This eight-part story takes place in Russia around the early 11th Century. It features a woman, Hilda, who is tending to her sick husband. Her husband, like other inhabitants of their town, was struck with a sickness that caused enough fatalities to offer no hope for anyone infected.
In addition to Hilda and her young daughter Karin, the story features Boris, an outsider, and Gunborg, who seems to be the leader of the guard.
A town meeting is held to discuss what to do about this plague and what is the best approach to fight it. Boris offers them scientific explanations, much to the opposition of the villagers, and the town leader agrees to have the town sealed but only if the sick were cast out.
Hilda returns home to find her husband dead. While she consoles her daughter that they will get through this together, the town guard, with Boris' aid, exiles the sick and infected villagers out in the harsh cold to perish.
The story flows very well and the art is just beautiful. Not only are the panels drawn in such a way it displays cinematography-on-paper with all the angles and views, but the landscapes are actually breathtaking.
The story would get a higher rating but it is only the first part so we still need to see what more will develop as the story moves forward. But for starters, this is an excellent read.
As with all new story arcs in this title, this is a great jumping-on point for any new readers interested to come on board. This is actually my first issue, and I'm very pleased I decided to try it out.
