For three months each year, you can walk from the USA to Russia across an ice bridge—a frozen path known as the Ice Curtain. In 1963, when the body of a young woman is discovered on this icy no-man’s land, the already fragile relationship between the superpowers threatens to collapse. With nuclear tensions rising, an FBI agent and a KGB operative must solve the murder—before the ice melts…and war ignites. No Man’s Land #1 delivers a tense opening that’ll hook fans of murder mysteries.

No Man’s Land #1 is exactly what you’d want with a description like above. Szymon Kudrański handles the writing and art and delivers an opening period piece that’s full of tension and leave you guessing as to where it’s going to go. We’re introduced to an FBI agent who has been dedicated to his job and looking to retired but forced into investigating this international incident. He’s an agent that has wrecked his marriage but all in on the position and what it means, one who will not question his orders. It’s a setup that’s rather paint by numbers in some ways but is presented in a manner and seriousness that oozes tension. Set upon the backdrop of the Cold War and recent Cuban Missile Crisis, it’s a murder investigation set in a cold world and loneliness in location and in the agent’s personal life.

Kudrański’s art is haunting and leaves a sadness that’s perfect for the concept. There’s something about the combination that enhances the coldness of it all and compounds the precarious nature of the situation. It’s a morose comic with its visuals. Kudrański’s style gives it all a haunting, dreamlike feel that adds to the nightmare aspect of the murder and collapsing of a marriage.

No Man’s Land #1 is a solid debut. The combination of story and art create an issue that’ll hook fans of the genre but underneath it also delivers a tense political thriller that you should add to your pull list.

Story: Szymon Kudrański Art: Szymon Kudrański
Translation: Atom Morwill Letterer: DC Hopkins
Story: 8.35 Art: 8.35 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle