What do you think?
Rate this book
Heathen #9-12
Heathen: Vol. 3
At last Aydis enters the land of the gods, but when she comes face-to-face with the god king Odin, will she be able to sway him? Meanwhile, the friends she's left behind must band with Aydis's family to stop Odin's army, even if it means standing against the Valkyrie themselves.
117 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2020
4 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
December 17, 2021
I have to say this 3rd volume was puzzling to me compared to the first two. The writing wasn't nearly as tight. Plot threads are introduced and then abandoned. The main character Aydis takes a backseat with all of her new friends resolving most things for her. And the final confrontation with Odin is just hand waved away. I know Alterici had some physical ailments that made her bring in another artist, (and Ashley Woods does a very good job of matching styles). Did missed storylines cause Alterici to rush a story out without giving it a 2nd or 3rd pass? I don't know, but this ending doesn't live up to the story of a badass queer viking warrior who was overturning gender roles in the first two volumes.
September 24, 2020
This felt...rushed to me. I didn't even realize this volume was the last in the series - I felt like there was a lot more story that needed to be told, so when it ended I was pretty surprised. I think a lot more *story* should have happened, considering where the last volume left things. The way things went down in this volume didn't feel realistic to me; I was also annoyed that our queer heroine didn't actually get to have a love interest at all, which I normally don't care much about, but considering the fact that her queerness was the focus of why she was originally cast out of her community in the first place, showing the relationship she had that brought that all about, having her meet other queer-coded women throughout the story - and then having nothing happen for her personally, felt odd. The whole third volume just felt like it was missing a bunch of things, and that everything wrapped up way too quickly and easily.
February 3, 2021
An outstanding conclusion for the series. Lives up to the promise of the previous.
August 22, 2022
Vol. 1 ★★★★★
Vol. 2 ★★★★★
Vol. 3 ★★★★☆
Was this ending a little disappointing/anti-climactic? Yes. Was it still a great book that I'm extremely glad I read? Also, yes.
I didn't realize going into this volume that it was the series finale (I guess because I'm so used to most SFF graphic novel series I pick up going on for more than 3 volumes), and I'm wondering if that was the plan at the time of the author creating the first and second volumes, because everything that disappointed me about this volume could be summed up by the same thing: it wasn't long enough! There wasn't enough time to wrap up all the loose ends in one volume, and I wish we could have gotten just one more.
That said, I still adored this series overall and enjoyed this finale very much, so please don't let that dissuade you from reading Heathen! This series has such lovable characters, beautiful artwork, incredible lore, and heartwarming queer rep that I can't help but recommend it so, so highly. Do yourself a favor and spend some time with a badass lesbian viking ♥
✨ Representation: multiple queer and/or BIPOC characters
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
April 24, 2022
Natasha Alterici had do give up drawing Heathen due to carpal tunnel syndrome issues, and while the new artist is fine, the book loses energy, drive, spirit, and appeal. It's a fine ending, but it seems premature and doesn't feel organic with what has come before.
Regardless, I'm grateful for the magic found in the first two volumes.
Regardless, I'm grateful for the magic found in the first two volumes.
November 2, 2023
Aydis is now at the entrance to Heimdall when she is attacked by two giant trolls. During her captivity with them, they reveal that their mother has been kidnapped by Odin and she agrees to go in and try to help her escape. While this is happening Brynhild happens upon the former village of Aydis and is there to help when an invading army attacks. This standoff also throws in Freyja, the female ship crew from the last book, Aydis’s father in addition to her former love. So long as we are including everyone, we get the mythical wolves Skull and Hati, plus Saga the horse in the narrative too. There is a final wrap-up with Aydis, the goddesses and Odin in a feel-good bow. But the troll mother thread was completely forgotten with no resolution!
In real life, Alterici had some health issues with hand pain, so she employed Ashley Woods as the artist for this last volume, and it took some getting used to, although she tried to emulate the established style. She also utilized another letterer, for it had been Rachel Deering for the first two volumes but used Morgan Martinez in this last book. The muted color palette continued along with minimal to no background in the panels.
