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British Ice
In this gripping Arctic-noir mystery, a whistleblowing diplomat grapples with the legacy of colonialism, far from the eyes of the world.
Working for the British High Commission, Harrison Fleet is posted to a remote arctic island which is still, inexplicably, under British rule. As he struggles to understand why, and what interests he is protecting, Harrison learns just how much of the land and its community lies in the shadow cast by the outpost's founder.
Caught between hostile locals, the British Government, and an unforgiving physical environment, he begins dragging dark secrets into the light, unaware of the tragic repercussions they will cause. And help is very, very far away.
Part noir, part historical mystery, British Ice explores the consequences of colonialism and the legacy of empire.
Working for the British High Commission, Harrison Fleet is posted to a remote arctic island which is still, inexplicably, under British rule. As he struggles to understand why, and what interests he is protecting, Harrison learns just how much of the land and its community lies in the shadow cast by the outpost's founder.
Caught between hostile locals, the British Government, and an unforgiving physical environment, he begins dragging dark secrets into the light, unaware of the tragic repercussions they will cause. And help is very, very far away.
Part noir, part historical mystery, British Ice explores the consequences of colonialism and the legacy of empire.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2020
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158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 7, 2021
I loved the cover and the overall graphic style so I wanted to fall in love with this book. In the end I did not, because the plot is not original or even interesting.
Some of the drawings are really soothing in their minimalistic style. What I loved about this work are the large landscape panels and the overall design choices. Real eye-candy.
People’s faces and expressions, on the other hand, are not the author’s forte.
The dialogues are fluid and well-paced, although, as I said, I found the story to be bland and uninteresting. Maybe if the book had been more about the art and if there were more of those silent moments with the various characters living in the Arctic and much, much less dialogue, “British Ice” might have carved itself a specific and original place.
But as bland as the story is, it has a ton of dialogue, to the point that the speech bubbles often hide some crucial graphic elements.
And most importantly, as it is, the story is a simple mystery that we all have heard before 1,000 times. I have the utmost respect for anyone who finds the energy and time to create a graphic novel, but unfortunately this one was not for me.
Some of the drawings are really soothing in their minimalistic style. What I loved about this work are the large landscape panels and the overall design choices. Real eye-candy.
People’s faces and expressions, on the other hand, are not the author’s forte.
The dialogues are fluid and well-paced, although, as I said, I found the story to be bland and uninteresting. Maybe if the book had been more about the art and if there were more of those silent moments with the various characters living in the Arctic and much, much less dialogue, “British Ice” might have carved itself a specific and original place.
But as bland as the story is, it has a ton of dialogue, to the point that the speech bubbles often hide some crucial graphic elements.
And most importantly, as it is, the story is a simple mystery that we all have heard before 1,000 times. I have the utmost respect for anyone who finds the energy and time to create a graphic novel, but unfortunately this one was not for me.
August 1, 2020
A melancholy look at the echoes of British imperialism and colonialism, this book is set on an imagined island in the Arctic circle where a single British agent is assigned to sit in a solitary house removed from the indigenous population to maintain token sovereignty over a land that must surely have some value greater to that remote government than the people who actually live there.
The newest agent is Harrison Fleet, and he must deal with the dark legacy of his country as he copes with the equally dark legacy of his own father.
There are hints of supernatural elements, but mostly as a coping mechanisms to rationalize the nasty truth of what occurred on this little cold rock a century before.
I like the clever cover and interesting set-up, but the execution is marred with too many stumbles. There is a lot of atmospheric mood, and I was initially intrigued by where the story might be going, but the actual plot unfolds first too slowly and then too abruptly. Overall, more things were left intimated than actually shown to be really satisfying.
The newest agent is Harrison Fleet, and he must deal with the dark legacy of his country as he copes with the equally dark legacy of his own father.
There are hints of supernatural elements, but mostly as a coping mechanisms to rationalize the nasty truth of what occurred on this little cold rock a century before.
I like the clever cover and interesting set-up, but the execution is marred with too many stumbles. There is a lot of atmospheric mood, and I was initially intrigued by where the story might be going, but the actual plot unfolds first too slowly and then too abruptly. Overall, more things were left intimated than actually shown to be really satisfying.
January 11, 2020
Meh. If you want to challenge colonialism, there are lots of true stories that are in dire need of being told. No need to invent an imaginary Arctic island. Just came across as pretentious and preachy to me. Lazy too.
May 12, 2020
Here's the thing: if you're going to tell a story about how colonialism is bad, the hero of that story cannot be the white dude showing up on colonized land.
The story is spooky and feels like it could be real, which isn't a credit so much to the author as it is to all the extremely fucked up things done by the British Empire and the men that used its power as a weapon.
Only one of the indigenous people in this book is given any real dialog and has a name, but it's not even her name, just "as close as English can get" to her name. She ends up shooting other indigenous people to save the white guy who ends up "making things right", because apparently it would've been impossible to write a story about indigenous people saving themselves. The speech Fleet gives at the end is peek white savoirism, and makes it clear who and what Pomery prioritizes. This book needed a good editor and a patient sensitivity reader and even then it probably wouldn't have been salvageable. As it is, it reinforces racist stereotypes and colonialist mindsets about indigenous people being savage and mystical, so it manages to not do anything Pomery apparently set out to do.
Art is stiff and characters nearly impossible to tell apart (which is another wildly racist problem), pacing is alright. Pomery just frankly doesn't have the skill, training, or sensitivity to pull this off, but probably could've made a decent horror story.
The story is spooky and feels like it could be real, which isn't a credit so much to the author as it is to all the extremely fucked up things done by the British Empire and the men that used its power as a weapon.
Only one of the indigenous people in this book is given any real dialog and has a name, but it's not even her name, just "as close as English can get" to her name. She ends up shooting other indigenous people to save the white guy who ends up "making things right", because apparently it would've been impossible to write a story about indigenous people saving themselves. The speech Fleet gives at the end is peek white savoirism, and makes it clear who and what Pomery prioritizes. This book needed a good editor and a patient sensitivity reader and even then it probably wouldn't have been salvageable. As it is, it reinforces racist stereotypes and colonialist mindsets about indigenous people being savage and mystical, so it manages to not do anything Pomery apparently set out to do.
Art is stiff and characters nearly impossible to tell apart (which is another wildly racist problem), pacing is alright. Pomery just frankly doesn't have the skill, training, or sensitivity to pull this off, but probably could've made a decent horror story.
February 16, 2020
British Ice could be renamed Colonialism Is Bad. There's a moderately diverting mystery here, as Harrison Fleet, a flunky for the British High Commission, is posted to a remote Arctic island and discovers strange events afoot. The cold, simple art perfectly suits a gloomy story set at the top of the world. A few scenes surprised and the mystery of why Britain is so dang interested in this island is fairly involving.
Unfortunately, the author takes real pains to hammer home the notion that colonialism was and is a terrible thing for the native peoples of the world. Sure, yeah, of course it's bad! But maybe reel it in a little so we can have some fun.
Unfortunately, the author takes real pains to hammer home the notion that colonialism was and is a terrible thing for the native peoples of the world. Sure, yeah, of course it's bad! But maybe reel it in a little so we can have some fun.
February 28, 2020
Should have been longer and slower. Felt a bit empty. Great environments, poor character art. Worth reading, though.
July 21, 2021
It was a quick read, because this book is in graphic novel format. I wouldn’t be surprised if the events that plays out in this graphic novel was inspired by true story.
April 4, 2024
This book could have been 200 pages longer. It had the tone nailed: haunting and mysterious. The story was fascinating and entirely new to me—just another example of the problematic nature of capitalism.
It just went so fast. Some of the characters, especially the indigenous people on the island, were not fully realized, which is ironic for an anticolonial book. A lot more could have been done to draw out the mystery some. I would have loved to see more about other colonial parallelisms, like Harrison’s father’s time in the Indian Ocean colonies.
