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Reviews
In association with
www.brokenfrontier.com
 Northlanders
#1
Vertigo/DC Comics
Brian Wood, activist extraordinaire, has again put his online
skills to the test in promoting his latest series Northlanders
. He performed as a guest blogger at News@rama, deals out
interviews left and right, sets up a mini-site, a myspace
page and actively pursues reviews by giving a select club
of online reviewers advance previews in order to build up
momentum until the actual release of the comic. Many a creator
can learn something from his websavvy and grass roots approach
to things.
An unfortunate side effect of this approach though is that
the apotheosis of release can end in a downer when the comic
doesn't live up to expectations. The artwork from the mini-site
promises a more daring visual approach than the comic actually
delivers. Instead of an illustrative drawing style, Northlanders
is drawn by Davide Gianfelice who uses a more modern style
of drawing, not unlike fellow Italian artist Giuseppe Camuncoli.
It's nice work but unspectacular. Everything is scratchy and
delineated, sparse on blacks and crosshatching and very angular.
What a more illustrative artist brings out in the reader is
more of a feeling of awe. A sort of wonderment that captivates
the reader and involves him in the characters and setting
(which is as much a character here as the persons walking
around in it). There is a closeness to nature-feeling going
on that seems to reverberate of the pathos formula. And the
stylings of Gianfelice just can't seem to captivate that feeling
in Northlanders . Maybe it could be just as simple as saying,
that - for a straight adventure story involving Vikings -
his style is just too modern. When Vikings become less exciting
on paper due to the drawings, than something is off, though.
Continue to the full review at
Broken Frontier.
 The
Walking Dead #44
Image Comics
Critics of the most recent arc in Robert Kirkmans massive
Walking Dead saga complained that too little happened to further
the plot and terror and action were replaced with character
development. Very telling was the title of that arc, The Calm
Before, as this current one erupted two issues ago when the
Governor, the man who brutally tortured Rick, Michonne and
Glenn, arrived at the gates of the prison with a sizable attack
force and even a fully functioning tank.
This issue is one of the most action-packed 22 pages Kirkman
has yet to produce in a zombie book that doesnt feature Spider-Man
feasting on Galactus. And while this series usually works
best when emphasizing character interactions over zombie attacks,
the long build up serves perfectly to whet our appetites for
the waves of destruction brought on by the Governor and his
forces. The battle unfolds realistically and characters react
the way youd expect them to. This isnt a superhero book
and Kirkman doesnt make his characters out to be heroes.
They simply cower on the ground while the Governor opens fire.
The fight isnt as one-sided as the cover would lead you to
believe, however, as Rick and the gang do find a way to strike
back before the issues shocking end.
Continue to the full review at
Broken Frontier.
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