I have to admit, this last volume really let me down. In addition to the artist changing, the plot fell apart. I’m sure Alterici was fond of many of her background characters, but the way they were all shoved in for no purpose was off-putting. And the huge gap in not wrapping up the troll storyline showed a lack of editing and judgment. But as a whole, I still think very fondly of this series, for I liked the character of Aydis and the idea of fighting back against the patriarchy. I hope to read more from Alterici in the future as she offers a fresh voice and a welcome diversity. (Actual review 2.5/5)
This review (plus V2) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2020/10/0...
In real life, Alterici had some health issues with hand pain, so she employed Ashley Woods as the artist for this last volume, and it took some getting used to, although she tried to emulate the established style. She also utilized another letterer, for it had been Rachel Deering for the first two volumes but used Morgan Martinez in this last book. The muted color palette continued along with minimal to no background in the panels.
I have to admit, this last volume really let me down. In addition to the artist changing, the plot fell apart. I’m sure Alterici was fond of many of her background characters, but the way they were all shoved in for no purpose was off-putting. And the huge gap in not wrapping up the troll storyline showed a lack of editing and judgment. But as a whole, I still think very fondly of this series, for I liked the character of Aydis and the idea of fighting back against the patriarchy. I hope to read more from Alterici in the future as she offers a fresh voice and a welcome diversity. (Actual review 2.5/5)
This review (plus V2) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2020/10/0...
June 15, 2025
The final volume of the title is disappointing. The mostly-empty pages have the feel of a single issue stretched out to fill a volume. Motives are spelled out plainly in a single sentence (the anti-slavers from v2). Plot threads are abandoned (Aydis undertakes to free a troll from Odin's army and then it just doesn't come up again).
It's simple to the point of absurdity. Except for some casual, inoffensive nudity, this reads like a book for grade schoolers. V3 fails to live up to the promise the title had when it began.
Plot points:
It's simple to the point of absurdity. Except for some casual, inoffensive nudity, this reads like a book for grade schoolers. V3 fails to live up to the promise the title had when it began.
Plot points:
April 2, 2021
A huge step down in quality, both artistically and narratively. The change in penciller really hurt the series, but the writing itself could've used better pacing for more satisfying conclusions. The problem with this volume is that it rushes through tying up plot threads, going from plot point to plot point without lead-up or segue. Huge climactic scenes feel flat when they're being rushed through and the art doesn't even seem to try to capture the majesty of some of those scenes. It probably comes down to the fact that Alterici is used to doing her own art, so she's not as good at working with other artists and directing them properly. But whatever the case, the end product feels rushed, and a disservice to the rest of the series.
Would I still recommend the series? Yes, the first few volumes were great and this third one does bring it all together. It's just a shame that now I have to recommend this amazing series with a caveat.
Would I still recommend the series? Yes, the first few volumes were great and this third one does bring it all together. It's just a shame that now I have to recommend this amazing series with a caveat.
February 23, 2021
actual rating: 3.5
Still really like the art style and overall plot of this series but this last volume felt very rushed. Not sure if that was on purpose or if they got cancelled but it seemed like once we hit the last few issues they were just like 'oh boy better wrap it up' and I was like oh is there not going to be any more? Would have liked to see a bit more build up and probably another volume to take care of all the threads that got wrapped up here but overall still a nice little series if you like Norse mythology.
Still really like the art style and overall plot of this series but this last volume felt very rushed. Not sure if that was on purpose or if they got cancelled but it seemed like once we hit the last few issues they were just like 'oh boy better wrap it up' and I was like oh is there not going to be any more? Would have liked to see a bit more build up and probably another volume to take care of all the threads that got wrapped up here but overall still a nice little series if you like Norse mythology.
January 20, 2022
The conclusion to this series is a bit anticlimactic. I was hoping for something a bit more.
May 16, 2022
Weak conclusion to an otherwise strong series
The story was good, but to be honest, this felt rushed and could’ve been told in more issues. So I’m a bit let down that I have to put such a low rating on something that was going so well. While I do love a happy ending, I was also a bit underwhelmed with how it ended. The illustrations were phenomenal, this time with the help of Ashley Woods.
I really am bummed that this volume fell so flat, because this was a fantastic series. Just wished this was a 4 volume set instead of 3 to be able to tell the story better.
The story was good, but to be honest, this felt rushed and could’ve been told in more issues. So I’m a bit let down that I have to put such a low rating on something that was going so well. While I do love a happy ending, I was also a bit underwhelmed with how it ended. The illustrations were phenomenal, this time with the help of Ashley Woods.
I really am bummed that this volume fell so flat, because this was a fantastic series. Just wished this was a 4 volume set instead of 3 to be able to tell the story better.
July 23, 2023
Heathen had so much promise – a feminist, LGBTQ story set within ancient Norse mythology, shown in Alterici’s striking art style with a muted color palette. After a rocky start, Alterici really hit her stride in volume two.
But Heathen comes to a very hasty, scattered conclusion in only four issues. The scant emotional payoff, spread out among multiple storylines, almost undoes all of the good the first two volumes built up.
These inconsistencies could have been resolved with a few more issues or more careful editing – my guess is Alterici wasn’t given enough issues to fully wrap up the story, which is a huge shame.
It doesn’t help that these writing issues are accompanied by a big shift in the art. Due to medical issues, Alterici also had to hand over the art to Woods and Martinez in this final volume. Woods and Martinez do their best to honor Alterici’s original style, but it was different enough that the transition is a bit jarring.
I really love Heathen‘s world and it’s very likely this ending wasn’t fully in Alterici’s control. I hope she’s able to add more to the world in the future; perhaps Alterici and Vault can publish a series of one-shots that help flesh out the finale and these secondary characters. For now, it’s a disappointing conclusion to a series I was starting to feel pretty invested in.
But Heathen comes to a very hasty, scattered conclusion in only four issues. The scant emotional payoff, spread out among multiple storylines, almost undoes all of the good the first two volumes built up.
These inconsistencies could have been resolved with a few more issues or more careful editing – my guess is Alterici wasn’t given enough issues to fully wrap up the story, which is a huge shame.
It doesn’t help that these writing issues are accompanied by a big shift in the art. Due to medical issues, Alterici also had to hand over the art to Woods and Martinez in this final volume. Woods and Martinez do their best to honor Alterici’s original style, but it was different enough that the transition is a bit jarring.
I really love Heathen‘s world and it’s very likely this ending wasn’t fully in Alterici’s control. I hope she’s able to add more to the world in the future; perhaps Alterici and Vault can publish a series of one-shots that help flesh out the finale and these secondary characters. For now, it’s a disappointing conclusion to a series I was starting to feel pretty invested in.
May 19, 2021
A fantastic series that crashed and burned in the final volume. There is so little content here that this literally took me about 15 minutes to read. Either Alterici had no idea how to end this or just didn't care and threw this awful, rushed ending together.
February 28, 2025
Okay, so I wanted to love this. I needed to love this. But Volume 3 just didn’t hit the same. Aydis is still my fierce, queer Viking queen, and yes, I’m still having a full-on gay crisis over Freyja (that will never change), but something about this volume felt... off.
The first two books had this raw, rebellious energy that made me want to grab a sword and yell at the patriarchy. This one felt rushed, like we were sprinting to the finish line instead of letting the story breathe. The ending wrapped things up, sure, but it didn’t land with the emotional punch I was hoping for. I wanted more—more depth, more time with these characters, more oomph.
Don’t get me wrong, the art is still stunning, and I’ll never not love this sapphic, mythology-infused world. But I wish their story had been given the epic finale it deserved.
The first two books had this raw, rebellious energy that made me want to grab a sword and yell at the patriarchy. This one felt rushed, like we were sprinting to the finish line instead of letting the story breathe. The ending wrapped things up, sure, but it didn’t land with the emotional punch I was hoping for. I wanted more—more depth, more time with these characters, more oomph.
Don’t get me wrong, the art is still stunning, and I’ll never not love this sapphic, mythology-infused world. But I wish their story had been given the epic finale it deserved.
March 22, 2022
I did not enjoy the end of this series. The writing and the artwork both seemed lower quality to me. It's not just a "weak" ending, it's like a completely different approach from the first two volumes: over-simplified, like a child was handed a plot summary of what had happened before and was asked to fill in the blanks to how this story might end. Truly puzzling.
March 17, 2023
Ending felt rushed and the plot lines not neatly linked. Felt like it needed to be split into two smaller books.
November 27, 2021
Heathen comes to a close! The new penciller, Ashley Woods, is able to emulate a similar style to Natasha Alterici's original pencils and while I miss some of the rough quality Alterici had, Woods does a good job bringing this last arc to a close and if you're going to get a new artist for Heathen then Woods is a dream pick. I felt like these last four issues felt a bit rushed. 9, 10, and 11 were a bit anti-climactic and felt inessential to most of the plot. I liked seeing things come around, having even the minor characters from the beginning around to a finishing arc, and tying up all the different threads and hints. But what really makes this volume so good is that final issue. Aydis' big ending to the story, the big confrontation with Odin, is spectacular and I loved every moment of it. Reading this volume had me scared we'd fumble the ending to a great series but Heathen definitely stuck the landing!
December 1, 2022
When Aydis finally arrives at the land of the gods, she discovers that simply stating her demands for Odin gets her nowhere. As Aydis deals with coming face to face with a wall, everyone she once knew back at her village is in danger as Odin’s army marches into battle with them.
I’m disappointed by the final volume in this series. The story isn’t as good, there’s loose endings, Aydis strangely gets tossed into the backseat of her story. It feels very rushed, and a good portion of the second half doesn’t even make sense given the overall series. Plus, the showdown with Odin along with the overall ending is extremely anticlimactic. I’m pretty sad about how this entire volume went because it could’ve been a great ending to a wonderful series, but it just falls flat.
The artwork is nice, but there was a new artist and it just didn’t have the same impact. However, I don’t think that’s the artist’s fault. The story itself lost its magic, so I think even if there wasn’t a new artist on board, the magic in the artwork would’ve still gone missing. It’s sad all around, and I spent much of the volume looking like a reaction gif due to how the story lost everything that it had going for it. As I said, the overall ending was extremely anticlimactic. I don’t know what happened with this volume, but I do hope to check out more of the author’s work because they are extremely talented.
I’m disappointed by the final volume in this series. The story isn’t as good, there’s loose endings, Aydis strangely gets tossed into the backseat of her story. It feels very rushed, and a good portion of the second half doesn’t even make sense given the overall series. Plus, the showdown with Odin along with the overall ending is extremely anticlimactic. I’m pretty sad about how this entire volume went because it could’ve been a great ending to a wonderful series, but it just falls flat.
The artwork is nice, but there was a new artist and it just didn’t have the same impact. However, I don’t think that’s the artist’s fault. The story itself lost its magic, so I think even if there wasn’t a new artist on board, the magic in the artwork would’ve still gone missing. It’s sad all around, and I spent much of the volume looking like a reaction gif due to how the story lost everything that it had going for it. As I said, the overall ending was extremely anticlimactic. I don’t know what happened with this volume, but I do hope to check out more of the author’s work because they are extremely talented.
February 5, 2021
This was a hard one to rate and is probably more of a 3.5ish... The series overall is a solid 4 for me.
The basic plot of a queer Viking woman challenging the gods - no, the one big god, Odin - because she doesn’t agree with him imprisoning a woman for her wrongs, that’s a powerful message. Regarding the art, Heathen has always been a rather spare comic. The dialogue and storytelling are equally spare but all three aspects serve the comic well, making it stark, effective, and even poignant at times. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.
So this volume brings everything to a close, and in doing so the various friends Aydis has made along the way come together. (This is very much a quest story, a journey, with all the fun situations and connections that implies.) It feels less like a reunion and more like a growing force, since Aydis never interacts with most of them in this final volume, which yes, was a bit disappointing. Rather, they work behind the scenes to help Aydis’s ultimate goal.
The final stand against Odin was interesting, because it felt like she was addressing patriarchy personified. Despite this promise though, the resolution felt abrupt and not entirely satisfying. Just...that’s it???
Side note: I enjoyed the connection Aydis made with the trolls when she talked about fate, and the troll pointed out that their paths began far apart but were meant to cross. Awwww
Side note 2: Are Freya’s underpants supposed to make her look like she has a dick or is that just bad design? Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Dick dick dick dick.
The basic plot of a queer Viking woman challenging the gods - no, the one big god, Odin - because she doesn’t agree with him imprisoning a woman for her wrongs, that’s a powerful message. Regarding the art, Heathen has always been a rather spare comic. The dialogue and storytelling are equally spare but all three aspects serve the comic well, making it stark, effective, and even poignant at times. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.
So this volume brings everything to a close, and in doing so the various friends Aydis has made along the way come together. (This is very much a quest story, a journey, with all the fun situations and connections that implies.) It feels less like a reunion and more like a growing force, since Aydis never interacts with most of them in this final volume, which yes, was a bit disappointing. Rather, they work behind the scenes to help Aydis’s ultimate goal.
The final stand against Odin was interesting, because it felt like she was addressing patriarchy personified. Despite this promise though, the resolution felt abrupt and not entirely satisfying. Just...that’s it???
Side note: I enjoyed the connection Aydis made with the trolls when she talked about fate, and the troll pointed out that their paths began far apart but were meant to cross. Awwww
Side note 2: Are Freya’s underpants supposed to make her look like she has a dick or is that just bad design? Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Dick dick dick dick.
November 5, 2020
In short: queer female viking on a quest to became a hero.
But jokes aside, it's quite interesting series: some highly stylized (both in terms of story and art style) themes of rebellion against "tradition" and "sacred order", love and responsibility, becoming a hero and dealing with the loss, among other things. While using norse mythology it's not 100% faithfull (which is not really a problem) and for most of the time (1st and 2nd volume) I enjoyed the story, but 3rd volume felt rather... underwhelming? Some of the plot choices felt weird, there were a lot of loose ends and story, after great build-up, fell flat and not very convincing.
Also when it comes to art, 3rd volume felt kinda rushed. Yes, art in this series was generally rather simplistic (in a good way), sacrificing some details for better clarity and character exposure, but as I really like what happens here with all people, their face expressions etc., those empty backgrounds feel just... wrong.
Still, if you like fantasy comic and norse mythology and looking for something different from "Vikings" rip offs, check "Heathen" out.
Might not be great, but overall it's worth a read.
But jokes aside, it's quite interesting series: some highly stylized (both in terms of story and art style) themes of rebellion against "tradition" and "sacred order", love and responsibility, becoming a hero and dealing with the loss, among other things. While using norse mythology it's not 100% faithfull (which is not really a problem) and for most of the time (1st and 2nd volume) I enjoyed the story, but 3rd volume felt rather... underwhelming? Some of the plot choices felt weird, there were a lot of loose ends and story, after great build-up, fell flat and not very convincing.
Also when it comes to art, 3rd volume felt kinda rushed. Yes, art in this series was generally rather simplistic (in a good way), sacrificing some details for better clarity and character exposure, but as I really like what happens here with all people, their face expressions etc., those empty backgrounds feel just... wrong.
Still, if you like fantasy comic and norse mythology and looking for something different from "Vikings" rip offs, check "Heathen" out.
Might not be great, but overall it's worth a read.
January 22, 2022
It's Game of Thrones ending bad. Sopranos ending bad.
What a horrible way to end a promising series.
Plot lines get removed.
The big showdown is incredibly disappointing.
There's no final fight.
The big battle that's supposed to take place between Odins army and mortals that's been built up doesn't happen (one guy dies and everyone just leaves)
The original character journey of Aydis feels completely removed.
And then it just...ends. There's no payoff. No punishment for the Big Bad.
It feels rushed and incomplete.
How incredibly disappointing.
What a horrible way to end a promising series.
Plot lines get removed.
The big showdown is incredibly disappointing.
There's no final fight.
The big battle that's supposed to take place between Odins army and mortals that's been built up doesn't happen (one guy dies and everyone just leaves)
The original character journey of Aydis feels completely removed.
And then it just...ends. There's no payoff. No punishment for the Big Bad.
It feels rushed and incomplete.
How incredibly disappointing.
