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Helheim #1
Helheim: The Witch War, Volume One
“Once the threshold of Helheim is crossed, not even gods can escape.” The age of Vikings. Savage wild men, dark creatures, and hideous undead are pawns in the war between witches. A hero named Rikard, pays the ultimate price in this conflict… but his fight is far from over. Raised as a draugr—an undead killing machine—Rikard is meant to be used as a weapon in the supernatural conflict. But Rikard will not be controlled. And where the draugr treads, death follows.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2014
10 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Cullen Bunn
2,106 books1,059 followersCullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
April 5, 2016
4,5 stars
Frankenstein's monster meets Vikings!
A great mix of fantasy, horror and ancient Norse mythology.
Simple story, great art, interesting characters and lots of mayhem!
If you liked reading Bullen's Deadpool and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or/and you love "The 13th Warrior" movie based on Michael Chricton's "Eaters of the dead" novel and Vikings tv series, just find and read this comic: you are going to have a real blast.
Frankenstein's monster meets Vikings!
A great mix of fantasy, horror and ancient Norse mythology.
Simple story, great art, interesting characters and lots of mayhem!
If you liked reading Bullen's Deadpool and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or/and you love "The 13th Warrior" movie based on Michael Chricton's "Eaters of the dead" novel and Vikings tv series, just find and read this comic: you are going to have a real blast.
February 5, 2014
This is basically as far as you can get from Brian Wood's Northlanders while conceding they are both graphic novels involving Vikings. This graphic novel was a mix of pseudo-Viking culture and fantastical mythology involving witchcraft and demon hordes, giving the finished product a unique "Weird North" vibe. To use an analogy: Hellheim is to Vikings as Jonah Hex is to Cowboys. And, to be clear, I mean that as a high compliment.
The full-color artwork was a highlight throughout the book. It was as interesting as it was stylized, and it maintained a consistency throughout -- leaving no ambiguity as to which characters were which, or why a character no longer looked "right," which is a pet peeve of mine. Also of note was that the entire "Witch War" arc is resolved in the ~140 pages that make up this volume. While it is open-ended yes, it leaves no cliffhangers or major plot threads unresolved.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
The full-color artwork was a highlight throughout the book. It was as interesting as it was stylized, and it maintained a consistency throughout -- leaving no ambiguity as to which characters were which, or why a character no longer looked "right," which is a pet peeve of mine. Also of note was that the entire "Witch War" arc is resolved in the ~140 pages that make up this volume. While it is open-ended yes, it leaves no cliffhangers or major plot threads unresolved.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
June 21, 2017
Highly recommend for Grimdark Fans
June 3, 2021
A friend already captured my thoughts about this, so lets just shamelessly paste his whole review here:
Gianfranco Mancini rated it 4,5 stars
Frankenstein's monster meets Vikings!
A great mix of fantasy, horror and ancient Norse mythology.
Simple story, great art, interesting characters and lots of mayhem!
If you liked reading Bullen's Deadpool and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or/and you love "The 13th Warrior" movie based on Michael Chricton's "Eaters of the dead" novel and Vikings tv series, just find and read this comic: you are going to have a real blast. (less)
Gianfranco Mancini rated it 4,5 stars
Frankenstein's monster meets Vikings!
A great mix of fantasy, horror and ancient Norse mythology.
Simple story, great art, interesting characters and lots of mayhem!
If you liked reading Bullen's Deadpool and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or/and you love "The 13th Warrior" movie based on Michael Chricton's "Eaters of the dead" novel and Vikings tv series, just find and read this comic: you are going to have a real blast. (less)
December 11, 2013
Helheim is vikings, witches, monsters, magic, and a barbarian zombie all thrown together into a big melting pot, and, based on that premise alone, this book should be awesome - but it’s not. Instead it’s a rather shallow bloody fantasy horror comic with no hero and little entertainment value.
Rikard is the greatest Viking warrior in his settlement. His girlfriend Bera is a witch who is at war with another witch, Groa, who have been fighting one another with hordes of zombies, monsters, and other terrors. During battle, Rikard is cut down, however Bera resurrects him with her magic and turns him into a draugr, an undead killing machine. Lots and lots of fighting later and the book ends in a humdrum bloodbath.
