Newest book Nordguard: Across Thin Ice by Blotch is out, having debut at AnthroCon ‘11 and it ranks in on a complete 180 degree than their previous jaunt into graphic novels Dog Days of Summer, a decidedly fluffier graphic work.  While Dog Days was limited to a mere week for each page, with the plot at the chaotic whim of indecisive voters, Nordguard was conceived and planned and created over the course of roughly two years.  It had a preplanned story with a year alone devoted to research, character structure and story landscape.  The effort shines through in an albeit brief but also fully-fleshed and engaging world that leaves you counting the probable year until the next release.

Set in winter harsh lands invoking Nome, Alaska or the Yukon trails of Jack London stories, scenery is at once both majestic and cruel.  The colors are beautifully rendered and were chosen with a keen logic in mind, separating characters and landscape easily while being true to the industrial/arctic look and feel of an 1890’s gold rush way of life.  The characters move and feel as vibrant living, breathing upright animals; setting upon their work and movements with fluidity and naturalistic movements.  Nickel’s joyful jerks and interjections display a youthful, energetic personality that is uplifting and a good contrast against characters much more serious, dour (London) who transmit their years of experience form their looks and manner of speech.

There are worries though; a Slavic major is a passenger for unknown reason and his mannerisms scream, “I am hiding something that will put this team in jeopardy” and I can only hope he is not as cardboard as I fear.  It’s best to put something as childish as preemptive judging like that down to lesser movies or books turning me cynical in older age.  There are still two more books where it a change.

And unfortunaly, the first book is a quick one.

This is the second time I’ve mentioned how short the comic is without any explanation, so let me say now; Blotch took the proactive route and was courteous to point out at their panel how due to deadlines their two choices were to chop out very important story arcs and material or cut the page limit at 75 instead of the intended 120 (roughly). And 75 pages sound, in theory, a lot. But because the story’s pace is continuous, with only one solid rest from the action once it picks, you’ll be holding the last page checking your watch to see if you just beat a Guinness world record. The pace is burning. From the word Go you are introduced to the world Pi and the rest live in with necessary points being brought upon the way in competent telling and b the plot’s requirement are off to adventure. The whole reason it’s done so soon is the constant new tidbits that come off each page giving continual reasons to read ahead; wanting to hear their explanation and discover the new unraveling of the plot, or something of the world explained, either a fantastical element or some real-world nugget of information coming through.  This tactic, while admirable and well done leaves the side-effect of the pages flowing into each one too smoothly, something that probably would have worked with the original page-limit.

Minor flaws aside, a great book through and through and a promising start to a trilogy.  While it pulls a cliff hanger after just 75 pages, it does so with all immediate dangers or unknowns settled so the reader is not left on a hitch pondering the fate of our heroes like a bad Saturday morning cartoon.  The fact that it reads fast does not undermine the story or characters, both of which hold you and keep you reading.   You are intrigued but not cheated, the characters are as of it all memorable and the while the cast is larger than there last endeavor, it is not yet unwieldy and unmanageable to keep track of, again thanks in part to smart art direction dividing each person with distinction.  Any one either a fan of Blotch, tales of the North or extreme climates or is just looking for something that’s shaping into a maturely created anthromorphic adventure would do well with this book.  I have minor trepidations concerning plot; will clichés override a solid story that’s keeping its cards to its chest for now or will the plot surprise me in book 2?  Regardless, I am quite happy to say I can’t wait to find out one way or the other.

Nordguard: Across Thin Ice can be purchased online at Sofawolf Press; https://www.sofawolf.com/products/nordguard-ati for $19.95.  The blog Nordguard (http://nordguard.com/) has updates to the trilogy’s progress.

Earl Z. Madness can be contacted via email; stud...@gmail.com or by phone (516) 603-6842.  His website of awesome can be found here; http://www.furaffinity.net/user/zeratul-luke/

About the author

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A photographer by nature,he writes as well. I enjoy most things technical, weird or interesting.

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