In short, a good idea with some quality art, but it felt rushed and incomplete. A much longer, more thorough story would have been better.
It just went so fast. Some of the characters, especially the indigenous people on the island, were not fully realized, which is ironic for an anticolonial book. A lot more could have been done to draw out the mystery some. I would have loved to see more about other colonial parallelisms, like Harrison’s father’s time in the Indian Ocean colonies.
In short, a good idea with some quality art, but it felt rushed and incomplete. A much longer, more thorough story would have been better.
March 13, 2021
This graphic novel is historical fiction. It is not a true story per se, but it is inspired by very real colonial trends of violence and exploitation. There are currently (March 2021) fourteen British Overseas Territories with a collective population of about 250,000 people.
A British man, Harrison Fleet, is sent to a remote Arctic island that is technically still under British rule, and has been since an explorer landed there in 1890. He’s the new commissioner—his predecessor having mysteriously vanished. The locals are understandably not fans of the government he represents. A Canadian expat asks him, “Do you think they are enjoying or care about the benefits of the Queen’s benevolent generosity?” Harrison later states, “I’m a commissioner, I try to fix places, not people.” But communities are made of people, and he’s stepped into a community, not simply a barren waste.
Not everyone is as icy towards Harrison as the landscape, and with the scraps of information he garners from a few individuals plus his curious nature he manages to piece together some of the island’s past. If he represented a threat to the locals before, he represents an even larger one now. “They have survived by virtue of the fact that they have nothing economic to offer, but it means they are given no help either. They live on a knife’s edge. If they are useful, they will be exploited, if they are in the way, they will be disposed of.” Where will Harrison’s moral compass guide him?
The color scheme lends the novel much of its atmosphere. Another detail that struck me was how small and easily missed the time stamps were. “Day 49” in small font tucked into an upper corner in white on a pale blue background is easily missed. But that’s stylistically fitting: Harrison’s days blur together, one much like the others, so knowing what day it is isn’t particularly significant. And in such a vast landscape, where a person could so easily lose their bearings, it makes sense to make this information easily missable for the reader.
A British man, Harrison Fleet, is sent to a remote Arctic island that is technically still under British rule, and has been since an explorer landed there in 1890. He’s the new commissioner—his predecessor having mysteriously vanished. The locals are understandably not fans of the government he represents. A Canadian expat asks him, “Do you think they are enjoying or care about the benefits of the Queen’s benevolent generosity?” Harrison later states, “I’m a commissioner, I try to fix places, not people.” But communities are made of people, and he’s stepped into a community, not simply a barren waste.
Not everyone is as icy towards Harrison as the landscape, and with the scraps of information he garners from a few individuals plus his curious nature he manages to piece together some of the island’s past. If he represented a threat to the locals before, he represents an even larger one now. “They have survived by virtue of the fact that they have nothing economic to offer, but it means they are given no help either. They live on a knife’s edge. If they are useful, they will be exploited, if they are in the way, they will be disposed of.” Where will Harrison’s moral compass guide him?
The color scheme lends the novel much of its atmosphere. Another detail that struck me was how small and easily missed the time stamps were. “Day 49” in small font tucked into an upper corner in white on a pale blue background is easily missed. But that’s stylistically fitting: Harrison’s days blur together, one much like the others, so knowing what day it is isn’t particularly significant. And in such a vast landscape, where a person could so easily lose their bearings, it makes sense to make this information easily missable for the reader.
October 23, 2020
Unsettling story that highlights the modern effects of colonialism in a small, quickly digestible story. The simple art and colors work very well, apart from white text on very light backgrounds. I would read more by this creator.
February 18, 2024
A very cool (pun intended) and sensitive mystery set in the Arctic. A British commissioner is sent to an Inuit-ish community in an icy, isolated British colony to find out what happened to a former commish and his crew who mysteriously disappeared. In his confinement, he then contends with the exploitation of this land and others by the Crown, and recognizes his own complicity.
The art is stark and inky, with pale palettes depicting changes in timelines and memory. The story is fictitious, but not really, as it pointedly resembles similar real life events in British Overseas territories.
The art is stark and inky, with pale palettes depicting changes in timelines and memory. The story is fictitious, but not really, as it pointedly resembles similar real life events in British Overseas territories.
January 4, 2021
Quite disappointing. A lot of the intrigue built up slowly in the first part of the book is squandered with a bafflingly fast paced conclusion full of cliché and actions driven by what the plot necessitated rather than any earned character development.
July 30, 2022
hey guys, did you know that colonialism is bad?? well it is, but maybe if we get enough nice white people together, we can fix it. :))
honestly, the concept was kinda cool but this is a little white savior-y. art was good, though.
honestly, the concept was kinda cool but this is a little white savior-y. art was good, though.
December 28, 2022
This is such a shitty, white saviour narrative of a book that reeks of the revisionism that whîte people think of when they contemplate on their history of brutal colonialism.
The beliefs of the indigenous people of this fictional island, which is based on real beliefs of the Indigenous people of Canada is mocked and belittled. The depiction of graphic violence which did actually happen all over the Arctic under British rule is brushed aside and hidden and this IS FRAMED AS A GOOD THING.
Then, the British commissioner doesn’t actually exposes the violence of colonialism or do any actual work to offset the harm that his own family committed and this is framed as a very heroic endeavour.
And finally, in the epilogue of this FICTIONAL book, the island is gifted to the colonial state of Canada. Because even in fiction they cannot let go of their neocolonialism.
Horrible HORRIBLE book.
The beliefs of the indigenous people of this fictional island, which is based on real beliefs of the Indigenous people of Canada is mocked and belittled. The depiction of graphic violence which did actually happen all over the Arctic under British rule is brushed aside and hidden and this IS FRAMED AS A GOOD THING.
Then, the British commissioner doesn’t actually exposes the violence of colonialism or do any actual work to offset the harm that his own family committed and this is framed as a very heroic endeavour.
And finally, in the epilogue of this FICTIONAL book, the island is gifted to the colonial state of Canada. Because even in fiction they cannot let go of their neocolonialism.
Horrible HORRIBLE book.
February 14, 2020
Brilliantly written, showing the stark contrast of humanity, greed and indigenous people and the effect of cruel treatment and the efforts of ones moral compass.
May 17, 2021
There's no way a white person hailing from an empire can or should publish something like this without taking flak for it--but on the other hand, it is every creator's responsibility to acknowledge the subject matter of imperialism and colonialism and address it as problematic. Pomery accomplishes this, and he takes on the task of speaking *to* others from the colonialist legacy.
This is a book written by someone from a colonialist culture TO someone from a colonialist culture. The anti-colonialist themes are heavy-handed and the protagonist is a white man because this is the best way to communicate with readers who need to learn.
Are indigenous people and women in particular portrayed as casualties of colonialism, both historically and in the present/modern time of the book? Absolutely. But the point isn't to glorify their suffering: it's to demonstrate that colonialism's problematic effects are generationally traumatic and far-reaching. Additionally, white people are tasked with digging up and re-examining this traumatic past, but then also responsible for the trauma this unearthing causes. Yes, we need to re-examine history, but we also need to understand that doing so publicly will cause harm. Such is not only the story, but the creation of this book.
The story itself could have used more depth. Fleet's a likeable protagonist, but I wanted to learn more about his identity than his heritage and his congenial nature. I enjoyed his love for coffee and his banter with the local children and wanted to see a little more than that.
The landscape and architectural illustrations are fantastic, and having never heard of the author/artist, the clear depiction of a Union Jack breaking up in ice on the cover of the book really appealed to me. I had hoped it was about the deconstruction of colonialism based off the photo, and when the back cover confirmed my suspicions, I bought it. I enjoyed the blue-grey tones of the book, representing the bleakness of the landscape and the situation at hand.
We should encourage creations like this and the conversations they inspire. We need to have them, but also understand that they are harmful for some marginalized people to see.
This is a book written by someone from a colonialist culture TO someone from a colonialist culture. The anti-colonialist themes are heavy-handed and the protagonist is a white man because this is the best way to communicate with readers who need to learn.
Are indigenous people and women in particular portrayed as casualties of colonialism, both historically and in the present/modern time of the book? Absolutely. But the point isn't to glorify their suffering: it's to demonstrate that colonialism's problematic effects are generationally traumatic and far-reaching. Additionally, white people are tasked with digging up and re-examining this traumatic past, but then also responsible for the trauma this unearthing causes. Yes, we need to re-examine history, but we also need to understand that doing so publicly will cause harm. Such is not only the story, but the creation of this book.
The story itself could have used more depth. Fleet's a likeable protagonist, but I wanted to learn more about his identity than his heritage and his congenial nature. I enjoyed his love for coffee and his banter with the local children and wanted to see a little more than that.
The landscape and architectural illustrations are fantastic, and having never heard of the author/artist, the clear depiction of a Union Jack breaking up in ice on the cover of the book really appealed to me. I had hoped it was about the deconstruction of colonialism based off the photo, and when the back cover confirmed my suspicions, I bought it. I enjoyed the blue-grey tones of the book, representing the bleakness of the landscape and the situation at hand.
We should encourage creations like this and the conversations they inspire. We need to have them, but also understand that they are harmful for some marginalized people to see.
January 9, 2023
Post colonial angst in the snow.
February 7, 2021
2.5 stars - CONTAINS SPOILERS
British Ice had a lot of promise for me. The premise seemed super interesting, and I also felt that the art looked beautiful. I was right about those two things. I enjoyed the art style quite a bit, because I overall love the black and white/ blues that the story is drawn in. I also thought that the idea for the book was good. However, I did have a substantial problem with this book.
The story that it tells, of imperialism and the genocide and oppression of indigenous people is a massively important story. It's just not one that can be told in 123 pages, of which most pages don't even have words. The plot and characters were simply not filled out enough, and I felt like the main character didn't have enough time to overcome his imperialist roots and understand the wrongdoings of his father to attempt to right them.
The ending also frustrated me. The main character threatens to expose the atrocities in the British Arctic if the indigenous people are not set free. I felt that for 2021, this was a ridiculous ending. You're attempting to make a statement about telling the story of imperialism, but you decide to have your main character assist in covering up the story? I wasn't sure if that was the correct way to handle this, especially since we find out at the end, that the indigenous people weren't even really freed by this action. The character also harbors no guilt about knowing this information.
The indigenous people in the story are depicted as very violent, and although that depiction is to show how the peoples have reacted to imperialism, I felt that it was a very unfair description. The book focused 0% of its attention on the indigenous culture, which actually could have been interesting, and instead focused on the British side of things, which frankly, is a story that is already wrote.
Finally, I felt that although the concept was actually really cool, it would have been better if in attempting to relate this story, the author had chosen a true story. So many indigenous stories have been ignored, and making up a fake colony does nothing to tell the true story of what happened.
2.5 stars were given for the beautiful art and the intriguing concept. for a graphic novel, the story was also pretty easy to follow and the "plot twists" made sense.
British Ice had a lot of promise for me. The premise seemed super interesting, and I also felt that the art looked beautiful. I was right about those two things. I enjoyed the art style quite a bit, because I overall love the black and white/ blues that the story is drawn in. I also thought that the idea for the book was good. However, I did have a substantial problem with this book.
The story that it tells, of imperialism and the genocide and oppression of indigenous people is a massively important story. It's just not one that can be told in 123 pages, of which most pages don't even have words. The plot and characters were simply not filled out enough, and I felt like the main character didn't have enough time to overcome his imperialist roots and understand the wrongdoings of his father to attempt to right them.
The ending also frustrated me. The main character threatens to expose the atrocities in the British Arctic if the indigenous people are not set free. I felt that for 2021, this was a ridiculous ending. You're attempting to make a statement about telling the story of imperialism, but you decide to have your main character assist in covering up the story? I wasn't sure if that was the correct way to handle this, especially since we find out at the end, that the indigenous people weren't even really freed by this action. The character also harbors no guilt about knowing this information.