Helheim has the magic, action and history that made Cullen Bunn’s other Oni series, The Sixth Gun, such a hit, but it just doesn’t work in Helheim because the characters are so two-dimensional and uninteresting. They’re a charmless, dreary bunch who want to kill each other because that’s what the script says. Helheim’s simplistic story and characters would work for a younger readers book but it’s incredibly gory battle scenes firmly makes its audience adult only, so it’s a bit of a muddled book.
I was really impressed with Joelle Jones’ artwork here which is terrific. Imagine Rob Guillory by way of Mike Mignola and you’ve got an idea of her work on this book. I don’t know why but several years ago I was reading a romance comic/novel by Jamie S. Rich called 12 Reasons Why I Love Her which she illustrated, so I’ve always associated her with girly comics, but she proves she’s as metal as any guy with Helheim, bringing the blood and gore by the bucketload.
Bunn on the other hand has written far better comics elsewhere – The Sixth Gun remains his masterwork, but he’s also done fine stuff at Marvel on various characters from Deadpool to Wolverine to Fearless Defenders. Helheim is one of the weakest efforts in his career so far with no particular scenes standing out, the plot has little invention to it, and the characters’ dialogue is bland and one-note at best.
I’d love to say that Helheim is Northlanders with more magic and horror thrown in, but it’s not nearly as good as Brian Wood’s Viking epic, and the magic and horror here is as generic as any you’d find in a random fantasy comic. Helheim is a disappointing miss from what you’d reasonably expect to be a great book from the creative team and setup.
Rikard is the greatest Viking warrior in his settlement. His girlfriend Bera is a witch who is at war with another witch, Groa, who have been fighting one another with hordes of zombies, monsters, and other terrors. During battle, Rikard is cut down, however Bera resurrects him with her magic and turns him into a draugr, an undead killing machine. Lots and lots of fighting later and the book ends in a humdrum bloodbath.
Helheim has the magic, action and history that made Cullen Bunn’s other Oni series, The Sixth Gun, such a hit, but it just doesn’t work in Helheim because the characters are so two-dimensional and uninteresting. They’re a charmless, dreary bunch who want to kill each other because that’s what the script says. Helheim’s simplistic story and characters would work for a younger readers book but it’s incredibly gory battle scenes firmly makes its audience adult only, so it’s a bit of a muddled book.
I was really impressed with Joelle Jones’ artwork here which is terrific. Imagine Rob Guillory by way of Mike Mignola and you’ve got an idea of her work on this book. I don’t know why but several years ago I was reading a romance comic/novel by Jamie S. Rich called 12 Reasons Why I Love Her which she illustrated, so I’ve always associated her with girly comics, but she proves she’s as metal as any guy with Helheim, bringing the blood and gore by the bucketload.
Bunn on the other hand has written far better comics elsewhere – The Sixth Gun remains his masterwork, but he’s also done fine stuff at Marvel on various characters from Deadpool to Wolverine to Fearless Defenders. Helheim is one of the weakest efforts in his career so far with no particular scenes standing out, the plot has little invention to it, and the characters’ dialogue is bland and one-note at best.
I’d love to say that Helheim is Northlanders with more magic and horror thrown in, but it’s not nearly as good as Brian Wood’s Viking epic, and the magic and horror here is as generic as any you’d find in a random fantasy comic. Helheim is a disappointing miss from what you’d reasonably expect to be a great book from the creative team and setup.
November 23, 2020
(3,7 of 5 for Viking-pagan-fantasy carnage)
Even if I rated it 3 stars because the art is nice and the story isn't really special it is tremendous fun. Two witches who hate each other trying to kill each other with every force they got their hands on, leaving mayhem and death behind until one of them made a grave mistake and creates self-aware Frankenstein-monster draugr. I was done with this comics in one read and I enjoyed it very much. There is almost zero chance I would read it again, in a bigger picture it is not "real cinema", I would not really wide recommend it but it is fun and it has its bright moments and if you enjoy Cullen Bunn's work no matter what this is worth trying.
Even if I rated it 3 stars because the art is nice and the story isn't really special it is tremendous fun. Two witches who hate each other trying to kill each other with every force they got their hands on, leaving mayhem and death behind until one of them made a grave mistake and creates self-aware Frankenstein-monster draugr. I was done with this comics in one read and I enjoyed it very much. There is almost zero chance I would read it again, in a bigger picture it is not "real cinema", I would not really wide recommend it but it is fun and it has its bright moments and if you enjoy Cullen Bunn's work no matter what this is worth trying.
