I made a trip to the comic shop to find something off of my must read list. I picked up Northlanders book one. An appropriate read since I'm playing Elder Scrolls's V: Skyrim which stars the Nordsmen which are the Elder Scroll's version of Norsemen. Northlanders is about a viking named Sven of Orkney looking to get what is rightfully his from his uncle who has staked his claim in what should rightfully be Sven's.

Spoilers Ahead:

Sven decides to return to his homeland. Upon his return he finds out that his uncle Gorm has taken over his village after Sven's father died during a raid. But Sven doesn't care about any of that at this point. He just wants what he thinks is rightfully his. His father's money. Unlike his uncle or countrymen he doesn't believe in the Norse Gods or entering Valhalla after death in battle. He thinks it's all fairy tales. But upon returning he is quickly submitted and bought to his uncle who banishes him figuring that Sven will die out in the harsh land without a way to survive. But Sven is resourceful and goes on a one man war against his uncle Gorm, his guardsman Hakkar who has been tasked with hunting down Sven and the small army his uncle commands. Where most norsemen would have died happily rushing in to battle their foes, Sven has learned to fight with a strategy in mind. Many men get sent after Sven and not all of them make it back.

While attempting to clean himself off at a stream Sven is being sniped by someone with a bow, he manages to get away but is injured. He then bumps into an aquiattances of from his youth. An older couple known as the Ivarssons. They gave him additional details about his father's death, his uncle's power play and how his mother truly died. They help Sven tend to some wounds he has acquired. He also finds out who it was that was taking shots at him. A lone hunter that lives in the wild. He later befriends the hunter who turns out to be a woman we get to know as Enna. But Gorm and Hakkar will take it a step too far. So far that killing them will become an obsession for Sven.

But where was Sven in all the years that he was gone from his homeland? Why did he leave? What will be the ultimate outcome when he finally confronts his uncle with a sword in his hand? And what is up with that bird that is always near him?

Northlanders is written by Brian Wood who you may recognize from DC's Vertigo series DMZ. The art is by Davide Gianfelice. Both the art and writing were enjoyable and the action scenes were brutal and exciting all at once. One scene in particular stands out to me which I'm sure it did for many and it's when Sven attacks a group of Gorm's men while wearing the head of a buck as a helm. I could almost picture what a horror it must have been for those men to see that bloody figure rise out of nowhere and come at them. It's the kind of thing that will make men tell tales of horrible mythical creatures in the forest.

Forget pirates and ninjas, I'm siding with the vikings. A great comic book series and I look forward picking up future volumes.