another world start to take over our world, it’s time to get the band back together. Murder falcon must help Jake face his past so they can save the future! I wasn’t excepting this book to be as emotional as it was. Coming to grips with personal situations and how it can affect your art is hard but this book does it right. It’s about growth, who you can trust and, most importantly, believing in your work.
August 27, 2022
Defeating monsters with the power of METAL!
And of course a falcon named Murder Falcon.
Now, I know what some of you might be saying. But this is not a 100% goofy book. Just trust me. Actually there is a really good message that I thought was handled really well. I also thought there were some power rangers elements thrown in there. Because why not?
And of course, none of this would have been able to work if it weren't for the great art. My only complaint, is that it didn't feel like it had to be as long. There are parts where it drags a bit.
Anyways, I won't say much else because it's one of those books that's better to just go in blind.
I recommend!
And of course a falcon named Murder Falcon.
Now, I know what some of you might be saying. But this is not a 100% goofy book. Just trust me. Actually there is a really good message that I thought was handled really well. I also thought there were some power rangers elements thrown in there. Because why not?
And of course, none of this would have been able to work if it weren't for the great art. My only complaint, is that it didn't feel like it had to be as long. There are parts where it drags a bit.
Anyways, I won't say much else because it's one of those books that's better to just go in blind.
I recommend!
June 3, 2019
I am a huge fan of DWJ's art and also writing. Extremity was awesome and Space Mullet is one of the most underappreciated comics out there. After reading the synopsis I was expecting crazy action adventure full of metal clichés, monster fights etc.
I could not be more wrong. Murder Falcon is a well-written story about love and friendship, about loss and pain, about being scared and chasing away your closest ones and also about how music can affect our lives.
One of the best comics I've read this year.
I could not be more wrong. Murder Falcon is a well-written story about love and friendship, about loss and pain, about being scared and chasing away your closest ones and also about how music can affect our lives.
One of the best comics I've read this year.
September 11, 2022
Did you see that scene in the most recent season of Stranger Things where the guy plays guitar on the roof of a trailer in the Upside Down as bat creatures swirl around? This comic is basically 200 pages of that.
Despite withdrawing from everyone he loves due to depression from a personal tragedy, Jake is yanked back into the world, drafted to fight monsters from another dimension by using his heavy metal guitar licks to pump up the hit and attack points of a giant falcon with a mechanical arm and a murderous hatred of monsters.
Meant to be read fast, preferably with lots of heavy metal music blasting in the background, it's sort of dumb but also very fun.
Despite withdrawing from everyone he loves due to depression from a personal tragedy, Jake is yanked back into the world, drafted to fight monsters from another dimension by using his heavy metal guitar licks to pump up the hit and attack points of a giant falcon with a mechanical arm and a murderous hatred of monsters.
Meant to be read fast, preferably with lots of heavy metal music blasting in the background, it's sort of dumb but also very fun.
May 14, 2021
Blew my mind. Part Tenacious D, part Pan's Labyrinth, part Miyazaki, part Pacific Rim, part 50/50, all put into a blender and drenched in Heavy Metal. I couldn't get enough of it. It was a hard sell at first because of the ridiculous name and concept but it has SUCH heart and it's so good. Completely engaged and I never knew what would happen next. One of those events that I hope never gets adapted to film or tv. It's perfect in this medium and I'm recommending it to everyone.
July 20, 2019
Pure heart and soul. Pure fun. This is what it is to be human. Must read
May 14, 2024
Heavy metal musicians battle demons with magical instruments that manifest seriously badass summons. A mammoth. An ent. A tank battalion. The eponymous bird warrior. And more.
Echoes of geek film Knights of Badassdom (2013).
It's silly, and the internal logic gets a bit pretzely. But Murder Falcon has heart to go along with a message about hope and perseverance and the importance of living while you can (one character battles cancer). This is one of those books that sings with unbridled joy.
Echoes of geek film Knights of Badassdom (2013).
It's silly, and the internal logic gets a bit pretzely. But Murder Falcon has heart to go along with a message about hope and perseverance and the importance of living while you can (one character battles cancer). This is one of those books that sings with unbridled joy.
January 25, 2020
Pamätám si, jak som prvému zošitu napráskala tri hviezdy lebo mi to pri��lo depresívne. V živote som sa tak s hodnotením nemýlila. Bola to jedna z najlepších vecí, ktorá za posledné roky vyšla. Neskutočne zábavné a skvele nadupané. Depresívne? Ano, jak prasa, ale skvelo podané. Žiadne nasilu vyťahovanie sĺz, na konci som sa príjemne bavila a usmievala. A ku kresbe sa nijako negatívne tiež vyjadrovať nedá. Perfektná jednohubka.
April 25, 2023
Human sized Murder Falcon. Herds of bucks. A Mastodon. Giant Anvil and Hammer. Sea Monster. Tree monster! 80s vans. Giant SAMARAI. GUITAR RIFFS! METAL! METAL HEAVY METAL!!!🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤘🤘🤘🤘🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟
Soo awesome and so much fun to read. I really loved the insertion of Dio and Lemmy. This is the most metal thing I've experienced without hearing a chord of music. That scene where she started screaming into the mic... wow!
Soo awesome and so much fun to read. I really loved the insertion of Dio and Lemmy. This is the most metal thing I've experienced without hearing a chord of music. That scene where she started screaming into the mic... wow!
May 20, 2019
I think that every author has some crazy idea that makes no sense but in the core, it is just passion and love. This exactly is Murder Falcon. With the power of metal, we fight against the monsters. There's no need to know more. It is fabulous. You should read it if you like the cover and think that the concept sounds interesting and if you like DWJ. This is not a groundbreaking comic-book but this is a passion project made so well that it just feels good to read and admire the incredible art that is simply stunning.
May 25, 2019
This is another great book by DWJ. The story has some great twists and turns with some good emotional weight behind it. My only complaint is that some of the “metalness” of the book came off a little cheesy to me at times. This is still a really fun book with great artwork and is definitely worth a look. 3.5 out of 5.
September 22, 2019
Not my typical read, that's for sure. This is one of those books I kept thinking "eh, this isn't for me" then there'd be a really funny panel that made me legitimately laugh out loud. There's a lot of heart in here too and a few gut punch moments. I wasn't a big fan of the art but it matched the story.
October 10, 2021
Més gran que la vida! El Metall com a eina guaridora i com instrument per vèncer el dolor i la por. Riffs i tinta amb el botó de l'ampli a 12, BSO a Bandcamp i un final mega èpic #LookOut (m'ha caigut alguna llagrimeta, ho reconec). Les il·lustracions de les cobertes d'àlbums mítiques posen pell de gallina.
July 11, 2019
Very cool art and clever references but poor world building and dialogue full of "nothing" conversations. I hope for a volume 2 that ratchets up the metal and fills in the gaps in lore
July 1, 2021
How did I wait so long to read this? This is so metal. One of the best books I’ve read!
March 21, 2023
Una pasada... un espectáculo de dibujo, una historia trepidante y referencias y homenajes a los mitos del heavy metal a carretadas.
Si te gusta el cómic de acción loca y el rock más duro que la vida no te puedes perder esta oportunidad de sumergirte en los confines más oscuros de El Heavy.
Si te gusta el cómic de acción loca y el rock más duro que la vida no te puedes perder esta oportunidad de sumergirte en los confines más oscuros de El Heavy.
May 23, 2023
That was nuts. But also amazing and fun. Heavy metal versus monsters. Epic fights. Unabashed gun.
August 7, 2022
Perfect. From start to finish it was just perfect. The artwork the writing, everything was just great! Give me more like this 👌🏻
September 7, 2024
Damn you DWJ for making me fight back tears on a fully packed airplane. Absolutely ridiculous story that’s incredibly emotional, visually hardcore, and just overall a truly beautiful comic. DWJ’s best.