January 25, 2019
Written by the Sixth Gun guy. It's pretty awesome. Gory. Visceral. Fun.
April 6, 2022
Fun, gory horror story.
May 17, 2023
A super violent Viking witch story- the art being somewhat cartoony took away from the level of brutality but overall a bloody fun read
April 12, 2015
3.5
Oh Lordy lord, all that gore... Teaches me right to not choose a random book from the GN section of the library.
I feel like there was no story building beside the three pages where they briefly clued us in on what was happening.
The cliffhanger did leave me wanting to continue for the sake of just knowing what will happen in the next volume. Overall, it was just a meh. Don't know and don't think I'll continue. Cool graphics, though.
Oh Lordy lord, all that gore... Teaches me right to not choose a random book from the GN section of the library.
I feel like there was no story building beside the three pages where they briefly clued us in on what was happening.
The cliffhanger did leave me wanting to continue for the sake of just knowing what will happen in the next volume. Overall, it was just a meh. Don't know and don't think I'll continue. Cool graphics, though.
May 22, 2020
Helheim, like the lead character, the Draugr, Rikard, is kind of a pastiche of a mess. His body is torn, stitched together, a giant viking Frankenstein’s monster of the north. His humongous body and remnants of his soul are bent on one thing: killing the two witches that lead to his death in revenge.
I really love Cullen Bunn’s writing from The Sixth Gun and particularly Harrow County. However, his voice is not very strong in this piece, and there are large jumps in logic between issues that have to be explained later. It’s also a little repetitive like Rikard’s father, Kirk, continually vowing to kill his grotesque son throughout multiple issues. Like, we get it. Also, I don’t know if it’s a failing of the writing or art, but there are a lot of near-empty panels with little to no action and serve no purpose.
The art is also a doozy. I’ve seen Joëlle Jones do some great things, but the art uses a stereotypical hulking, muscle protagonist, old witch, sexy witch with a boob job, boring demons, and young girl. The best bit of these designs is Kirk who has a unique face. Otherwise, the action does not look dynamic, no matter how much blood or ink splatter is thrown into it. It’s just confusing. I also feel like the letterer could have come up with a special font for the Draugr but oh well.
And here’s the kicker: I basically got this in the bargain bin for $3 (it’s even signed by Jones), and when I sell it back to the store, it will probably go straight back to that discount area. And, unfortunately, I won’t really be disappointed about it.
I really love Cullen Bunn’s writing from The Sixth Gun and particularly Harrow County. However, his voice is not very strong in this piece, and there are large jumps in logic between issues that have to be explained later. It’s also a little repetitive like Rikard’s father, Kirk, continually vowing to kill his grotesque son throughout multiple issues. Like, we get it. Also, I don’t know if it’s a failing of the writing or art, but there are a lot of near-empty panels with little to no action and serve no purpose.
The art is also a doozy. I’ve seen Joëlle Jones do some great things, but the art uses a stereotypical hulking, muscle protagonist, old witch, sexy witch with a boob job, boring demons, and young girl. The best bit of these designs is Kirk who has a unique face. Otherwise, the action does not look dynamic, no matter how much blood or ink splatter is thrown into it. It’s just confusing. I also feel like the letterer could have come up with a special font for the Draugr but oh well.
And here’s the kicker: I basically got this in the bargain bin for $3 (it’s even signed by Jones), and when I sell it back to the store, it will probably go straight back to that discount area. And, unfortunately, I won’t really be disappointed about it.
June 28, 2020
This book is grimmer and gorier than I would typically choose for myself, but it is a masterful execution of story and comic. First, the story reminds me of the Song of Fire and Ice chapters that take place north of the wall with an interesting mix of Frankenstein as well. However, that summary doesn't do it justice. It moves at a blistering pace, and it regular diverts expectations and surprises throughout. The story will not bore. The story is very well paced and interesting.
As a comic this book also works very well. The layouts are interesting, and the word-to-panel ratio is excellent. Although, the entire story takes place in a bleak snowy realm, the dramatic coloring keeps the environments fresh and the art engaging.
