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The Thing: The Northman Nightmare
After months of no shipments from settlements in Greenland, a band of Vikings set off for answers only to find themselves pitted against monsters lurking in the icy depths and amongst one another.
Dark Horse Comics and Universal Pictures team up for this prequel comic to the upcoming 2011 motion picture The Thing.
This graphic novel is divided into three volumes with 11 pages each, and it's available in digital format through the Dark Horse official website
Dark Horse Comics and Universal Pictures team up for this prequel comic to the upcoming 2011 motion picture The Thing.
This graphic novel is divided into three volumes with 11 pages each, and it's available in digital format through the Dark Horse official website
33 pages
First published September 21, 2011
1 person is currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Steve Niles
828 books463 followersSTEVE NILES is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of it's "13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years."
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 11, 2020
A modo de precuela de La película 'THE THING" de John Carpenter , nos situamos en Escandinavia en la época de los "vikingos", y unos guerreros/exploradores se toparan con esta criatura multiforme.
No esperaba la gran cosa, pero tratándose de una historia basada en la película de Carpenter, de la época en que se desarrolla, sumado a que estaba al frente Steve Niles, esperaba al menos algo entretenido y/o que tuviera una buena calidad visual (daba para explotar mucho desde lo gráfico). Pero en definitiva nada para rescatar, ni un brillo por ningún lado.
No esperaba la gran cosa, pero tratándose de una historia basada en la película de Carpenter, de la época en que se desarrolla, sumado a que estaba al frente Steve Niles, esperaba al menos algo entretenido y/o que tuviera una buena calidad visual (daba para explotar mucho desde lo gráfico). Pero en definitiva nada para rescatar, ni un brillo por ningún lado.
February 11, 2024
Interesting story that should've been longer. Less than 30 pages for this is a blasphemy. It's not even a prequel or origin story as they present it, nor it ties in with the 2011. movie. It's just a short story about group of Vikings ending up in a village ravaged by the Thing. No tension, no atmosphere. Although, I did liked the ending.
December 12, 2023
Just like most other reviews i wish it was longer, the idea and art for it are very good!
April 25, 2018
There was so much promise here. A group of Vikings facing off against the replicating entity from John Carpenter's classic film, how could this not be epic.
Well for starters this was so rushed and choppy. If I didn't know any better I would think every other page was missing. And what story was here was far to similar to the film minus the dreed and uncertainty that made the film what it was.
I'd love to see this idea revisited with more care but this take isn't one I'd recommended to fans of the film.
Well for starters this was so rushed and choppy. If I didn't know any better I would think every other page was missing. And what story was here was far to similar to the film minus the dreed and uncertainty that made the film what it was.
I'd love to see this idea revisited with more care but this take isn't one I'd recommended to fans of the film.
July 4, 2022
I really loved the concept of this, but sadly this was totally phoned in. The idea of a bunch of Vikings facing off against one of the Things in Greenland had a lot of potential. I know this was a single issue but it doesn’t give anything time to breathe, you don’t get to know any of the characters at all, and at the end of the day I’m just not sure why I’m supposed to care even a little. The art was good, though? So there’s that I guess.
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Check out my compilation review of Who Goes There? and its adaptations on my blog, 24,000 Miles to the Moon! https://24000milestothemoon.com/2022/...
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Check out my compilation review of Who Goes There? and its adaptations on my blog, 24,000 Miles to the Moon! https://24000milestothemoon.com/2022/...
February 25, 2018
PL
Dobrze narysowany i rozpisany komiksowy prequel do filmowych wersji. Nie jest to zdumiewający cykl komiksowy tylko one-shot ale warto to sprawdzić. Fantastyczne rysunki i mrożący krew w żyłach klimat - tego się spodziewałem i to dostałem.
EN
A well-drawn and written comic prequel for film versions. This is not an amazing long story but one-shot comics, but it's worth checking out. Fantastic drawings and chilling climate - I expected it and received it.
Dobrze narysowany i rozpisany komiksowy prequel do filmowych wersji. Nie jest to zdumiewający cykl komiksowy tylko one-shot ale warto to sprawdzić. Fantastyczne rysunki i mrożący krew w żyłach klimat - tego się spodziewałem i to dostałem.
EN
A well-drawn and written comic prequel for film versions. This is not an amazing long story but one-shot comics, but it's worth checking out. Fantastic drawings and chilling climate - I expected it and received it.
November 4, 2018
What could have been a very interesting take on the property comes off as an incredibly phoned in or rushed job. You don't connect with any of the characters and the pacing is horrible, with moments never given time to sink in or build. Things just keep happening rapid fire because the story, which should have been a 3-4 issue series, is instead told in the equivalent of a single issue.
Some pretty good art but that alone can't save it.
Some pretty good art but that alone can't save it.
February 8, 2021
3.25 stars
I'd say this work has a slightly lesser rating than it may deserve. Sure, it's too fast paced and too short, and it adds very little safe for the designs, because I cannot say that it's shows a new perspective, since it's too short to properly convey it.
The art and the colors are not bad at all, and the characters are as developed as one could hope for in such a brief stint.
I'd say this work has a slightly lesser rating than it may deserve. Sure, it's too fast paced and too short, and it adds very little safe for the designs, because I cannot say that it's shows a new perspective, since it's too short to properly convey it.
The art and the colors are not bad at all, and the characters are as developed as one could hope for in such a brief stint.
November 26, 2022
I don't know why people are rating this so low, being short isn't the problem, the point it is if it achieves what it's supposed to do in those little pages, and I'd argue that it does.
