Written by: Jean-Claude Bartoll
Illustrations: Bernhard Kölle
Coloring: Vladimir Davidenko
Publisher: Glénat
Antarctica #3 908 Zuid – Comic Book Review
Two expeditions have arrived on Antarctica: an English one under captain Scott, and a Norwegian one led by Amundsen. Even though they set up camp at quite a distance from each other, they do know of each other’s presence, and thus the rivalry gets even bigger to get to the South Pole first. As long as it’s winter, there is not much to be done, but in this final episode of Antarctica, we’ll see who comes out of this wicked story as the conqueror of the last undiscovered piece of earth.
Winter is slowly but surely making way for spring on Antarctica, and thus the English, as well as the Norwegian expedition get ready to leave for the South Pole. They have both been planning this for months, and now finally the race can begin. The Norwegian use their dogs to drag all their materials, which proves to be quite efficient. They build small huts called cairns at a regular distance, so that they can always find their way back to the winter camp. Despite their journey being well prepared, the road is full of dangers, and snow storms occur more than once. To keep the dogs fed, they shoot other dogs and even though it is a cruel thing to do, it does make sure that the remaining animals stay fit, giving them an advantage on the English.
In the meantime, it’s been months since Knut heard something about Maureen, who is in the English camp. He holds on to a letter she wrote to him, and hopes she is still alive. One day they will meet again, hopefully even on Antarctica, that he is certain of. Nonetheless, Maureen isn’t doing too well. She is still very feeble, but does come along on the expedition. Maybe she will find Knut again, but the conditions are very tough and the risk is high.
In this final issue of the Antarctica series, the goal of getting to the South Pole is so within reach, that there is not much time spent to wonder about other things, such as the love of Knut and Maureen. You can feel the tension in both the English and the Norwegian expedition, and the haste they make to get there. Once they do, the pace slows down, and even though there is still a bit of story to be told, it’s just an extension, as the main thing has already been said. Nonetheless, it does provide some closure for a few loose ends.
The illustrations are, just like in the previous issue, beautiful to look at. The snowstorms, the bright sun, it all comes to life also because of the coloring that is simply spot on. The unusual positioning of each panel also helps to make the whole look quite different and unique.
Conclusion
Antarctica #3 908 Zuid provides a nice buildup to the point we’ve all been waiting for: the conquest of the South Pole. Nonetheless, this puts the side story of Knut and Maureen a bit to the background, even though it is a nice alteration from the harsh conditions they constantly have to deal with. The illustrations look simply beautiful, thus where the story might have a few flaws, the illustrations make up for it more than enough. This whole series is definitely worth checking out.
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