If you can handle the grim tale, this book delivers an exceptional story that is enhanced by the art. It fires at all cylinders.
As a comic this book also works very well. The layouts are interesting, and the word-to-panel ratio is excellent. Although, the entire story takes place in a bleak snowy realm, the dramatic coloring keeps the environments fresh and the art engaging.
If you can handle the grim tale, this book delivers an exceptional story that is enhanced by the art. It fires at all cylinders.
August 12, 2021
Dve čarodejnice proti sebe vedú siahodlhú vojnu. Na konflikt v ktorom sa proti sebe stavajú monštrá a zombie armády, najviac doplácajú obyčajný ľudia. Objaví sa však hrdina, ktorý môže tento konflikt ukončiť. Ale je to vôbec hrdina?
Helheim je priamočiary krvavý masaker plný akcie a mágie. Nejde o žiadne filozofické dielo, preto sa tento komiks číta rýchlo a svižne. Hlavný hrdina je ako buldozér, ktorí ničí všetko čo sa mu dostane do cesty a jeho motivácia je jednoduchá - pomsta.
Ak by som mal tento jednoduchý príbeh k niečomu prirovnať, bol by to asi mix Frankensteina a Conana okorenený zombie motívom.
V prípade, že máte chuť na priamočiare a zábavné čítanie, Helheim je dobrá voľba. Relatívne často je v akcii na comixology, takže vrelo odporúčam. Ja sa idem pustiť do volume 2. 😉
Helheim je priamočiary krvavý masaker plný akcie a mágie. Nejde o žiadne filozofické dielo, preto sa tento komiks číta rýchlo a svižne. Hlavný hrdina je ako buldozér, ktorí ničí všetko čo sa mu dostane do cesty a jeho motivácia je jednoduchá - pomsta.
Ak by som mal tento jednoduchý príbeh k niečomu prirovnať, bol by to asi mix Frankensteina a Conana okorenený zombie motívom.
V prípade, že máte chuť na priamočiare a zábavné čítanie, Helheim je dobrá voľba. Relatívne často je v akcii na comixology, takže vrelo odporúčam. Ja sa idem pustiť do volume 2. 😉
December 18, 2023
Parts of this were pretty good with some real character. Other parts are just slashing monster, and even that wasn't terrible. The artwork was very inconsistent though. One minute the drauger is not much larger than a man, another time he's swinging some other man by his ankles like a doll. It was a little weird how he could just attach random parts of other creatures, but it also made pretty good sense for the story in that he's neither side of the war.
The ending though, I wish it could have just ended with the finishing of the two witches, instead of throwing in a pointless (but continuing story) twist. Sometimes things should just end. I'll see if V2 is alright or not.
The ending though, I wish it could have just ended with the finishing of the two witches, instead of throwing in a pointless (but continuing story) twist. Sometimes things should just end. I'll see if V2 is alright or not.
February 4, 2018
Loved the Fimbulvetr feel to the book, and I think it's the first time I've seen Draugr mentioned in modern fiction as well. Pretty straightforward story with a predictable twist (though I did think that Kadlin was just a nod to Maria the farmer's daughter from the 1931 Universal production of Frankenstein. Shall definitely keep an eye out for the other Helheim books (though not sure where the story may go from here).
August 17, 2022
Not bad
The artwork wasn't bad. I like the story of the father being hurt about having to kill his son. I like the love story that turns into a woman using someone. I like the story of two witches fighting each other and using monsters
The artwork wasn't bad. I like the story of the father being hurt about having to kill his son. I like the love story that turns into a woman using someone. I like the story of two witches fighting each other and using monsters
May 15, 2017
Story is way too straight forward
February 9, 2021
Decent read
October 12, 2021
Over the top for the sake of being over the top and strangely unenjoyable.
February 23, 2022
It’s ok. It’s basically his version of Frankenstein set in a Viking village.
October 3, 2023
2.5, could have easily been two issues shorter if it had trimmed some gore and re-telling us things we already know. Maybe then the characters could have gotten some depth.
September 29, 2024
Nice artwork and concept but it was super dreary in its story and characters. Felt very generic and shallow.
November 12, 2025
Eh. Not my cup of tea. Too melodramatic witb repetitive and forced exposition.
October 9, 2016
4.5 Stars
March 5, 2017
This is exactly what it looks like. Quick read, interesting story.