March 24, 2021
Disappointing finish to the three volume series, Heathen 3 is sophomoric and seemingly rushed. Even the cartooning looks hurried. The characters aren’t fleshed out to a helpful degree and I was quickly lost, not having any way to recall happenings in the previous editions.
February 23, 2021
Disappointing, particularly because the art style changed.
March 4, 2021
A fairly quick tying up of this little saga.
All the characters in the previous serious band together and there's a resolution with Odin.
All the characters in the previous serious band together and there's a resolution with Odin.
Read
November 24, 2024AmaZing but I definitely need so much more of Aydis and the crew of hot ass ladies
March 28, 2023
Similar with the other issues and volumes of this series i felt like there was missing information.
I liked the concept and i wanted to really like the characters however i felt like we didn't really know the characters. If the author was hoping that the reader would use their own norse mythology knowledge to fill the gaps they didn't do a great job of referencing the mythological stories. (i know norse mythology and i was confused with what was going on or referencing to).
In the end i also found the plot a little muddled , it was confusing to see what was the point, i understood what the author was trying to say and tell but the execution wasn't great.
overall this series was ok, wasn't the worse i read and the art work was nice , i just felt like the plot needed to be worked on and the characters needed to be fleshed out more. this series could have definitely used a few more issues to do that.
I liked the concept and i wanted to really like the characters however i felt like we didn't really know the characters. If the author was hoping that the reader would use their own norse mythology knowledge to fill the gaps they didn't do a great job of referencing the mythological stories. (i know norse mythology and i was confused with what was going on or referencing to).
In the end i also found the plot a little muddled , it was confusing to see what was the point, i understood what the author was trying to say and tell but the execution wasn't great.
overall this series was ok, wasn't the worse i read and the art work was nice , i just felt like the plot needed to be worked on and the characters needed to be fleshed out more. this series could have definitely used a few more issues to do that.
August 26, 2024
“If you want to be a man, then be a man and fight me!”
“Why do I have to be a man to fight you? You always thought one sex was inherently stronger than the others, that physical strength somehow made men worthy leaders. How arbitrary.”
To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed in how the story went as it ended. I really wanted it to become my favorite graphic novel, but it just couldn’t.
Nonetheless this story still had many good themes, especially as it came to the conversations before disasters and fights. The destroying of the patriarchy and, in this retelling, also Odin’s oppressing rule, was very satisfying to watch.
3,5/5
Throughout the whole story topless Freya was kind of distracting… but like… in a good way…
“Why do I have to be a man to fight you? You always thought one sex was inherently stronger than the others, that physical strength somehow made men worthy leaders. How arbitrary.”
To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed in how the story went as it ended. I really wanted it to become my favorite graphic novel, but it just couldn’t.
Nonetheless this story still had many good themes, especially as it came to the conversations before disasters and fights. The destroying of the patriarchy and, in this retelling, also Odin’s oppressing rule, was very satisfying to watch.
3,5/5
Throughout the whole story topless Freya was kind of distracting… but like… in a good way…
December 26, 2020
1.5/5
What the hell happened to the art and story lmao. I don't know any of the behind-the-scenes of this series but it reads like it was cancelled prematurely and then hastily slapped together into an ending. Maybe that's not what actually happened, but it feels that way. What a disappointing end to this series. Still worth reading overall despite the downturn at the end.
What the hell happened to the art and story lmao. I don't know any of the behind-the-scenes of this series but it reads like it was cancelled prematurely and then hastily slapped together into an ending. Maybe that's not what actually happened, but it feels that way. What a disappointing end to this series. Still worth reading overall despite the downturn at the end.
January 20, 2022
a little disappointing compared to the first 2. i agree with other reviewers that the ending felt a little rushed. it was also difficult to understand some of the choices the characters made and the final showdown was a letdown. overall still a fun series but didn’t quite live up to its potential.
August 9, 2022
While I really liked this series overall, and I didn't mind where the characters ended up, this was sort of a disappointing conclusion. I still think the series is worth reading as a whole, but some plot lines are just dropped or not finished well in here, and I think the writing just isn't as tight as it needed to be.I highly recommend this series, but prepare for a sort of disappointing end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews