'Northlanders Book One: Sven the Returned' – Brian Wood & Davide Gianfelice (Vertigo)
My
random comic book buying habits are a mystery to some, including
myself it has to be said, but every now and then they pay off. I
picked up my copy of 'Sven the Returned' in a charity shop, a few
years ago, more or less on a whim, and then left it on my shelf to be
completely forgotten about... until now. These last few days, I've
been craving an adventurous read where burly north men batter each
other with axes and as luck would have it, I remembered my copy of
'Sven the Returned' and thought I'd give it a go.
I'm
very glad that I did, 'Sven the Returned' was just what I was looking
for but so much more at the same time. My overcrowded bookshelves
will not thank me but I think I've found another series to collect.
Sven
is living the high life in Constantinople when he learns of his
father's death and sets out to the frigid islands of the North Sea to
reclaim his birthright. Intending only to take his money and run, he
discovers far more than he bargained for back at home. What follows
is a bloody quest to free his people, a struggle to discover his
place in a rapidly changing world, and an introduction to the awful
sacrifices required to transform from a prince into a king.
When
I picked this up yesterday, I thought I'd be looking at maybe a
couple of hours of vikings being vikings, mostly involving pillaging
but also a little murder at the same time. I'm glad to say that I
couldn't have been more wrong. 'Sven the Returned' has all of that
but a whole lot more as well. It's a character study, the likes of
which you don't come across often, as well as a commentary on the
transitory nature of life in those times. You may take land to rule
but you'll never keep it, just hold it until the next person comes
along to rule it. It's a sobering thought that really throws the
efforts of our players into a whole new light.
But
I'm getting ahead of myself a fair bit...
Sven's
tale of revenge and reconnecting with his roots is not a new tale, by
any means (we all know the story of the return of the prodigal son
who's out for revenge) but Wood makes it feel
new with his exploration of Sven's character and how he takes to a
homeland that never really felt like home.
Sven
is badass enough to carry every fight scene that he's in; you know
he's going to win (main character and all that) but watching him do
it is something else entirely and all credit to Davide Gianfelice for
drawing scenes that just hum with power. At the same time though,
Sven is thoughtful enough that there is so much room for Wood to
really explore the clash between Mediterranean and Viking cultures
and where someone who has never really been a part of either can fit
in. This is even more the case when Sven realises that he can no
longer go back to Constantinople (and what a scene that was...) The
answer isn't a surprise in some ways but the story still makes that
answer resonate with, well... I can't say without spoiling it and it
is worth reading on for.
What
also makes this tale so compelling is that just as Sven realises
there is more to his fight than just revenge, he suddenly realises
that he cannot hope to hold on to what he wants to win. This
realisation feels like a real curve ball (thrown at the best possible
time) and watching him put others first (or has he just given up by
this point? I'm not sure...) adds another layer to a character that
is already a real pleasure to read about. It's also indicative of the
changing nature of those times, something painfully rendered in Enna
being the last of her people.
There
is so much to pick out of 'Sven the Returned' but if you haven't read
it already then I'm going to do you a real favour and bring things to
a close here so there will still be some surprises for you. Lets just
say that Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice and come up with something
special here, a Viking tale that needs to be read by everyone.
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