Farewell, My Odin
Chihiro Yoshioka, trans. from the Japanese by Cynthia Caraturo. Titan Manga, $12.99 trade paper (208p) ISBN 978-1-78774-439-4
This brutal battle manga, Yoshioka’s English-language debut, plunges readers into the icy waters of Norse adventure. In the year 1002, Viking raids terrorize an English village and flush out a feral “wolf child” from the forest, who is adopted by the village priest and given the name Luke. After Luke’s peaceful new life is torn apart by another Viking attack, he seeks revenge against the leader of the raid, the handsome and ruthless “White-Haired” Einarr. Fighting ferociously with two wolf companions by his side, Luke spark rumors that he may be an incarnation of the god Odin. Meanwhile, Einarr pursues his own secret agenda as he carries out the unhinged orders of the Danish king Sweyn Fork-Beard. “Only amongst the flames of vengeance can we beasts live,” he warns as Luke closes in on him. The action is hewn in rough linework reminiscent of samurai manga like Blade of the Immortal, with blood and tears flying across the page. Yoshioka conjures the 11th-century setting with evocative drawings of European wilderness, medieval architecture, and Norse design, then fills it with sex, drugs (King Sven likes to get high on henbane), and violence. It’s a worthy voyage for devotees of gritty historical fantasy. (Feb.)
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Reviewed on: 02/04/2025
Genre: Comics