Northlanders is an American comic book series published by DC Comics under their Vertigo imprint. The stories are fictional but set in and around historical events during the Viking Age.
Northlanders is written by Brian Wood, illustrated by various artists on a per storyline basis, and with painted cover art by Massimo Carnevale. The first issue of the series was published on December 5, 2007.
The series was canceled by Vertigo on April 11, 2012, at issue #50.
Plot Northlanders alternates long and short story arcs, each of which deals with a different protagonist in a different time period within the Viking Age.
The first story arc, "Sven the Returned", runs through issues #1–8 and is set in A.D. 980. It follows a self-exiled Viking warrior named Sven who has been serving in the Byzantine Varangian Guard, and is now returning to his birth region in the Orkney Islands in order to reclaim his rightful inheritance.
The second arc, "Lindisfarne", runs through issues #9 and 10, and is about a young boy and the sacking of the Lindisfarne monastery in A.D. 793, the beginning of the Viking Age.
The third arc, "The Cross + The Hammer", runs through issues #11–16 and is set around Dublin, Ireland circa the Battle of Clontarf, which took place in A.D. 1014; it deals with the pursuit of an Irishman and his daughter who attacks the occupying Viking forces using guerrilla tactics.
Collected editions The series was collected into trade paperbacks: +Northlanders trade paperbacks# Title ISBN Release date Collected material Artists1Sven the Returned October, 2008Northlanders #1–8, "Sven the Returned"Davide Gianfelice2The Cross + the HammerJuly, 2009Northlanders #11–16, "The Cross + the Hammer"Ryan Kelly3Blood in the SnowMarch, 2010Northlanders #9–10, "Lindisfarne"Northlanders #17, "The Viking Art of Single Combat"Northlanders #18–19, "The Shield Maidens"Northlanders #20, "Sven, the Immortal"Davide Gianfelice, Vasilis Lolos, Dean Ormston, Danijel Žeželj4The Plague WidowOctober, 2010Northlanders #21–28, "The Plague Widow"Leandro Fernández5MetalJuly, 2011Northlanders #29, "The Sea Road"Northlanders #30–34, "Metal",Northlanders #35–36, "The Girl In The Ice"Fiona Staples, Riccardo Burchielli, Becky Cloonan6Thor's DaughterFebruary, 2012Northlanders #37–39, "The Siege of Paris"Northlanders #40, "The Hunt"Northlanders #41, "Thor's Daughter" Simon Gane, Matthew Woodson, Marion Churchland7The Icelandic TrilogyJanuary, 2013Northlanders #42–50, "The Icelandic Trilogy"Paul Azaceta, Declan Shalvey, Danijel Žeželj
Later also collected in the following paperback omnibus editions: +Northlanders omnibus editions# Title ISBN Release date Collected material Artists1Book I: The Anglo-Saxon Saga June, 2016Northlanders #9–10, "Lindisfarne"Northlanders #18–19, "The Shield Maidens"Northlanders #1–8, "Sven the Returned"Northlanders #41, "Thor's Daughter"Northlanders #11–16, "The Cross + the Hammer"Davide Gianfelice, Ryan Kelly, Dean Ormston, Marion Churchland, Danijel Žeželj2Book II: The Icelandic SagaNovember, 2016Northlanders #29, "The Sea Road"Northlanders #20, "Sven, The Immortal"Northlanders #35–36, "The Girl In The Ice"Northlanders #42–50, "The Icelandic Trilogy"Fiona Staples, Danijel Žeželj, Becky Cloonan, Paul Azaceta, Declan Shalvey3Book III: The European SagaSeptember, 2017Northlanders #17, "The Viking Art of Single Combat"Northlanders #21–28, "The Plague Widow"Northlanders #30–34, "Metal"Northlanders #37–39, "The Siege of Paris"Northlanders #40, "The Hunt"Vasilis Lolos, Leandro Fernández, Riccardo Burchielli, Simon Gane, Matthew Woodson
Awards 2007: Nominated for the Eagle Award for "Favourite Comics Cover published during 2007" for cover of issue 1B by Adam Kubert
References
External links Northlanders #1 at DC/Vertigo comics Northlanders on Brian Wood's website Viking Clash Pits Old Against New in Northlanders, Publishers Weekly, November 13, 2007
Interviews Y1K PARANOIA: Brian Wood talks "Northlanders", Comic Book Resources, October 16, 2007 Interview/Preview: Vertigo's Northlanders, IGN, October 22, 2007 Ragnarok n' Roll: An interview with Brian Wood, Comics Bulletin, November 20, 2007 Brian Wood Talks Northlanders 2009, Comic Book Resources, January 27, 2009 The Viking Chronicles: Brian Wood Talks Northlanders, Newsarama, June 24, 2009