Written by: Surzhenko
Illustrations: Dorison, Marioll
Coloring: Matteo Vattani
Publisher: Le Lombard
De Werelden van Thorgal: Kriss van Valnor #6 Het eiland van de verloren kinderen – Comic Book Review
The comic book series of Thorgal has been around since the late seventies and is still quite popular this day and age. It’s easy to say that the overall popularity spike was a few years ago, when the creators decided to publish a spinoff series with one of the frequently appearing characters of the Thorgal series, Kriss van Valnor, a hot-blooded female warrior, who fears no living being and will do whatever it takes to reach her goal. This sixth issue of the series shows us that Kriss is still as strong, stubborn and fierce as ever.
It’s unclear what hardships Kriss has gone through this time, as the album starts with her washing up on shore, while having to plow through the dead bodies of soldiers, hoping to find a place she can warm herself and continue her journey. Sadly, she is ambushed by a pack of wolves, while she was already getting delusional. Her primal instinct protects her, fighting off the wolves, right before passing out. Nonetheless, even though the wolves were defeated, it would still mean certain death for Kriss, if Osian, a herbologist, and his apprentice Erwin, a mutilated girl that has been abandoned by her own parent, had not come by to bring her to their home. The temperature is far below zero, but the carcasses of the wolves provide for some warmth, allowing Kriss to hold on.
When coming to her senses, Kriss wants to head home immediately, as she is queen, as the rules of her country are very specific: ‘The queen cannot be away from her throne for more than seven days, or she will be exiled’. She wishes to leave immediately but Osian does not want her to leave, or accompany her, Erwin however is more willing. Nonetheless, the Magnus’ soldiers are at their doorstep, they have no other option than to leave, escape and hopefully survive long enough to get Kriss home. Sadly, disaster strikes once again, as their ship sinks and they end up on a very remote island, that has some strange inhabitants on it. Getting home within the seven day period seems rather impossible at this stage.
While this issue has a lot of action there are enough pauses as well, offering sufficient information about Kriss’ situation and those of her two new companions. You’ll still be treated to a lot of combat, as Kriss is foremost a fierce warrior. Nonetheless, the underlying plot by Surzhenko is interesting, even though Kriss is a very annoying character at times. She tends to treat others, lower than her, with a lot of contempt. Luckily, she tends to open up as the album progresses.
The illustrations by Dorison and Mariolle are superb, as they are detailed and very likeable. The authentic Thorgal can still be found scattered throughout the album mostly due to the colors used by Matteo Vattani, especially the overall ‘smudged’ look. While everything looks great, it’s sad to see that some faces are overused and recycled a bit too much, on several different characters. Another issue is that Erwin is made out to be an abominable young woman, while in the comic book itself, she looks simply adorable, with a scar on her face nonetheless. Thus it’s quite hard to have several scenes about her looking atrocious, when on paper she’s a very attractive young girl.
Conclusion
De Werelden van Thorgal: Kriss van Valnor #6 Het eiland van de verloren kinderen is a fun addition to the universe of Thorgal. While some inconsistencies occur between story and illustrations, and the overall plot might not be overly unique, it’s certainly very interesting. It’s also great for those who wish to learn more about this spinoff, as this issue can easily be read without any prior knowledge of this series, or Thorgal.
De Werelden van Thorgal: Kriss van Valnor #6 Het eiland van de verloren kinderen - Comic Book Review,
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