I love everything, the fact that the warriors set upon a strange and worn out battlefield, that the medieval villagers were able to combat The Thing to some extent. And it makes sense, The Thing has a lot of weaknesses. It's selfish to an extent they'll kill each other to ensure it's own survival, even it's own blood would give it away. They are stuck in a hostile enviroment with no room to expand and under constant threat of getting frozen and are themselves ignorant of how humanity works and try to learn as best as they can.
I love the sequence of events from the Bison herd destroying the spaceship to the vikings holding off the creature with Axes and even the ending which captures the spirit of the original movie perfectly.
I love everything, the fact that the warriors set upon a strange and worn out battlefield, that the medieval villagers were able to combat The Thing to some extent. And it makes sense, The Thing has a lot of weaknesses. It's selfish to an extent they'll kill each other to ensure it's own survival, even it's own blood would give it away. They are stuck in a hostile enviroment with no room to expand and under constant threat of getting frozen and are themselves ignorant of how humanity works and try to learn as best as they can.
I love the sequence of events from the Bison herd destroying the spaceship to the vikings holding off the creature with Axes and even the ending which captures the spirit of the original movie perfectly.
November 3, 2024
Steve Niles and Patric Reynolds "The Thing: The Northman Nightmare" is a quick read which if for hardcore "The Thing" fans because it breaks no new ground for the Thing mythos. The story moves at a brisk pace with artwork which is gritty to convey the environent and characters of the time.
What is missing is dialogue which matches the time period. It is a very modern style of talking between the characters as well as the mindset of the characters.
A very fast read for "The Thing" completionist.
What is missing is dialogue which matches the time period. It is a very modern style of talking between the characters as well as the mindset of the characters.
A very fast read for "The Thing" completionist.
March 11, 2021
The art is good, but we sadly never get a full-page illustration of the viking-things.
The comic itself is very short. So even though it's not the best story ever, it still makes for a somewhat entertaining read if you are a The Thing fan and have 15 minutes to spare.
The comic itself is very short. So even though it's not the best story ever, it still makes for a somewhat entertaining read if you are a The Thing fan and have 15 minutes to spare.
April 23, 2020
muy rápido el desenlace :(
February 2, 2021
Dull, and pointless...think that about covers it.
July 13, 2023
Story is a good read as far as a historical lead up. This is still just a small possibility in the story kinda like a word of mouth legend.
December 2, 2023
i like the art but meh
December 22, 2024
Too short, but still kinda cool
December 30, 2024
Mucho mejor que el resto de comics de The Thing, aunque la localización no tenga ningún sentido y alguna transición sea demasiado abrupta. Pero el final, con su guiño a Carpenter, mola mucho.
June 9, 2025
Spiritual and stylistic successor to the original.
June 13, 2025
A very interesting spin on The Thing. I wish it was a bit longer even an extra twenty pages could have made an improvement but what we got was entertaining nonetheless. The ending was very fitting.
December 11, 2025
It’s okay, but really too short to get anything done, and the end was a straight rip from the 1982 film which felt kinda weak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2020
This comic wasn't that good. It felt as though they just stuck a group of vikings and the thing together and tried to run a story with it. The ending is similar to the film and there's no character development. The comic is hollow.
Update 6 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. The original review is valid in what it describes. Having skimmed over the comic, I had forgotten the ending that was chilling and pleased me. Everything else falls short but not to the extent that I would not like it, which would be an indicator of a one star rating.
January 20, 2020
Update
To correct the previous update, I am not sure if I was originally chilled at the ending when I first finished reading the book.
February 22, 2020
Update
I have previously colored the rating green but I have now changed it to yellow. I do not recall my original feelings for the graphic novel. A skim reading of it done during the time at which I wrote the update for June 6, 2019, did not bring any memories of liking or disliking. The tone of the original review also skimming between praise and criticism at times. I will clarify that the statement, "this comic wasn't that good", indicates mediocrity and tameness, and does not indicate that it is good with some defects. A two star rating, colored yellow, is supported by these reasons.
June 3, 2020
Update
The rating is also colored yellow because, though the logic in the update from February 22, 2020 is sound, it does not come from memories but rather good estimations of the original review. It is not perfect logic but it is solid logic.
Update 6 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. The original review is valid in what it describes. Having skimmed over the comic, I had forgotten the ending that was chilling and pleased me. Everything else falls short but not to the extent that I would not like it, which would be an indicator of a one star rating.
January 20, 2020
Update
To correct the previous update, I am not sure if I was originally chilled at the ending when I first finished reading the book.
February 22, 2020
Update
I have previously colored the rating green but I have now changed it to yellow. I do not recall my original feelings for the graphic novel. A skim reading of it done during the time at which I wrote the update for June 6, 2019, did not bring any memories of liking or disliking. The tone of the original review also skimming between praise and criticism at times. I will clarify that the statement, "this comic wasn't that good", indicates mediocrity and tameness, and does not indicate that it is good with some defects. A two star rating, colored yellow, is supported by these reasons.
June 3, 2020
Update
The rating is also colored yellow because, though the logic in the update from February 22, 2020 is sound, it does not come from memories but rather good estimations of the original review. It is not perfect logic but it is solid logic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2014
A reasonably fun short comic that postulates how vikings might have fared had they run across our shape-shifting friend from the John Carpenter film. The art is a bit ropey in places though, and the ending seems to flirt with that line between paying homage and, well, just being lazy.
2.5 Proclamations of Viking Superiority for The Thing: The Northern Nightmare.
2.5 Proclamations of Viking Superiority for The Thing: The Northern Nightmare.
May 23, 2015
This was an all-right Thing mythos story. I liked it more for the art than anything, as there was some truly fantastic monster design. Unfortunately the story wasn't very good, and I really question the presence of a Thing in the Viking era that wouldn't have killed everyone.
July 21, 2014
Damn fine art. Story sucked so hard.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews