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Polar #1
Polar Volume 1: Came from the Cold
The basis of a Netflix Original Movie!Ripped out of retirement by an assassination attempt, the world's most deadly spy--the former agent known as Black Kaiser--is a wanted man that's wanted . . . dead! On a collision course with his former employer, the Damocles Agency, Black Kaiser goes head to head with a stab-happy, psychotic torture expert and a seductive but deadly redhead. His mission only ends if he dies or kills everyone out to get him, and he's not in the habit of dying.A guns-blazing espionage action-adventure in the grand tradition of Jim Steranko and Frank Miller, this graphic novel by Victor Santos (Mice Templar, Filthy Rich) is a brutal, fast-tempo story of revenge that Newsarama says is "as ice-cold as its name." Originally a silent webcomic, but Santos has crafted a script as hard boiled and intriguing as his art for this hardcover collection.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2013
21 people are currently reading
589 people want to read
About the author
Víctor Santos
248 books48 followersHistorietista español. Obtuvo el Premio Autor Revelación del Saló del Còmic de Barcelona 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 24, 2019
Unstoppable spy/hitman/bounty hunter/doesn’t matter takes on generic international baddies syndicate because action! Lots of guns, lots of dead goons, a whole lotta nuthin’ - this is Polar: The Spy Who Bored Me!
Victor Santos’ Polar is the most derivative comic I’ve read in a while. About the only thing that held my interest was noting Victor Santos’ very obvious influences. The art style ranged from Frank Miller’s Sin City to Eduardo Risso’s 100 Bullets to Michael Avon Oeming.
There’s very little writing and when there is it’s eye-rolling action schlock dialogue:
“I won’t tell you anything”
“I won’t ask” (shoots him)
Golf clap.
The protagonist, who’s basically Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury, is an invincible killing machine, which is never interesting to read and instantly eliminates any tension in the near-continuous gunfights as you know he’s always going to get through them to stagger onto the next one. The other characters are equally one-dimensional and the storyline was meaningless drivel – think John Wick, Taken, Bourne, Bond, anything of that sort!
Despite being a mix of better influences, Santos is a skilful artist and Polar comes off as very slick though it is the very definition of style over substance. Polar is a forgettable, unoriginal and unimaginative action thriller that fails to deliver even the cheapest of thrills.
Victor Santos’ Polar is the most derivative comic I’ve read in a while. About the only thing that held my interest was noting Victor Santos’ very obvious influences. The art style ranged from Frank Miller’s Sin City to Eduardo Risso’s 100 Bullets to Michael Avon Oeming.
There’s very little writing and when there is it’s eye-rolling action schlock dialogue:
“I won’t tell you anything”
“I won’t ask” (shoots him)
Golf clap.
The protagonist, who’s basically Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury, is an invincible killing machine, which is never interesting to read and instantly eliminates any tension in the near-continuous gunfights as you know he’s always going to get through them to stagger onto the next one. The other characters are equally one-dimensional and the storyline was meaningless drivel – think John Wick, Taken, Bourne, Bond, anything of that sort!
Despite being a mix of better influences, Santos is a skilful artist and Polar comes off as very slick though it is the very definition of style over substance. Polar is a forgettable, unoriginal and unimaginative action thriller that fails to deliver even the cheapest of thrills.
March 16, 2021
Think Jim Steranko's Nick Fury drawn by Frank Miller. This thing oozes fake machismo. The Black Kaiser is an unstoppable killing machine and the women are only there to appear in lingerie and have sex to distract from assassins. It's a very quick read as there is very little dialogue. I thought the landscape layout swere interesting, especially digitally.
September 25, 2025
Polar, based on novel by Victor Santos
Eight out of 10
Madds Mikkelsen is such a formidable, outstanding actor that he can carry a film to incredible levels.
Nonetheless, Polar is not this cinephile’s genre and as such, it seems impossible for a cinematic God to make it worthwhile.
If anyone can, it would be Mikkelsen.
Matt Lucas is another extraordinary artist that has the role of the villain in this motion picture.
I would rather see him anytime in Little Britain, a fantastic comedy series where he is amazing.
Madds Mikkelsen is Duncan Vizla aka the Dark Kaiser, a former assassin with incredible skills.
Therefore, we have been in this territory so many times before and no matter what stunts, supernatural powers are brought into play, there is a sense of déjà vu.
Forced to retire, the former killer is called upon to eliminate another murderer who has taken out former colleagues of the protagonist
They have worked for an agency; a nefarious company controlled by the ultimate monster, Blut aka Matt Lucas.
His plan is to benefit from the insurance plans of his ex- employees, in the case of Duncan, the sum owed is eight million dollars.
Michael Green aka Johnny Knoxville is terminated in the opening scenes, but it is an inside job.
The Dark Kaiser is told that Blut relies on his famous skills to take revenge for the killing of Green and a few others.
He has to travel to Minsk – by the way, the producers of film make the mistake of stating that Belarus is in Russia…the latter has great sway over the former, which used to be a Soviet republic, but they are different countries now.
This is where we see the hero in action for the first time and he kills with expected ease a Mexican hired gun and his acolytes, understanding that he is actually the target and this was a trap.
The skilled assassin uses a drilling machine to extract the truth from his archenemy, but he does not see at this point who is after him.
Duncan Visla has chosen a remote location, in the woods, where he has a cabin, takes a lovely little dog – Belgian bulldog. – which he kills in one of his nightmares during which he accidentally fires his gun.
He has found an interesting, if evidently traumatized neighbor, and he gets close to her, allowing an unexpected turn of events to change the tables, right near the end where friend becomes foe.
The film is bizarre and indeed cartoonish in that the team sent to eliminate the alleged best killer of them all is composed of some frenetic sadists, but a sane mind would not trust those people at all.
In the same way in which 007 could never be a real agent, for he is too obvious and attracts the attention where in real life he must blend in, these lunatics are so conspicuous as to be more of a group of crazies than a hit squad.
The well-prepared Dark Kaiser makes the mistake of engaging with one of the woman in the killing team, she has sex with him and during their very active embraces, and the other lunatics start shooting.
The hero escapes…obviously.
He is sent down by a former friend though…Porter aka Richard Dreyfuss.
In the torture that follows, Blut cuts the protagonist for Three Days!
Why not try to escape on the first day, instead of waiting for exhaustion and terrible trauma?
Anyway, the way to watch is would be to go along for the ride, not use the analytic functions of the mind too much, if at all.
Eight out of 10
Madds Mikkelsen is such a formidable, outstanding actor that he can carry a film to incredible levels.
Nonetheless, Polar is not this cinephile’s genre and as such, it seems impossible for a cinematic God to make it worthwhile.
If anyone can, it would be Mikkelsen.
Matt Lucas is another extraordinary artist that has the role of the villain in this motion picture.
I would rather see him anytime in Little Britain, a fantastic comedy series where he is amazing.
Madds Mikkelsen is Duncan Vizla aka the Dark Kaiser, a former assassin with incredible skills.
Therefore, we have been in this territory so many times before and no matter what stunts, supernatural powers are brought into play, there is a sense of déjà vu.
Forced to retire, the former killer is called upon to eliminate another murderer who has taken out former colleagues of the protagonist
They have worked for an agency; a nefarious company controlled by the ultimate monster, Blut aka Matt Lucas.
His plan is to benefit from the insurance plans of his ex- employees, in the case of Duncan, the sum owed is eight million dollars.
Michael Green aka Johnny Knoxville is terminated in the opening scenes, but it is an inside job.
The Dark Kaiser is told that Blut relies on his famous skills to take revenge for the killing of Green and a few others.
He has to travel to Minsk – by the way, the producers of film make the mistake of stating that Belarus is in Russia…the latter has great sway over the former, which used to be a Soviet republic, but they are different countries now.
This is where we see the hero in action for the first time and he kills with expected ease a Mexican hired gun and his acolytes, understanding that he is actually the target and this was a trap.
The skilled assassin uses a drilling machine to extract the truth from his archenemy, but he does not see at this point who is after him.
Duncan Visla has chosen a remote location, in the woods, where he has a cabin, takes a lovely little dog – Belgian bulldog. – which he kills in one of his nightmares during which he accidentally fires his gun.
He has found an interesting, if evidently traumatized neighbor, and he gets close to her, allowing an unexpected turn of events to change the tables, right near the end where friend becomes foe.
The film is bizarre and indeed cartoonish in that the team sent to eliminate the alleged best killer of them all is composed of some frenetic sadists, but a sane mind would not trust those people at all.
In the same way in which 007 could never be a real agent, for he is too obvious and attracts the attention where in real life he must blend in, these lunatics are so conspicuous as to be more of a group of crazies than a hit squad.
The well-prepared Dark Kaiser makes the mistake of engaging with one of the woman in the killing team, she has sex with him and during their very active embraces, and the other lunatics start shooting.
The hero escapes…obviously.
He is sent down by a former friend though…Porter aka Richard Dreyfuss.
In the torture that follows, Blut cuts the protagonist for Three Days!
Why not try to escape on the first day, instead of waiting for exhaustion and terrible trauma?
Anyway, the way to watch is would be to go along for the ride, not use the analytic functions of the mind too much, if at all.
March 20, 2019
"It'll kill your inner demons."
Dull. I think the artist chose style over substance as there is very little dialogue, and the art just seemed like a poor knock-off/try hard of Frank Millers Sin City, I read this off of the back of the Netflix movie...I wont be reading anymore...1 🌟
Dull. I think the artist chose style over substance as there is very little dialogue, and the art just seemed like a poor knock-off/try hard of Frank Millers Sin City, I read this off of the back of the Netflix movie...I wont be reading anymore...1 🌟
July 9, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
The mere thought of being involved in an organization where you’re sworn to secrecy can be quite scary today when you know that there are people out there that have done things against their own will that wouldn’t exactly fall within the parameters of the law. To even escape such commitments seems just as impossible as the risks are too high for an organization to let you leave with valuable knowledge. However, if you have a particular set of skills that allow you to do things that no one else could, retirement might, in fact, be a possibility.
What is Polar: Came from the Cold about? Centered around the world’s deadliest spy, known under the name of Black Kaiser, this 2012 webcomic and series of graphic novels tell the story of an international hitman whose being pulled out of retirement following an assassination attempt on his life while he’s happily indulging his freedom. The only way for him to return to his peaceful hermit routine is to either put an end to those seeking to kill him, including a torture expert and a seductive but deadly redhead, or to fall into their hands and die.
As much as you’d like this story to offer something innovative in terms of action or noir fiction, it, unfortunately, revisits the classic tropes of the genre while honouring predecessors who have nailed the creation of the perfect spy. In this first volume of a total of five works, readers get to enjoy the unstoppable wrath of a legendary spy and quickly understand what makes the Black Kaiser so powerful. With little to no dialogues to go with the artwork, the story is also extremely straight-forward with quasi-inexistent intrigue as Víctor Santos quickly establishes the protagonist’s invulnerability to just about everything.
It’s safe to say that the artwork wins over the story in this series as the author privileges a style over substance approach. Not only does he play with only three colours—orange, white and black—he also has a minimalistic visual style that focuses on juxtaposition, especially with shadows and blood splatters. His artwork also greatly complements his fast-paced action sequences as the reader is inclined to dissect each panel to fully appreciate the visual story-telling. The silent art thus favors an easy and simple read without breaking new ground.
Polar: Came from the Cold is an homage to spy tales with a classic story of survival articulated through staggering tricoloured artwork.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy for review!
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
January 22, 2019
If Miller's Sin City had a stylish baby with an Old Man Logan graphic novel... well, not sure how that would work, but I like to think it would turn out like this book. There are a lot of cool things (we get some nice snowy landscapes, and even one of those badass corridor fight scenes *Oldboy flashbacks* filled with a striking "Pollock-ish" blood everywhere). I must say the visual style and lack of dialogue make it a bit confusing to follow sometimes (luckily for the sleepy readers, the protagonist has an eye patch, so it's easy to distinguish him from the mess).
An entertaining "read", with some gorgeous and bloody bits - 3.5/5 stars.
(If there is ever a movie on this, I just hope we get creepy Elijah Wood back, with his terrifying smile)
An entertaining "read", with some gorgeous and bloody bits - 3.5/5 stars.
(If there is ever a movie on this, I just hope we get creepy Elijah Wood back, with his terrifying smile)
April 2, 2020
Enjoyed this thriller!
