Summary:
90 years after a plague has broken out in the modern world, a new generation begins to search for clues to the past. Actually they're scavenging books from the old world because they sell for a lot of money, but still, clues from the past. Along the way are many dangers including, but not limited to, trolls and other plague infested beasts. This web comic is set in the Nordic lands and uses a lot of Nordic folklore and language, while making sure to differentiate between the countries.
Review:
I was introduced to this comic by Fluxxdog (who still hasn't finished it) and I got so hooked on it that I would use my lunch breaks at work to dive through the archives. There are almost 900 pages now, and more are getting added almost daily, but it was so worth it! Plus, not all the pages are story heavy. Sometimes they're beautiful images of this post-apocalyptic world.
Sundberg is also kind enough to include a handful of expository pages that give us non-Nordic readers some context. I absolutely loved her pages showing the differences between the languages of the characters, namely Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish. I kid you not, seeing the similarities of the first four with the juxtaposition of being so different from Finnish almost made me laugh every time. She even includes a page showing the Old World Language Trees, partially explaining why Finnish is so different. Thankfully she also keeps a flag "cheat sheet" at the bottom of the strips so she can use flags to indicate which language each character is speaking in.
Of course, the comic is way more than just exposition and beautiful artistry (seriously love the art and coloration!) The story is such a wonderful blend of adventure and fantasy with just the right amount of horror. The trolls of this world aren't what I always thought they were. They are still big, gross, ugly, carnivorous and easy to anger, but they are not humanoid in any way. The beasts still resemble the creatures they once were, but trolls are something else. They sometimes look they're inside-out creatures. Who can be very, creepily, good at stealth.
If you're thinking of picking up this comic, I do recommend you start at the beginning. It starts out in modern times, when the plague is just beginning, and then it jumps to 90 years later. It was a little jarring at first, but I completely understand why Sundberg did it and she does make connections to the original comics.
I'm very glad I started reading this comic and have added it to my Feedly to get more. If you're at all interested in a Nordic setting with Nordic mythology and folklore in a post-apocalyptic world, you're gonna love this. If you're a cat lover who wants to see a dystopia where cats are very important, you'll also want to read this. I happily give 4.5 hoots and encourage you to read this comic!
Hoot!
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