Customer Reviews

North World Book 1: The Epic of Conrad (Part 1) (Bk. 1, Pt. 1)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this comic online and then purchased the book when it came out. I have vol. 2 on pre-order. I love this kind of thing. If you dig fantasy stories, or play RPGs or are breathing, this is $9 or $10 you would not be sad you spent.

North World has a very simple premise, it is a cross between our world of today and a typical Dungeons and Dragons world. For the most part everything is as it is today, but in the wild places and in the shadows there are all sorts of dangerous beasties and to deal with them there are adventurers guilds. The adventurers guilds investigate reports of monsters, demons and reports of dangers and our hero Conrad Lionel is trying to make his name as a hero in the Northwest guild.

The books starts fast with a battle against a Devil Bear then settles into a slower paced investigation of a plot in Conrad's hometown where his family and his emotions complicate his efforts to stop evil from engulfing the town. Conrad is faced with his past and why he became an adventurer in the first place and we are given clues to the nature of the mystery that threatens the town with total destruction.

The art is solid with a steady cartoony style that allow the author to show emotion and fast paced action well. The pace of the book is good, there are times it seems to dragging in the middle but it is laying in the clues we need to understand the threat to the town. Unusually for a web comic the book is currently ahead of the online comic which means that if you are reading it online the book takes you past the current online story. Overall I find Lars Brown's story to be a really interesting take on a classic fantasy storyline, the mix of modern and fantastic takes a light touch and he hits it just right. I highly recommend the book.

North World is great escapist entertainment. It is a story about our world if it were more interesting. The artwork does its job, but the characters and dialogue are where the book really shines. I read a little booklet with three short comics that Lars Brown was handing out at the San Diego Comicon a couple years ago and I was immediately struck by the quality of his writing. I can't quite put my finger on what makes it stand out from the rest, but his writing is among the best in comics. I look forward to the conclusion of this story in part two and I am excited to see Brown further explore this world in future installments.