Written by: Didier Convard, Eric Adam
Illustrations: Fred Vignaux
Coloring: Fred Vignaux
Publisher: Glénat
Sneeuw: De Oorsprong #1 De Twaalf – Comic Book Review
The world we live in might not be perfect, but it’s all we know, and it could all be gone in an instant. With nature asserting its power every once in a while with floods and storms, we can never be too sure of things to come. In Sneeuw, a catastrophe happened a few years ago, which caused Europe to live in constant coldness, ending the happy life of many, and starting a dark period of uncertainty.
Ever since the catastrophe that happened several years ago, there is a constant winter in Europe. Northman, leader of De Twaalf, a secret society, came up with a plan to try and get the seasons back, but it failed after the Chinese – American consortium sabotaged it. To protect Europe from the hostile outer states, De Twaalf built an electromagnetic wall around the entire continent, a good enough solution for now, but one that they know can’t hold forever.
There are hitches noticeable in the wall already, and Northman knows that it comes from within, from Rome, and that can only mean one thing. He has to come clean to the other members of the society, about something he started eleven years ago. Back then, he found a young boy, Bohort, of whom he thought he could make the knight De Twaalf needed to fulfill their plan. He sent him to Agravain, the best fencing master in all of Europe, but once skilled enough, Bohort turned against them, and is now the counselor of the pope, who is the highest authority in Europe.
Bohort has convinced the pope that it’s time to break through the wall and see the rest of the world again, and that’s what the pope tells the people of Rome too. The people live on hope, and are eager to help build the arks that they will use to set sail to the outer states. Northman and the others will have to stop Bohort fast, as going through the wall will be fatal for all who attempt. For that, they come up with a plan, which involves them going to the Vatican and fighting in the arena.
In the meantime, Northman already found another boy who will be their warrior, even though he is still very small and it will still take several years. The boy seems very promising, and will undoubtedly become more important, as the name Northman gave him is Sneeuw, the title of this series.
The story in this issue is quite an intriguing one. With the wall built around Europe to protect it from the outer states, it seems like it must be set in the (distant) future, yet on the other hand Christianity plays a vital role in society and also Roman customs such as fights in arenas are very established, thus hinting more to the past than the present. That aside, Didier Convard and Eric Adam present a story that is immediately quite complicated, dropping hints here and there, where you can’t see the connection just yet, arousing curiosity. Also, there is a good balance between the introduction of the characters, and some action sequences, keeping it all looking fresh.
Fred Vignaux’ illustrations very much make use of light and shadow. They look very gray and cool toned, which sets the icy atmosphere this tale is situated in beautifully. His drawing style is quite precise, and you will recognize some famous buildings in Rome, which adds to the sense of familiarity in a story that seems so close by, yet so far away.
Conclusion
In Sneeuw: De Oorsprong #1 De Twaalf, we get a glimpse of a new world, one that looks familiar, yet is quite different from what we know. A good balance between the introduction of the characters and action packed sequences makes for a pleasant read and arouses curiosity. Combined with Vignaux’ spiffy looking illustrations, this issue is one that is both appealing and interesting. We’re curious to find out more about the society of De Twaalf.
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