The passing of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura has sent shockwaves throughout the artist community. Creatives from across the globe are mourning the loss of possibly the greatest dark fantasy epic of all time. While the manga world was hit especially hard, western comics have felt the loss as well.
The themes, style, and epic motif of Berserk have influenced many comics both directly and indirectly. It is actually quite astonishing to go trace the influence of Mr. Miura's epic story through a variety of mediums. Even though his time as a mangaka was not an easy one, one can assume that Mr. Miura would be happy that his hard work inspired so many people.
5 Sam And Twitch
On the surface, this dark and gritty detective series has little to do with Berserk. A deeper looks reveals that the entire reason the series stood out was due to how grounded it made dark fantasy concepts feel in its universe. Sam and Twitch was a Spawn spinoff that took mixed the themes of its parent series with a gritty sensibility.
This fusion gave a sense of weight to the series story. Even when investigating a simple murder, the detectives knew that far darker forces were at work. The art style of the series, for the majority of its run, was a perfect match for its tone due to its ethereal qualities. While Berserk set the standard for mixing grittiness with dark fantasy, Sam and Twitch added their own interesting take on it.
4 Promethea
The more fantasy elements of Berserk can be complex, intriguing, and even frustrating at times. Yet all these elements work within the story and have made for some of the best pieces of dark fantasy in our time. One series that takes a similar approach to its story but goes far more in-depth with its fantasy elements is Promethea.
This Alan Moore and J. H. Williams III created series is one heck of a wild, dark, and beautiful ride. The story follows Sophie as she becomes the new vessel for the being known as Promethea. Both characters then take several mystical and metaphysical journeys through the universe and beyond. Noted for using real mystical beliefs from a variety of cultures, Promethea is a one of a kind comic.
The manner in which it blends its mystical elements with a story that is ultimately about saving one's self shares more than a passing resemblance to Berserk. This similarity is why Promethea reaches the same levels of greatness as Berserk.
3 Hellboy
Mike Mignola's dark fantasy series Hellboy is legendary for almost as many reasons as Berserk. Both series deal with the themes of fate, destiny, love, loss, and perseverance. There is always a pervasive sense of magnitude in both series as well. Even during the quieter moments, one can feel that this is just the calm before the storm. The biggest theme that both series share is fate, whether it can be changed or stopped.
In Guts case, fate is fate and their is no getting around it. Hellboy fares a bit better but after looking back on the entire series, one may come to the conclusion that fate bested him as well. The only large difference between the two series stories is how far their protagonists are willing to go to change fate. Guts at time has been more villain then hero while Hellboy never truly breaks bad of his own accord. Either way, both series are legendary and epic in their own unique ways.
2 B.P.R.D.
Hellboy is a legendary character but it's his supporting characters that give the entire Mignola-verse its heart. Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, Johann Krauss, and Kate Corrigan elevate any story they are in due to being great characters. They bring light to the dark fantasy setting of the B.P.R.D. series and its this reason that it has an edge on Hellboy.
The ensemble cast of this series each get time to shine and they all have more than a handful of memorable moments. The series places less of a focus on fate and more of a focus on humanity's battle against evil. As with Berserk, this evil is usually rooted in human desire or greed.
1 Spawn
Guts and Al Simmons might just be two of the most tortured anti-heroes ever seen in the dark fantasy genre. Both characters can never seem to hold on to happiness for long and for some reason life consistently beats the hell out of them. The long and sprawling tale of Al Simmons aka Spawn is well known to comic fans all over the world. His battle against the forces of hell and other entities has been one long uphill battle.
As with Guts, Al was betrayed by a friend and consumed by vengeance. Al has also struggled against fate and at times has ventured into more villainous waters. Berserk has always been a tale of one man's struggle against fate, Spawn at its core is the same story. Both stories delve deep into various different aspects of fate but the conclusion remains the same.
At the end of the day, it is all about humanity trying to overcome forces beyond their understanding. Guts and Al struggle because peace is not free. They open up and become kinder characters as they see that all of humanity is in the struggle but some manage to hold to their joy. The world may never know if Guts will ever find peace and overcome fate. Al's story will one day end and hopefully he can find the peace that Guts never will.