1000 A.D. The Christian conversion of pagan lands is
well underway, turning the Viking north into a bleak war zone of occupation and
violence. Magnus The Black is an ex-warrior turned fixer for the Church, only
looking to ease his people through this painful time. But when a Vatican
official under his care is murdered on the infamous "Black Road", he uncovers a
secret, something so big it threatens to change the balance of power in all of
Europe.
From Northlanders creator Brian
Wood, artist Garry Brown (Catwoman, The Massive) and Dave McCaig (Batman,
Avengers) comes a historical thriller with a shocking twist. Collects Black
Road #1-5.
I borrowed this graphic novel from the library without knowing very much about it. It was the Viking theme that drew me in. It was probably a lot darker than I thought it would be, but that wasn't a bad thing. I liked the bleakness of the artwork and the story moved along quite well, with a couple of unexpected twists along the way. This volume is a compilation of the first five issues of the comic and I believe that volume 2 is available now, so I'll have to look out for that, as this one finished with a lot still to be worked out.
I've read quite a few of the old Norse sagas and this story has the spirit of some of them. The main character, Magnus the Black, is stuck between two worlds - the pagan and the Christian - and hasn't decided which side he will land on, as he's not too sure who he can trust anymore. Something dark and secret is going on and he is on the brink of discovering what that is. But who can he trust and will he be able to stop what is going on? I'm looking forward to finding the next instalment in this dark tale.