November 17, 2015
Helheim Vol. 1: The Witch War is a bloody good time of a graphic novel. The story takes place over 1,400 years ago and stars a young Viking named Rikard. Unfortunately for this young man, he is slain in battle and then brought back to life, by a witch that can raise the living dead, as a draugr, an undead killing machine. His head is placed on the body of many different parts of warriors she has pieced together, so he is now quite huge. If a part of him is damaged in battle, parts from other dead creatures can be used to replace the damaged parts, or even added, like the wings of a demon. Rikard knows who he was, but his mind it not all there, and he now prefers to be called Helheim.
|I found the idea of writing a series around a draugr to be quite fascinating. I had never heard of one before, but I have read many books with necromancers and their creations, so the concept wasn't totally foreign to me. I really liked the idea that any damaged part can be replaced with another from any dead being. So, with this, the writer then can be constantly morphing hero as the story progresses. We see this happening this first graphic novel as Helheim replaces part of his head with a demon's eye, skull and single curved horn. Later, he has large bat-like demon's wings attached to his back giving him the ability to fly. Very cool!
As for the storyline, by Collen Bunn, I quite enjoyed it. There are quite a few battle scenes and a lot of blood is splattered. With body parts flying, this is not a book for children. This story arc revolves around two witches that hate each other so much that they kill and maimed hundreds of others in the attempt to kill their nemesis. After one of the, creates the draugr, the end of the long battle draws nigh.
The artwork in the story, by Juëlle Jones, is quite well done and I found it fitting for the type of story this is. The grittiness of the artist's style, and the linear way she draws gave the book a feeling of the toughness of the times and the desperation of the people. In other words, for me, I thought it was a perfect style for this type of book.
Overall, Helheim Vol. 1: The Witch War is a rip-roaring graphic Viking paranormal comic that I highly enjoyed. The story kept me turning pages, drinking in the beautiful artwork, until I finished the entire thing in one sitting. If you are looking for a really cool, and pretty violent, graphic novel about Vikings and the undead, this is one that you definitely need to pick up. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next volume of this series. Count me in as a fan.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
|I found the idea of writing a series around a draugr to be quite fascinating. I had never heard of one before, but I have read many books with necromancers and their creations, so the concept wasn't totally foreign to me. I really liked the idea that any damaged part can be replaced with another from any dead being. So, with this, the writer then can be constantly morphing hero as the story progresses. We see this happening this first graphic novel as Helheim replaces part of his head with a demon's eye, skull and single curved horn. Later, he has large bat-like demon's wings attached to his back giving him the ability to fly. Very cool!
As for the storyline, by Collen Bunn, I quite enjoyed it. There are quite a few battle scenes and a lot of blood is splattered. With body parts flying, this is not a book for children. This story arc revolves around two witches that hate each other so much that they kill and maimed hundreds of others in the attempt to kill their nemesis. After one of the, creates the draugr, the end of the long battle draws nigh.
The artwork in the story, by Juëlle Jones, is quite well done and I found it fitting for the type of story this is. The grittiness of the artist's style, and the linear way she draws gave the book a feeling of the toughness of the times and the desperation of the people. In other words, for me, I thought it was a perfect style for this type of book.
Overall, Helheim Vol. 1: The Witch War is a rip-roaring graphic Viking paranormal comic that I highly enjoyed. The story kept me turning pages, drinking in the beautiful artwork, until I finished the entire thing in one sitting. If you are looking for a really cool, and pretty violent, graphic novel about Vikings and the undead, this is one that you definitely need to pick up. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next volume of this series. Count me in as a fan.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Helheim Volume 1 collects the 6 chapter Witch War story arc and providing a solid beginning and ending despite being a first volume. The pseudo-Viking era is nicely illustrated in full color panels with plenty of action and violence. A touch of magic adds to the story.
580 A.D. in the North, wild men chase a hunting party. The party makes it back to their small village fortress and the wild men are defeated. But they rise again after death - resulting in the death of the village leader's son, Rikard. But Rikard was seduced by a witch and she brings him back to life - as a Draugh. Thus is Rikard and the village dragged into an interminable war of dark magic between the two witches. Until a girl and her dog enters and befriends the rogue draugh and brings him to battle the witches and bring sanity back to the world.