I liked the Netflix version of Polar. Which LED me to this story. Tough to kill this senior citizen! Loved the art and the characters. Looking for more Polar stories.☺
I liked the Netflix version of Polar. Which LED me to this story. Tough to kill this senior citizen! Loved the art and the characters. Looking for more Polar stories.☺
March 23, 2014
Polar: Came From The Cold jumps right into the action and doesn't let up until the very end. In an unusual form factor for a graphic novel, the stark images leap off the page. It's a visceral and satisfying read.
An older man and a woman are in a snowbound cabin as assassins creep up on him. We learn that he is a former agent known as Black Kaiser. We also learn pretty early on that he is not easy to kill. But his former employers at the Damocles Agency are determined and relentless. Black Kaiser is kidnapped and tortured at one point. If he gets away is for you to find out.
The art by Victor Santos is striking. It's reminiscent of Frank Miller's Sin City work. Blocky, abstract, minimal color. Some of the full page works are genius. The story is not new, but serves as a vehicle here to deliver great art. That's not a bad tradeoff in my opinion.
I was given a copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to read this striking and artistic graphic novel.
An older man and a woman are in a snowbound cabin as assassins creep up on him. We learn that he is a former agent known as Black Kaiser. We also learn pretty early on that he is not easy to kill. But his former employers at the Damocles Agency are determined and relentless. Black Kaiser is kidnapped and tortured at one point. If he gets away is for you to find out.
The art by Victor Santos is striking. It's reminiscent of Frank Miller's Sin City work. Blocky, abstract, minimal color. Some of the full page works are genius. The story is not new, but serves as a vehicle here to deliver great art. That's not a bad tradeoff in my opinion.
I was given a copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to read this striking and artistic graphic novel.
September 9, 2025
Polar by Victor Santos.
Originally a webcomic with no dialogue, rereleased by Dark Horse and with dialogue, but barely. Polar tells the story of deadly spy called Black Kaiser a Hitman who is retired but called back to action when his formeren group tries to kill him. Victor Santos has a style very Frank Miller like, its like Sin City, lots of Black and white and red, and a very similair style. I also saw flashes from Francesco Francavilla in coloring as the colors play a huge part in the story telling aswell. I was planning to read only one of the Hardcovers, but blasted through all the four i have. This was killer stuff !!!! I really dig that Santos does everything himself, coloring, artwork, story, everything. Love it.
Originally a webcomic with no dialogue, rereleased by Dark Horse and with dialogue, but barely. Polar tells the story of deadly spy called Black Kaiser a Hitman who is retired but called back to action when his formeren group tries to kill him. Victor Santos has a style very Frank Miller like, its like Sin City, lots of Black and white and red, and a very similair style. I also saw flashes from Francesco Francavilla in coloring as the colors play a huge part in the story telling aswell. I was planning to read only one of the Hardcovers, but blasted through all the four i have. This was killer stuff !!!! I really dig that Santos does everything himself, coloring, artwork, story, everything. Love it.
June 12, 2021
Entertaining use of red, black, and white, with red becoming blood through many panels of this violent artwork. I enjoyed the drawing of the highly stylized older secret agent. The story was pretty basic.
January 24, 2019
I read it completely out of curiosity because Netflix is releasing a movie based on this...
The reader is immediately drawn into the action. no premises, no introductions, the story will suck you in.
The visceral images and art will keep you glued to the pages until you turn the last page and you’re immediately ready to dive into the second volume of the series.
The reader is immediately drawn into the action. no premises, no introductions, the story will suck you in.
The visceral images and art will keep you glued to the pages until you turn the last page and you’re immediately ready to dive into the second volume of the series.
December 28, 2013
I'm not sure what I'm going to rate this yet. I liked it, quite a bit actually, but it was missing something that couldn't make it completely thrill me. The art is superb and what I liked the most. It is abstract in many ways with lots of angles but also contains some detailed drawings. Red is used for a purpose. Some pages are covered in red, others may have a tiny splotch such as a drop of blood or a woman's high heels. Red is used for different reasons such as: sex, blood, violence, anger, emotions and sound. This is a book one could read more than once to just appreciate the art. Storywise, it was not what I expected for a thriller/spy story. The book is almost wordless and I've actually found out was originally completely wordless, with the author adding text for this new hardcover edition. Therefore the text is sparse and contains only dialogue, or inner thoughts. This can be confusing at times, takes a while to really figure out what is going on and of course means little character development. I was greatly intrigued with the story though. I'm not a big fan of wordless comics and that's my downfall with the book, overall. It took too much thinking on my part to "get" everything that was happening; having to reread some pages over and over before turning to the next. But in the end, I understood the whole thing, am fascinated with the main character and absolutely love the artwork. As you can see, I've come to a decision on my rating :-)
October 13, 2014
It's what the bastard love child of Frank Miller and Genndy Tartakovsky would look like. Simple yet satisfying spy tale filled with all the sex and violence a guy like me could hope for. The Black Kaiser is an old school spy being hunted by a variety of lethal "Bond" type villains that still manages to make time to knock boots with a couple a tramps between dodging bullets. Really a stunning piece of work. Victor's page layouts are outstanding. Buy this one for the black, white, and red artwork alone. Hope to see more of Victor's Black Kaiser down the road.
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January 29, 2019
Pretty bad. The artwork is a ripoff of Eduardo Risso and Frank Miller and the best that can be said for it is that it's largely incoherent. Don't know what prompted someone to want to turn this into a movie (with Mads Mikkelsen as the Black Kaiser), even if it is a Netflix original.**Update 1/29**Watched the movie over the weekend and it, too, is amazingly bad. This is one of the strangest "comic adapted to a movie" combos I've ever come across...
January 24, 2019
While this features some decent (if derivative) artwork -- kind of a cross between Frank Miller and Darwyn Cooke -- and kinetic action scenes, it never manages to transcend the half-baked tough guy dialogue, the strained attempts at coolness, or the rampant misogyny that permeates nearly every page featuring a female character. Worth a look just for the art, but ultimately forgettable.
May 2, 2019
An enjoyable and straightforward forward tale told with searing artwork. A book to be held and read several times in a row. I will definitely pick up the next two in the series and may give the film a shot.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/04/26/po...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/04/26/po...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
May 7, 2020
The Black Kaiser is an invincible hit man who somebody wants dead. That is about as deep as he story ever gets, and the artwork, when it is not openly referencing Frank Miller’s Sin City or Eduardo Risso’s 100 Bullets, is too weirdly composed to actually make sense of. There is something good buried in here, but you really have to look for it.
June 10, 2018
Striking art! Amazed at how much can be conveyed with this style and layout. Hoping that volumes 2 and 3 provide more depth to the story. It seems volume 1 is the introduction. 5 stars for art, 3.5 for story.
August 7, 2020
No sabía nada de este libro de Víctor Santos hasta que llegó su adaptación en Netflix -muy entretenida y con Mads Mikkelsen en el rol principal, lo que siempre suma puntos- y aproveché que un amigo hace muy poco lo vendía a muy buen precio (originalmente se publicó cómo webcomic gratuito y creo que todavía se encuentra en la Web). Polar es la historia de Black Kaiser, un asesino a sueldo retirado que un buen día se desayuna con que se le vienen encima un montón de colegas con la poco sana intención de asesinarlo. Pero hay una razón por la que Black Kaiser era tan bueno en lo suyo: es endemoniadamente difícil de matar. El argumento de Santos es por completo lineal -más sencillo, incluso, que el de la película que lo adapta- pero quizá por eso enteramente contundente. Black Kaiser irá trepando en la cadena alimenticia de asesinos hasta enterarse de por qué quieren matarlo y eliminando todo lo que se cruce en su camino con particular contundencia, la misma contundencia gráfica que tiene Santos a la hora de ilustrar sus peripecias. Es de esas veces que lo que más importa no es lo que se cuenta sino como se cuenta, por el poder de Santos -en blanco, negro y rojo, una de las tantas cosas que remiten a Frank Miller en el libro- está en sus lápices, sus tintas, sus impresionantes secuencias de acción, sus peleas y tiroteos. No queda sólo en eso, no. Hay hasta poesía -de la visual pero también de la narrativa- en este asesino lacónico y tuerto, de pocas palabras pero muchas municiones, una que entusiasma y dan ganas de reencontrarlo en nuevas aventuras (que desconozco si Santos llevó a cabo alguna vez).
March 11, 2021
An old assassin tries to retire and a mysterious groups want to kill him. But they cannot, because old assassins cannot be killed, just bloodied. Also, old assassins get to have sex with any women they meet so long as the women are 1/2 their age or less, which they all are. Old assassins also visit people they know from their old life and those people get sweaty after the old assassin shows up and most of the time wind up dead shortly there after. The old assassin doesn't say much, but what he does say is 90% cliché and always said through gritted teeth. The old assassin in this book looks like he was lifted from Sin City or one of the many comics it inspired, which is fine because it was the only redeeming quality of this book.
This was a very quick read, but that does not mean it was worth it. There are better version of this story out there where there are any stakes at all.
This was a very quick read, but that does not mean it was worth it. There are better version of this story out there where there are any stakes at all.
November 16, 2024
“Polar Volume 1: Came From the Cold” is a stylish little comic about a former Cold War assassin named Black Kaiser that finds himself being hunted down by his former employer. The art is done in black, white, and red. There’s a lot of machismo, guns, blood, and sex.
This story didn’t really do it for me. The story just seems so generic. There is so little dialogue, it is almost difficult understanding what the actual plot is (besides spies killing spies). At least it was a quick read and the art was interesting.
This story didn’t really do it for me. The story just seems so generic. There is so little dialogue, it is almost difficult understanding what the actual plot is (besides spies killing spies). At least it was a quick read and the art was interesting.
December 5, 2017
Mostly silent spy-thriller with art reminiscent of Frank Miller's Sin City. It's mostly black and white except for splashes of red when blood spills or lipstick has been applied. Very stylish, but sometimes hard to follow due to the abstract nature of some panels. Worth a look for fans of action, just don't expect to spend much time reading.
February 28, 2019
Haven’t read Sin City or Darwyn Cooke’s Parker? Read those and then come to this only if you’re really fiending for a three color genre tale. And you may still not like it.
May 6, 2021
In the Frank Miller style (no offense) and fun.
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Polar: Came From The Cold owes a heavy nod to Frank Miller's Sin City: a noirish cold-war era type of spy thriller drawn in two color black and red, with femme fatales and evil villains, hard bitten heroes and a lot of atmosphere. Expect bright red lips or hair on heavy blocky black illustrations and you get the idea of the style.
A deadly spy has retired but finds himself the target of an assassination out of the blue. He must track down the snake to the lair in order eliminate the threat and return to his idyll. But the path is rocky and full of danger, friends will betray, and women will seduce.
If the premise sounds familiar, it shouldn't be surprising. We really have seen this styple over and over. It has all the noir cliches - embittered former anti-hero, buxom 1940s fashioned female temptresses, maniacal villains with quirky characteristics, the hard betray by those once trusted, etc. The story clearly owes a lot of James Bond as much as the artwork owes to Sin City.
Because this was originally a wordless comic, a lot is told in the images. Often, the reader is bombarded by a stylistic page of small squares full of little closeups. It can be a bit confusing. And yet, I did feel that perhaps the dialogue wasn't necessarily needed and more of a nod to 'stupid American audience who need to be told the obvious'. It lost a lot of the quiet feel by having the dialogue in there. And it focused intent that might better have been more nebulous and perhaps better left up to the reader to interpret. That mixture of disingenuous dialogue with ambiguous did bring the experience down for me, admittedly.
As romance is a draw for women, I think noir is the natural draw for men. Putting that into perspective, this is the opposite side of the same coin: a bodice ripper for the male crowd. The art, though well done, was just too Sin City for me - I felt like I was reading Frank Miller's next book rather than an original work by a different artistic. As such, there wasn't anything new added here and I was left a bit disappointed.
There is a lot to see in the book and it bears up to repeated readings due to the graphic nature of the story. But at the same time, neither the plot nor the characters or illustration add anything new that we haven't seen before. Received as an ARC from the publisher.
November 24, 2013
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, primarily for the art. Not that the story is not good, but it is a pretty familiar one by now - older spy who everyone is trying to kill, but amazingly survives and gets revenge (trust me, that's not a spoiler). But the art is what really makes it stand out. There is an obvious Frank Miller influence here, in a very good way. And the fact that this was first published as a "silent" comic is reflected in the images - they definitely tell a story on their own. It's all very, well, graphic and quite dramatic in just black, white and red. The book is worth a look for the stylized imagery alone.
March 14, 2018
This book is a love child of Jim Steranko and Frank Miller. The story is sort of a trope, old grizzled spy veteran comes out of retirement to kill a bunch of bad guys. That's pretty much it. I would've given this three stars if it wasn't for the gorgeous art. The art is well...incredible. It's abstract with numerous angles and shades among the detailed drawings. Not only that but the color red is used for a purpose in this book. blood, violence, emotions, sounds, they all have a reason to be colored in red. Definitely a re-read for the art itself a real page turner.
September 2, 2016
frank miller/ steranko/darwyn cooke
January 31, 2019
With the Netflix original film that debuted on January 25th, I figured now would be a great time to check out and review this volume. Being a big fan of Victor Santos’ work, I am surprised at myself that it has taken this long to check out Polar. So, let’s jump right into Volume 1 of Polar: Came from the Cold.
The book, in stark black, white and orange/red, kicks off with a snowy backdrop in the seemingly middle of nowhere, as a team is mobilizing outside, and a seductress is ready to make her move. But things go sideways with a BLAM as the targeted man shows why he is indeed a target. Enter the Black Kaiser, one of the world’s deadliest hitmen who merely wanted to retire. But the organization he worked for last is out to tie up loose ends, which includes eliminating the Kaiser. But that is far easier said than done, as there is a reason the man is a legend in the underground.
Santos crafts a pulp story full of action, intrigue, and tons of blood. More to that, he shows how to expertly use the comic book medium to tell one hell of a tale. Crafted in landscape format, the book looks and feels different than most books on the shelves. I would call it a cross between Sin City and John Wick, which is a fantastic thing to be. The use of angles, zoom shots, silhouettes, and more gives the book a very cinematic feel to it, which makes for a delightful read.
The Black Kaiser is one of those tough as nail characters you want to see win, despite the impossible odds. He is an artist when it comes to the art of death, and it shows. Going up the ladder to who pulled his card, the Kaiser is in for the fight of his life.
I hope the Netflix film lives up to this incredible book, and from the looks of the trailer, it looks to be ready to hit its mark. Polar is one of the best action comics I have read, and one of the best examples of a master of his craft at work in the comic book art form.
The book, in stark black, white and orange/red, kicks off with a snowy backdrop in the seemingly middle of nowhere, as a team is mobilizing outside, and a seductress is ready to make her move. But things go sideways with a BLAM as the targeted man shows why he is indeed a target. Enter the Black Kaiser, one of the world’s deadliest hitmen who merely wanted to retire. But the organization he worked for last is out to tie up loose ends, which includes eliminating the Kaiser. But that is far easier said than done, as there is a reason the man is a legend in the underground.
Santos crafts a pulp story full of action, intrigue, and tons of blood. More to that, he shows how to expertly use the comic book medium to tell one hell of a tale. Crafted in landscape format, the book looks and feels different than most books on the shelves. I would call it a cross between Sin City and John Wick, which is a fantastic thing to be. The use of angles, zoom shots, silhouettes, and more gives the book a very cinematic feel to it, which makes for a delightful read.
The Black Kaiser is one of those tough as nail characters you want to see win, despite the impossible odds. He is an artist when it comes to the art of death, and it shows. Going up the ladder to who pulled his card, the Kaiser is in for the fight of his life.
I hope the Netflix film lives up to this incredible book, and from the looks of the trailer, it looks to be ready to hit its mark. Polar is one of the best action comics I have read, and one of the best examples of a master of his craft at work in the comic book art form.
August 4, 2021
Reread this thriller to get ready for three hardback editions of:
I will pick up
and then come back and get Vol 1 in hardback as well. The hardbacks all look and feel great. The best way to read a Victor Santos thriller!
This brought back great memories. Tons of tough guy action. Going to re-watch the Netflix movie as well. Highly recommended!
I will pick up
and then come back and get Vol 1 in hardback as well. The hardbacks all look and feel great. The best way to read a Victor Santos thriller!
This brought back great memories. Tons of tough guy action. Going to re-watch the Netflix movie as well. Highly recommended!
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