The Spider King: Frostbite
IDW Publishing
Writer: Josh Vann
Artist: Simone D’Armini
First I want to set the record straight: whoever you are, you need to read The Spider King. It was a four issue miniseries that came out around March 2018, has pretty much the same creative team as this one, and it was fantastic. I’m sorry I almost missed it, and you will be, too.
The premise goes like this. In the middle of an ongoing conflict, a fleet of damaged alien warships crash-land in Northern Europe during the Viking ages. Armed with an array of strange but deadly weapons, and with a benevolent young alien named Frodi in tow, a group of misfit Nords battle to save their homeland—and the world—from alien invaders and their parasitic master: the titular Spider King.
Frostbite is a neat little one-shot taking place right after the events of that volume: our intrepid band of Vikings travels old Europe, in search of a place to post up in their quest to eradicate the remnants of the invasion force. They find that a strange alien consciousness has taken root in the animals of the surrounding woods, instead. Carnage ensues, natch.
As far as storytelling goes, Vann hasn’t lost any steam from his time on The Spider King. Vann is able to cram as much lore and exposition into the dialogue without ever making it feel unwieldy, and without the more fantastical elements contrasting too harshly with the early AD European setting. It’s obvious Frostbite, being a one-shot and mostly self-contained, is a different animal than the preceding work, but he handles it well and is able to deliver an adventure that should satisfy you (personally it makes me wish a sequel came out faster).
The art, for me, is a bit of a downgrade from the prior volume: D’Armini’s line work was much grittier and solid, which I felt really added to the world and tone of Spider King. Here, it feels a little too bright and a little less focused. The spirit, though, is still there: characters are distinct, and the fight scenes flow beautifully and seamlessly. Bloch’s colors are as strong as ever. From the bright and strange glows of the alien technology to the bleakness of the wintery background, Bloch handles it with ease and with style.
The Spider King: Frostbite
It's recommended that you read the previous volume before this one, just so you can get the full scope of the characters' goals and backgrounds. Otherwise it works well enough as a self-contained one-off and contains much of the same charm and style that made the first volume so great. Don't miss this one.
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