I was pleased that magic played a small part of the story and that neither witch was a moustache twirling evil satanic monster. Instead, they are both selfish and self centered, unable to see beyond their goal of the other's destruction. There is pathos to be found in what Rikard, a once noble warrior, has become after his resurrection. And as well, there is the mystery of how he will battle and eventually defeat not one but both witches - including the one that he loved and who resurrected him.
The illustrations are well done and the action easy to follow. I liked that the witches aren't scantily clad bimbos but instead provide a bit of gravitas in their single minded acts of destruction. There's no big magic here, no chants or runes or hocus pocus. This is a book about action and destruction, humanity, nobility, greed, and death - and all the necromancy is done off-panel.
In all, I enjoyed all 6 chapters of Hellheim and appreciate that the book ended with a solid story arc but left room for continuation on the very last panel.
Received as an ARC from the publisher.
February 3, 2016
Рикарду, самому смелому и сильному воину в своем поселении, не повезло взять в любовницы ведьму, воюющую с соседской ведьмой. Непоколебимые в своем желании стереть друг друга с лица земли, одна превращает живых людей в сверхсильных мутантов, а вторая воскрешает мертвых. Рикарду не повезло вдвойне, потому что ему досталась вторая. И втройне, потому что он умер и стал драугром.
Я довольно долго раскачивалась с этой графической повестью о викингах и ведьмовских войнах. Первые страницы наводили какое-то потустороннее уныние, рисовка не радовала. Зато потом появились движуха, оторванные головы и дилемма сыноубийцы, которые окупили с лихвой первоначальные тормоза.
На меня нахлынуло ощущение мифологичности. Ведьмы – словно две стороны одной монеты: одна ссохшаяся старушенция, а вторая пышет здоровьем, молодостью и красотой. Драугр вызывает страх, отвращение, ощущение неправильности, и однако ж под его крылом объединяется толпа народа.
Художница постаралась, Рикард-франкенштейн вышел на ура. Название (Хельхейм) находит свое нетривиальное объяснение ближе к концу, который, кстати, получился отличным, в духе to be continued. Причем, не раскрывая деталей, все гармонично и дофига логично, никаких тебе клиффхангеров, просто пока ты смотришь в одну сторону и переживаешь мега-драматизм и сожалеешь о литрах крови, разливающихся на поле битвы, кто-то тихо-незаметно крутит свое колесико. А ты даже не заметил бы, если б тебе не показали последнюю страничку.
annikeh.net
Я довольно долго раскачивалась с этой графической повестью о викингах и ведьмовских войнах. Первые страницы наводили какое-то потустороннее уныние, рисовка не радовала. Зато потом появились движуха, оторванные головы и дилемма сыноубийцы, которые окупили с лихвой первоначальные тормоза.
На меня нахлынуло ощущение мифологичности. Ведьмы – словно две стороны одной монеты: одна ссохшаяся старушенция, а вторая пышет здоровьем, молодостью и красотой. Драугр вызывает страх, отвращение, ощущение неправильности, и однако ж под его крылом объединяется толпа народа.
Художница постаралась, Рикард-франкенштейн вышел на ура. Название (Хельхейм) находит свое нетривиальное объяснение ближе к концу, который, кстати, получился отличным, в духе to be continued. Причем, не раскрывая деталей, все гармонично и дофига логично, никаких тебе клиффхангеров, просто пока ты смотришь в одну сторону и переживаешь мега-драматизм и сожалеешь о литрах крови, разливающихся на поле битвы, кто-то тихо-незаметно крутит свое колесико. А ты даже не заметил бы, если б тебе не показали последнюю страничку.
annikeh.net
September 1, 2015
Bugün menümüzde yine bir çizgi roman var. Deadpool Killogy serisinden tanıdığımız Cullen Bunn'ın yazmış olduğu 6 sayılık Helheim çizgiromanı...
Viking çağının donmuş kuzey diyarlarında geçmekte olan eser, iki kötü cadı Bera ve Groa'nın birbiriyle kapışmasını ve bu mücadelede halkın çektiği sıkıntıyı konu alıyor. Cehennem yaratıklarını ve iblisleri yönetebilen Groa ve ölüleri yöneten hatta onları diriltebilen Bera arasında şiddetli çatışma olur. Eserin başrolünde Bera'nın sevgilisi olan Rikard var. Çocukken çok hastalıklı ve cılız biri olan Rikard, büyüdüğünde köyünün en iri yarı adamı ve en iyi savaşçısı olur. Groa'nın iblislerinden kaçarken hayatını kaybeder ancak Bera onu geri getirir. Ama hiç de eskisi gibi gelmez. Onun bedenini en iyi savaşçıların bedenlerinden topladığı organları ve tüm yönettiği ruhları biraraya getirerek oluşturur. Sonra da onu Groa'yı öldürmesi için yollar. Ama işler umduğu gibi gitmez. Rikard kendine bir ordu toplayarak hem Bera hem de Groa'yı öldürmeyi kafaya koymuştur.
Başlarında ölülerin karda dirilişi filan gördüğümde aklıma direk A Song of Ice and Fire geldi. Okursanız hak vereceksiniz.
Çizimleri çok ilginç ve bir okadar da başarısız buldum. Dijital çizim olduğu bas bas bağırıyor sanki. Neyse fena bir çizgi roman değildi, okumanızı tavsiye edebilirim.
Viking çağının donmuş kuzey diyarlarında geçmekte olan eser, iki kötü cadı Bera ve Groa'nın birbiriyle kapışmasını ve bu mücadelede halkın çektiği sıkıntıyı konu alıyor. Cehennem yaratıklarını ve iblisleri yönetebilen Groa ve ölüleri yöneten hatta onları diriltebilen Bera arasında şiddetli çatışma olur. Eserin başrolünde Bera'nın sevgilisi olan Rikard var. Çocukken çok hastalıklı ve cılız biri olan Rikard, büyüdüğünde köyünün en iri yarı adamı ve en iyi savaşçısı olur. Groa'nın iblislerinden kaçarken hayatını kaybeder ancak Bera onu geri getirir. Ama hiç de eskisi gibi gelmez. Onun bedenini en iyi savaşçıların bedenlerinden topladığı organları ve tüm yönettiği ruhları biraraya getirerek oluşturur. Sonra da onu Groa'yı öldürmesi için yollar. Ama işler umduğu gibi gitmez. Rikard kendine bir ordu toplayarak hem Bera hem de Groa'yı öldürmeyi kafaya koymuştur.
Başlarında ölülerin karda dirilişi filan gördüğümde aklıma direk A Song of Ice and Fire geldi. Okursanız hak vereceksiniz.
Çizimleri çok ilginç ve bir okadar da başarısız buldum. Dijital çizim olduğu bas bas bağırıyor sanki. Neyse fena bir çizgi roman değildi, okumanızı tavsiye edebilirim.
June 2, 2014
'Helheim: The Witch War, Volume One' shows why Cullen Bunn is one of the better writers in comics these days. This is a story that starts quick and never really lets up.
It is the time of the Vikings. Rikard and his tribe are out fighting enemies when they are confronted by a witch's army. Rikard has a vision of his death. When the army they are fighting comes back to life, Rikard dies. His lover Bera stitches him back together into a draugr, a kind of Viking Frankenstein monster, and sends him out to kill the witch. Rikard finds there are two witches. As Rikard fights, he finds that his new body needs mending, so his appearance changes and becomes more gruesome over the course of the story. Rikard's father wants this thing that was his son dead. Rikard just wants to finish the war with the two witches.
Supernatural Vikings fighting the undead? Count me in! And it's a good story. The art by Joelle Jones is perfect for the story. It's a quick read, but I really liked this one.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this action packed graphic novel.
It is the time of the Vikings. Rikard and his tribe are out fighting enemies when they are confronted by a witch's army. Rikard has a vision of his death. When the army they are fighting comes back to life, Rikard dies. His lover Bera stitches him back together into a draugr, a kind of Viking Frankenstein monster, and sends him out to kill the witch. Rikard finds there are two witches. As Rikard fights, he finds that his new body needs mending, so his appearance changes and becomes more gruesome over the course of the story. Rikard's father wants this thing that was his son dead. Rikard just wants to finish the war with the two witches.
Supernatural Vikings fighting the undead? Count me in! And it's a good story. The art by Joelle Jones is perfect for the story. It's a quick read, but I really liked this one.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this action packed graphic novel.
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