I interviewed Brian Wood recently for CBR, and talked with him about how "The Viking Prince" led to "Northlanders" and what he has planned for the rest of this year, Viking-wise.
Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Northlanders #8, about which I write the following sentences: "After the intense climax of issue #7, Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice conclude their first 'Northlanders' story arc with a calmly measured look at the consequences of one man's decisions. That one man is, of course, Sven, the protagonist of this now concluded, eight-issue arc. It was a bold move for Wood to launch a new series -- a Vertigo series -- with such a long opening story. Many Vertigo comics seem to live or die based on sales of the first trade paperback, and having to wait for eight full issues to be collected before gauging true audience reaction might have put this comic in jeopardy within its first year. I hope that's not the case. I hope DC gives this title a chance to develop an audience, and I hope you and all of your friends by the first trade when it's released because 'Northlanders' is one of the best comics on the stands and it deserves to live for years and years."
Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Northlanders #7, about which I write the following sentences: "If you're reading this series, you must know how good it is, but if you're waiting for the first trade, or if you're waiting to see if it lasts before investing in it monthly, how about if I throw a little high concept description at you? What if I say, "Northlanders is 300 meets Braveheart, but with vikings?" Would that interest you? Because that's not too far off from what issue #7 feels like. But it's more than that, too. "300 meets Braveheart" cheapens what Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice are doing in this series -- it's an oversimplification just to get your attention. Yet, issue #7 in particular has moments that evoke both of those films. (And, yes, I know 300 was a comic before it was a film, but let's keep our comparisons cinematical, shall we?) Northlanders #7 has a group of warriors facing impossible odds, using their shields to create a barricade -- their only hope of survival. It also features the return of the prodigal son, bent on exacting a violent revenge. It's also got plenty of blood and cursing."
Recently reviewed by me at CBR: The New York Four, about which I write the following sentences: "The most impressive aspect of this book is how accurately Wood captures youth culture. His portrait of an eighteen-year-old girl isn't the least bit condescending or out-of-touch. It's not Bob Haney, circa 1968, trying to sound like a 'swinging teen.' It's a writer sensitive to the eternal fears of any burgeoning adult but also someone who has been paying attention to how teenagers interact. When Riley obsesses over her text messages at the expense of her face-to-face friendships, we get a sense of what it means to live in that kind of social world today. As someone who works with adolescents in my day job, I know that Wood has captured the energy, the coolness, the uncertainty, and the reality as well as anyone telling stories today."