August 12, 2024
I found out a close friend of mine from college passed away from cancer on Saturday. Sunday I got an email that Murder Falcon — which I'd ordered months earlier — was ready for me to pick up. I had been meaning to read it for a while, but it had been out of stock. But things happen for a reason, and sometimes they almost make me believe in fate.
When I got home and opened it up, all I wanted was a distraction. But instead, I unexpectedly got catharsis. I read the entire book in one sitting, more than one portion while openly crying. This comic has depth I never could have anticipated, as it's about a metal band saving the world with the power of their music. Except it's not really about that at all — it's about mortality, fear, loss, grieving, and screaming into the void anyway. Maybe it's not objectively a five-star read, and maybe I wouldn't have enjoyed it at much if I caught it at a different time, but at the moment I read it, it was perfect and heartbreaking and beautiful, and I'm grateful it was there for me when I needed it.
When I got home and opened it up, all I wanted was a distraction. But instead, I unexpectedly got catharsis. I read the entire book in one sitting, more than one portion while openly crying. This comic has depth I never could have anticipated, as it's about a metal band saving the world with the power of their music. Except it's not really about that at all — it's about mortality, fear, loss, grieving, and screaming into the void anyway. Maybe it's not objectively a five-star read, and maybe I wouldn't have enjoyed it at much if I caught it at a different time, but at the moment I read it, it was perfect and heartbreaking and beautiful, and I'm grateful it was there for me when I needed it.
Read
June 12, 2019For a series about a kaiju-punching cyborg birdman fuelled by the power of METAL, this is surprisingly angsty, its focus more often on Jake, the guitarist paired with 'Murf', a sad-eyed fellow whose issues caused the collapse of his old band just when they seemed to have a chance. There's also an elephant in the room, and I don't just mean the mammoth Murder Falcon rides once more musicians start bolstering his fight. The idea is that an extradimensional monster fuelled by human negativity is making inroads into our world, and only music can save us – but metal is presented as the opposite of negativity. Which, sure, it can sometimes be – but isn't it also often about harnessing and transcending negativity, rather than a straight opposition? And indeed, doesn't it sometimes forego even that much, and instead just plain celebrate the worst of humanity? So shouldn't the dynamic here be a little more nuanced? There are bits of dialogue along the way which seem to acknowledge this, but nobody ever seems to register that in his look, his sentiments and especially his name, antagonist Magnum Khaos is also very metal. On the plus side, as recent Image books about the power of metal go, at least it isn't New Lieutenants of Metal, and knows that there are worse things in the world than boy bands. Yes, coming straight after Extremity, it makes me feel I'd like to see something from Johnson that wasn't primarily about the struggles of being an artist, the urge to give up on it all. And yes, there's a part of me which feels that if averting the apocalypse requires Hey Jude then fuck it, let the world end. But I did still mist up at the conclusion.
(Edelweiss ARC)
(Edelweiss ARC)
May 16, 2022
I never thought a book about a magical fighting cyborg falcon powered by heavy metal would make me cry...but here I am.
On the surface, this book might seem like a cheesy, over the top, action-packed adventure -- but it is SO much more than that. Sure, the set pieces are totally epic and speak to a deep, deep love of metal music. But it's the tender moments of Murder Falcon that really get a the heart of what it means to be a musician. I found myself teary-eyed at several points, especially in the last sections of the book. An absolute MUST READ for a musician or music lover!
On the surface, this book might seem like a cheesy, over the top, action-packed adventure -- but it is SO much more than that. Sure, the set pieces are totally epic and speak to a deep, deep love of metal music. But it's the tender moments of Murder Falcon that really get a the heart of what it means to be a musician. I found myself teary-eyed at several points, especially in the last sections of the book. An absolute MUST READ for a musician or music lover!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews