1. 01:44 24th May 2011

    Notes: 6

    Tags: Northlanders,vikingsBrian WoodVertigocomiccomics

    image: Download

    Northlanders #36, Cover by Massimo Carnevale 5 THINGS BRIAN WOOD’S NORTHLANDERS DOES WELL 1. Stories about Vikings — Right off the bat, this series is better than the majority of ongoing comic series because it is about Vikings. It’s an absolute fact that having Vikings in anything makes it better, yet Wood goes the extra stretch by producing the most realistic depictions of Vikings ever. First of all, the word viking is used as it traditionally was (as a verb) and not in direct reference to the various Northern Europeans. It is also the least glamorous depiction of the Norse warrior people that I have ever read. These are grounded stories involving the social and religious struggles that faced the various levels of people of the period. It is about the paradoxical noble-futility that is the life of what are basically Ice-Pirates. Outside of the first story arc of DMZ, this is the only work of Brian Wood’s that I have read. Regardless, Wood is one of the most impressive writers, in my mind, working today because of Northlanders.  Cover for Northlanders #17 “The Viking Art of Single Combat” Cover by Massimo Carnevale. 2. Violence — I am normally one to preach the merits of violence, especially that of ultra-violence, in art but I like to believe that it is an objective fact that violence in art is fine, all that really matters is the purpose and context (i.e. whether or not it is gratuitous). The latter half of that is where I know that my enjoyment and overall tolerance to violence in art is completely subjective on my part. Yet I can state with great confidence that the way Wood handles violence is truly captivating. It also helps that he (and especially the artist) is never gratuitous with it: what goes on is always necessary, realistic, and plainly unfuckwithable. If not filled with pitch-perfect externalizations of the various characters involved, there always seems to be a very earnest nature about them. Most of Wood’s more violent scenes involve a great feeling of desperation on the part of the characters while in direct conflict: no warrior is truly well off in this world, everyone is fighting because their lives depend on it (always in the literal form in some roundabout way). 3. Continuity — Northlanders is one of the friendliest ongoing series for people new to comics. There is no giant “world” to get tied up in (although nothing suggests that the stories are completely closed off from one another) with stories of various lengths ranging from anywhere between 8 issues to single issue one-shots. This means anyone can get into the series by simply picking up the latest arc with no prior reading needed (OR you could read past arcs via collected trade paperbacks, because they are all amazing). The deal is Woods writes each and every issue while using a different artist for each story arc, which is a point that leads to… 4. Having a solid aesthetic — Part of Northlanders’ charm is the constant change in artists, highlighting an impressive variety of styles, yet it never comes off as inconsistent. This is due to the work of Dave McCaig (colourist) and Travis Lanham (letterer). Aside from Wood, McCaig and Lanham have been the only constants to this series and it is has really helped in creating a common look to each arc, while still allowing for each artist to properly display their individual style. Lanham’s lettering is especially comforting: it gives the book a very “European” look with his choice of caption boxes and fonts. He is easily one of my favourite letterers in monthly comics. And just in case that last sentence wasn’t dorky enough, I have to say that if Lanham didn’t letter an issue of Northlanders, I would be genuinely uncomfortable while reading it. From Northlanders #28, art by Leandro Fernandez 5. Being METAL — A past story arc was actually entitled METAL and featured the adventures of a 17 year old, 7 foot tall Blacksmith who hooks up with an albino whore (to whom he freed from abusive nuns) and they travel the frozen wastes of the North burning churches, killing Evil Christians and eating hallucinogenic roots and mushrooms. Yeah. Pretty great. Other past titles include great song titles such as The Plague Widow, Sven: The Returned and The Sea Road. And, plus, y’know: Vikings — they’re inherently metal. How can you fuck up Vikings?

    Northlanders #36, Cover by Massimo Carnevale

    5 THINGS BRIAN WOOD’S NORTHLANDERS DOES WELL

    1. Stories about Vikings — Right off the bat, this series is better than the majority of ongoing comic series because it is about Vikings. It’s an absolute fact that having Vikings in anything makes it better, yet Wood goes the extra stretch by producing the most realistic depictions of Vikings ever. First of all, the word viking is used as it traditionally was (as a verb) and not in direct reference to the various Northern Europeans. It is also the least glamorous depiction of the Norse warrior people that I have ever read. These are grounded stories involving the social and religious struggles that faced the various levels of people of the period. It is about the paradoxical noble-futility that is the life of what are basically Ice-Pirates.

    Outside of the first story arc of DMZ, this is the only work of Brian Wood’s that I have read. Regardless, Wood is one of the most impressive writers, in my mind, working today because of Northlanders. 

    Cover for Northlanders #17 “The Viking Art of Single Combat” Cover by Massimo Carnevale.

    2. Violence — I am normally one to preach the merits of violence, especially that of ultra-violence, in art but I like to believe that it is an objective fact that violence in art is fine, all that really matters is the purpose and context (i.e. whether or not it is gratuitous). The latter half of that is where I know that my enjoyment and overall tolerance to violence in art is completely subjective on my part. Yet I can state with great confidence that the way Wood handles violence is truly captivating. It also helps that he (and especially the artist) is never gratuitous with it: what goes on is always necessary, realistic, and plainly unfuckwithable. If not filled with pitch-perfect externalizations of the various characters involved, there always seems to be a very earnest nature about them. Most of Wood’s more violent scenes involve a great feeling of desperation on the part of the characters while in direct conflict: no warrior is truly well off in this world, everyone is fighting because their lives depend on it (always in the literal form in some roundabout way).

    3. Continuity — Northlanders is one of the friendliest ongoing series for people new to comics. There is no giant “world” to get tied up in (although nothing suggests that the stories are completely closed off from one another) with stories of various lengths ranging from anywhere between 8 issues to single issue one-shots. This means anyone can get into the series by simply picking up the latest arc with no prior reading needed (OR you could read past arcs via collected trade paperbacks, because they are all amazing). The deal is Woods writes each and every issue while using a different artist for each story arc, which is a point that leads to…

    4. Having a solid aesthetic — Part of Northlanders’ charm is the constant change in artists, highlighting an impressive variety of styles, yet it never comes off as inconsistent. This is due to the work of Dave McCaig (colourist) and Travis Lanham (letterer). Aside from Wood, McCaig and Lanham have been the only constants to this series and it is has really helped in creating a common look to each arc, while still allowing for each artist to properly display their individual style. Lanham’s lettering is especially comforting: it gives the book a very “European” look with his choice of caption boxes and fonts. He is easily one of my favourite letterers in monthly comics. And just in case that last sentence wasn’t dorky enough, I have to say that if Lanham didn’t letter an issue of Northlanders, I would be genuinely uncomfortable while reading it.

    From Northlanders #28, art by Leandro Fernandez

    5. Being METAL — A past story arc was actually entitled METAL and featured the adventures of a 17 year old, 7 foot tall Blacksmith who hooks up with an albino whore (to whom he freed from abusive nuns) and they travel the frozen wastes of the North burning churches, killing Evil Christians and eating hallucinogenic roots and mushrooms. Yeah. Pretty great. Other past titles include great song titles such as The Plague Widow, Sven: The Returned and The Sea Road.

    And, plus, y’know: Vikings — they’re inherently metal. How can you fuck up Vikings?

     
    1. asmodestasdillinger posted this