Northlanders #22 The Plague Widow part 2: This is a Man’s world
Northlanders is a comic book that has nothing to do with any thing magical or supernatural. It’s a grizzly title chronicling the Dark Ages following the Fall of Rome and the Norman Conquest. The backbone of this title is how it can be epic at the same time as develop these individual characters in the midst of smaller stories. A good analogy is the HBO series Rome where we see the quality of life jutztapozed with different social classes in this lawless time.
The Plague Widow is something all historical fanatics of the Dark Ages have been waiting for, the impending threat of the Bubonic Plague. While the Plague doesn’t manifest itself in a full blown fashion yet, it does however show how it affects the life style of a Middle Age Russian family where women are treated about as well as their life stock.
This is a depressing issue about how one woman fights off losing her home and the ability to provide for herself and her daughter in some of the most humiliating scenes depicted in a comic book.
Rating: Buy it. This is a self contained 8 parter. If you love the Dark Ages, this is your book.