Grant Morrison switches gears from his current run on Batman and Robin and joins forces with artist Sean Murphy to give us a fantasy that he himself describes as “Home Alone meets Lord of the Rings.” This week Joe the Barbarian #1 (of 8) finds the title character dealing with many the issues of modern life. He’s the kid in school that can’t fit in. He’s the victim of bullies. His dad died overseas in the Iraq war. And then there’s the Type 1 diabetes he has to live with. If it wasn’t for his active imagination he’d be in real trouble. Joe finds himself transported to a land inhabited by all his toys come alive and the savior of a land that’s been held under siege by dark magic and evil forces. Will he be a savior or will he find himself dead if he doesn’t take his meds?

Click here for an interview with Grant Morrison about Joe the Barbarian on the Comic Book Resources website