Tag Archives: rikard

Review: Brides Of Helheim #6

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boh006This is the final issue of the second series featuring Rikard as the undead Viking warrior.  After being turned against by the Valkyrie, the two made an alliance (and more) as they teamed up to battle the evil warlock Raevil along with the help of the others in their party.  In this last issue of the ongoing saga there are a few unexpected twists and turns, which says enough as the series has taken some strange tangents in its story telling.  Although the final battle ends in a gory enough fashion it still leaves a few unanswered questions which is where we will presumably find the heroes once again after the story wraps up here.

About a half of this final story focuses on action sequences, be it the witches battling one another, or Rikard battling the undead bear, and while there are a few relatively slower moments in the meantime, it is only the last third of the issue which helps to wrap up the overall story.  At times in this series the pacing gets a bit truncated in order to put in action sequences, but here the action is well used, especially as always with the amazing artwork by Joelle Jones.  It is not just Joelle that makes this issue shine though it is the well conceived and executed plot as told by Cullen Bunn.

It is perhaps best to describe this series as one which always left the readers guessing even though the plot seemed fairly basic.  There have perhaps been a few strange choices along the way by the creative team, but with this issue as reference, they all work well together in retrospect as they built towards the setup for the following series.  This series is one which has flown under the radar for a number of reasons, but really any fan of the medium that can handle a bit of gory violence should be reading anything that these two put together for this group of characters.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Joelle Jones
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

Review: Brides of Helheim #5

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helheim005This under-the-radar series is one of the best of the past year, but it has told its story in an unconventional way.  The most radical change of direction came at the end of the previous issue.  Sigrid, the farm girl turned into Valkyrie by the evil wizard had the opposite effect than trying to kill Rikard, and instead now serves as his romantic companion.  For those that haven’t read the previous issues, the first pages of a undead zombie-like Viking in a post-coitus scene with an angelic Valkyrie will probably come as a bit of a shock and even perhaps as a reason to put the book down.  For those that have been following along though, this development is a strange interlude in the continuing search for those that aim to do harm to this area of Nordic lands.

This issue gets back on track from the confusing direction of the previous few issues primarily by focusing on Kadlin.  She is Rikard’s estranged partner, but although she has been looking for answers of her own, she has mostly stayed to the shadows.  She has acted as a sometimes mouth of reason for Sigrid, but mostly has kept to herself with her own plans.  Those plans become all the clearer here, while also coincidentally getting confused once again by the arrival of an unexpected guest.  At the same time Rikard and his new sidekick arrive to impose a justice of their own.

Generally speaking, stories that combine iconic characters tend to veer towards parody, but the Zombie Viking manages to present itself seriously.  More so, the story doesn’t revolve around these elements as much as play to them, giving it ground in which to be use the best of both inspirations for something better.  The series does seem to be off course at times, but the success of this issue proves that the bigger picture holds more fantastic results.  The setup is thus there for a memorable conclusion to this series, and the track record so far would indicate something fun and amazing.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Joelle Jones
Story: 8.7 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

 

Review: Brides of Helheim #4

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boh04bSo far this series has fulfilled all expectations and surpassed them.  It has been strong enough on character development even if not particularly overwhelmed with dialogue, and its action have been fun and engaging.  With the last issue the series took a somewhat strange turn, with the local town girl seeming to have a crush on Rikard, and then her transformation into a Valkyrie.  While this is likely not where most people would have thought that the series was going after the first or second issue, the direction was at least logical if not necessarily built up correctly, and it therefore fell to this issue to ensure that everything was in place for a coherent story.

It is to the credit of the creative team, that while this story took a sharp turn in its theme and story telling that it still manages to make sense here, even if the readers will not be sure that they are reading the same series.  The characters though lacking a bit of focus still get what they need to make the story more grounded, and the story takes on some deeper themes such a death, which also gives it more gravity, even if the premise is somewhat unlikely.

By the end of this issue things get even weirder, and readers might even end up shaking their heads to see if what they are reading is the same story.  At the same time it ties in concepts not entirely foreign to deeper themes, showing not only the focus on death but also the enduring power of love.  It is an unconventional story, but it is also still a standout in terms of its quality and the novelty in the story telling.  Readers who only look as far as Image for their reading from the independents are missing a good series here, and really this is yet another series that too few people know about.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Joelle Jones
Story: 8.7 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review