The indigenous people in the story are depicted as very violent, and although that depiction is to show how the peoples have reacted to imperialism, I felt that it was a very unfair description. The book focused 0% of its attention on the indigenous culture, which actually could have been interesting, and instead focused on the British side of things, which frankly, is a story that is already wrote.
Finally, I felt that although the concept was actually really cool, it would have been better if in attempting to relate this story, the author had chosen a true story. So many indigenous stories have been ignored, and making up a fake colony does nothing to tell the true story of what happened.
2.5 stars were given for the beautiful art and the intriguing concept. for a graphic novel, the story was also pretty easy to follow and the "plot twists" made sense.
October 5, 2023
The artwork in this graphic novel is great and quite befitting of its settings and plot. But the plot itself isn't that great and needed at least another 100 pages to be done justice to!
"British Ice" is a fictional tale that follows protagonist Harrison Fleet’s tumultuous journey as the new commissioner posted to a remote Arctic island, where he is greeted with a welcome colder than snowfall. The natives hate him, and even the few non-natives aren't the friendliest with him. As Fleet embarks on learning more about the island, he uncovers some shocking secrets and a blood-soaked colonial past. But can one White man undo the wrongs of several decades of oppression?
The stark and simple illustrations instantly making readers feel the chilly, bleak atmosphere of the Arctic islands right from page one. While the graphic novel isn’t vibrant with colors, it also doesn’t adhere to a strict black-and-white palette either. Instead, the illustrations are awash in delicate shades of pale blue and white, mirroring the coldness of both the story’s settings and the treatment Harrison Fleet encounters on the island.
"British Ice" is a fictional tale that follows protagonist Harrison Fleet’s tumultuous journey as the new commissioner posted to a remote Arctic island, where he is greeted with a welcome colder than snowfall. The natives hate him, and even the few non-natives aren't the friendliest with him. As Fleet embarks on learning more about the island, he uncovers some shocking secrets and a blood-soaked colonial past. But can one White man undo the wrongs of several decades of oppression?
The stark and simple illustrations instantly making readers feel the chilly, bleak atmosphere of the Arctic islands right from page one. While the graphic novel isn’t vibrant with colors, it also doesn’t adhere to a strict black-and-white palette either. Instead, the illustrations are awash in delicate shades of pale blue and white, mirroring the coldness of both the story’s settings and the treatment Harrison Fleet encounters on the island.
December 10, 2022
It had a beginning, a middle and an end. The art work was clean and made following the story easy. The characters were introduced properly so I knew who was who and why they were there. The story itself, as a story, was fine.
The problem I had was that the indigenous locals are represented as this nameless mass of resentful and murderous people with the only named one playing the role of the "good native". There's no touching on why they might be unhappy with their British overlords other than the original colonization events from over 100 years ago. Harrison Fleet, the new British Commissioner is something of a nebbish, mild and inoffensive. So the dynamic is this violent bloodthirsty group against our hero, the placid white colonizer. I get what the author was trying to do but there should have been more portrayal of the local village so the reader can get some idea of who they are and what their life is like and how living under a territorial commissioner affects them. Taking more time to show these people as people would have helped.
The problem I had was that the indigenous locals are represented as this nameless mass of resentful and murderous people with the only named one playing the role of the "good native". There's no touching on why they might be unhappy with their British overlords other than the original colonization events from over 100 years ago. Harrison Fleet, the new British Commissioner is something of a nebbish, mild and inoffensive. So the dynamic is this violent bloodthirsty group against our hero, the placid white colonizer. I get what the author was trying to do but there should have been more portrayal of the local village so the reader can get some idea of who they are and what their life is like and how living under a territorial commissioner affects them. Taking more time to show these people as people would have helped.
November 29, 2021
I checked this out without having read anything about it because I loved the author's previous graphic novel, Victory Point and love snowscapes. But overall, this was just meh. Harrison Fleet, a legacy diplomat, is sent from Africa to a fictional territory in the Arctic, something of a spot of bother. The locals aren't pleased and it is something of mystery as to what happened to the previous commissioner.
But the story of the echoes of British colonialism as told from Fleet fell flat. The locals are nameless and brutal. The idea that the the new commissioner is better than times of old just didn't seem like enough. Pomery's artistic strengths lie in the physical world and doesn't add anything to the characters. Skip the story and just flip through to take note of his stark landscapes.
But the story of the echoes of British colonialism as told from Fleet fell flat. The locals are nameless and brutal. The idea that the the new commissioner is better than times of old just didn't seem like enough. Pomery's artistic strengths lie in the physical world and doesn't add anything to the characters. Skip the story and just flip through to take note of his stark landscapes.
July 17, 2021
Over a thousand Indigenous children's bodies were found in Canadian territories this past month.
Oddly enough, the author appears to have researched on the atrocities committed in Canada during colonialism and decided not to choose a location in particular, but rather picked a nonexistent Canadian Arctic island for the story. Mr Fleet is sent to ''supervise'' it, and even though he doesn't understand his mission, it becomes soon apparent that he is there as a ruse to guard a horrible secret.
Reading this story now, with everything that is going on in the news, doesn't seem unlikely at all. The illustrations were simple and easy to follow. However, the story lacked depth. None of the characters were explored enough to cause attachment. Probably due to all the snow filled squares.
Sadly, the attempts to salvage it at the end didn't work for me.
Oddly enough, the author appears to have researched on the atrocities committed in Canada during colonialism and decided not to choose a location in particular, but rather picked a nonexistent Canadian Arctic island for the story. Mr Fleet is sent to ''supervise'' it, and even though he doesn't understand his mission, it becomes soon apparent that he is there as a ruse to guard a horrible secret.
Reading this story now, with everything that is going on in the news, doesn't seem unlikely at all. The illustrations were simple and easy to follow. However, the story lacked depth. None of the characters were explored enough to cause attachment. Probably due to all the snow filled squares.
Sadly, the attempts to salvage it at the end didn't work for me.
February 25, 2023
Recently I had the opportunity to read three graphic novels by Owen D. Pomery:
"Victory Point", "The Victory Motel" and "British Ice".
In that respect, for me, "British Ice" is a completely different tale, full of intrigue, mystery, dread and gorgeous cinematic views. Pomery really excels in those "icyscapes".
While "Victory Point" is a family's tale about belonging and a search for purpose, and "The Victory Motel" is a collection of snapshots/moments in time in the outskirts of Victory Point, "British Ice" takes us to an isolated village, somewhere in a frigid land under British rule.
The story is more dense than the other two novels, and a sense of dread and danger really builds up on the reader. That is definitely an unforgiving place, where anything can happen.
I highly recommend this one.
"Victory Point", "The Victory Motel" and "British Ice".
In that respect, for me, "British Ice" is a completely different tale, full of intrigue, mystery, dread and gorgeous cinematic views. Pomery really excels in those "icyscapes".
While "Victory Point" is a family's tale about belonging and a search for purpose, and "The Victory Motel" is a collection of snapshots/moments in time in the outskirts of Victory Point, "British Ice" takes us to an isolated village, somewhere in a frigid land under British rule.
The story is more dense than the other two novels, and a sense of dread and danger really builds up on the reader. That is definitely an unforgiving place, where anything can happen.
I highly recommend this one.
March 22, 2025
A short read. I’m not sure how much of this is true, but it did spur my imagination and interest in finding out more about the actual events surrounding the British Arctic Territory in the Arctic Circle.
The story itself was a bit simple and heavy handed with its telling - but it’s a bit hard to tell how much was due to it trying to retell inspired historical events rather than poor story telling. I’m actually also not sure which parts of the story are fictional and which aren’t - is The Legacy still part of the story or talking about real world events now? Same with the prologue that introduced the The British Arctic Territory.
I would say the story telling and art is about a 3 stars, but given that I learnt about a new topic and that this was a short read, my experience reading this was about a 4 stars.
The story itself was a bit simple and heavy handed with its telling - but it’s a bit hard to tell how much was due to it trying to retell inspired historical events rather than poor story telling. I’m actually also not sure which parts of the story are fictional and which aren’t - is The Legacy still part of the story or talking about real world events now? Same with the prologue that introduced the The British Arctic Territory.
I would say the story telling and art is about a 3 stars, but given that I learnt about a new topic and that this was a short read, my experience reading this was about a 4 stars.
February 24, 2023
I like the plot, but it's a very stiff book.
The narrative beats move at the right pace, but they don't hit heavy the way they should. Horror elements don't feel like horror, they feel like an inconvenience. The art is good at emphasizing the isolation and the cold, but wasn't able to show the warmth or emotion of its characters.
While strongly anti-colonial, it doesn't flesh out any indigenous people as characters; a common pitfall of stories about a colonial protagonist exploring the tension between the occupiers and the occupied.
Enjoyed the father/son, nation/citizen parallel, and was successful at shining a light on these pockets the British Empire keeps its claws in.
Baller cover too.
The narrative beats move at the right pace, but they don't hit heavy the way they should. Horror elements don't feel like horror, they feel like an inconvenience. The art is good at emphasizing the isolation and the cold, but wasn't able to show the warmth or emotion of its characters.
While strongly anti-colonial, it doesn't flesh out any indigenous people as characters; a common pitfall of stories about a colonial protagonist exploring the tension between the occupiers and the occupied.
Enjoyed the father/son, nation/citizen parallel, and was successful at shining a light on these pockets the British Empire keeps its claws in.
Baller cover too.
April 1, 2024
This doesn't seem to have much to say other than "Colonialism is bad." It's about a British man in their version of the state department. He's sent to a remote island in the Arctic circle in 1984 to maintain British control of it. As you go along you eventually find out what happened before but for such a short book it sure feels like pulling teeth to get there. The story moves so slow. Maybe it's the massive amounts of dialogue instead of showing us things, there's a whole lot of tell instead. I quite liked Pomery's The Hard Switch but this earlier work isn't nearly as good.
July 5, 2020
Erm, odd. It paints itself as an impactful, meaningful story and at first I thought this was nonfiction. But instead, this was a bland tale that could’ve shown the commissioner realizing the past’s woes, learning, sympathizing, following the lead of the people living there... not just him being menaced by shadowy figures and animal corpses as he sits around doing nothing. When he makes the grand discovery of the murders, he doesn’t share the information with the locals, but goes back to England to fight for them? It was just peculiarly written and plotted out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2022
Wow...... Så fucking bra. Hade ingen aning om vad den handlade om och blev absolut inte besviken. Var på väg att gråta lite där på slutet för vad annat kan man göra när man sätts ansikte mot ansikte med lidandet orsakat av brittisk kolonialism??? Väldigt vacker, skickligt berättad och så fucking hemsk. Gillade lilla expositions-texten i slutet och att Harrison i slutändan ändå var en brittisk byråkrat, man kan bara förvänta sig så mycket. Rekommenderar 1000% om du har en timme över.
🎵 Shoals av Palace
🎵 Shoals av Palace
March 20, 2020
Beautifully drawn fictional tale that is a placeholder for so many true events that have happened and many to come in the human colonial/imperial experiment. Leaning on the noir side, the characters are not developed much, and though we know the main character has daddy issues, we never really find out much more about him. The dialog is well done, which keeps the story snappy. Recommended for those who like weird houses, mysteries, and downed planes.
October 11, 2020
I'm a big fan of Owen Pomery's style - I have prints of two of his illustrations hanging on the wall of my office - AND I'm a big fan of bleak, snowy landscapes, so British Ice was right up my alley. This short, grim graphic novel is gorgeously illustrated, with lots of whitespace to conjure up the emptiness of the Arctic wilderness. It also has a pointed argument to make about the lasting, devastating impact of colonialism and greed. A fast, effective, darkly beautiful read.
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