I think that given the massive success of The Hunger
Games franchise, we can assume that the Young Adult dystopia genre is here
to stay. Comics have jumped on this trend with titles like Avengers Arena
and Attack on Titan (although that's a little different) but there's a
new series out from Vertigo that I think suits the concept a really well. It's
my Pick of the Month – Hinterkind!
Humanity has lost. After a plague wiped out most of
humankind, nature reclaimed the land. The few humans that had not died were
forced to re-learn survival skills in this new wilderness, where cities had
been overgrown and wild beasts run wild. But not just beasts lurk in the dark
places of the world. The Hinterkind have returned – the elves, the satyrs, the
goblins, the ogres; all the things that humans had forgotten ever existed. Now
their oppressors are dead, they have come back to claim the world that once
drove them out.
Prosper Monday, teenage girl and one of the few pure human
survivors living in what was once Central Park, sets out from the safety of her
village in search of her grandfather. He left to find and give aid to another
pocket of survivors but even if she finds him, there are other things afoot.
The Hinterkind have their own intrigues in the works, and there's a price on
the head of any pure human found. Prosper discovers quickly that she is the one
being hunted and must face some of the harsh realities about what humans must
do to survive in this brave new world.
The best way to describe this series by Ian Edginton is a
mix of survival/adventure and fantasy. Much like 'Revolution' from NBC,
technology for most humans is at a pre-industrial level. This follows the
standard fantasy formula, but seeing an elf bounty hunter draw her sawn-off
shotgun gives the series a whole new look. Edginton has written a few steampunk
and alternate history comics before like Victorian Undead, that combined
Sherlock Holmes and zombies because why not? The concept that Edginton has
developed is a solid one – there are a number of urban fantasy series that use
the idea that magic and fairies never really went away. Jim Butcher's Dresden
Files and Charlaine Harris's 'True Blood' are probably the best known, but
Edginton took it a step further. Instead of 'peaceful' coexistence in the
everyday world, Hinterkind takes place in the ruins of our civilization,
and makes us question what actually gives humans the right to rule the world in
the first place.
Like many of the other series being released from Vertigo
this year, Hinterkind has a strong premise which should appeal to a wide
group. Like fantasy? It's got that. Like action? There's loads. A strong female
protagonist who must make tough decision and stay true to herself? Check.
Intrigue and mysteries? Yup, that too. It's a fantastic book for people who
might feel daunted (or just plain not interested) in the superhero comics – and
I can understand why. Superhero comics are the most common out there (although
that's starting to change) but they certainly aren't for everyone. Hinterkind
could easily have been written as a novel instead, but making it a comic gives
an opportunity to showcase some amazing art and introduce comics to a whole new
readership. With memorable characters (that can easily die at the drop of a
hat), you'll really get invested in Hinterkind's story.
Volume 1 is available now.
Hinterkind vol. 1: The Waking World – 9781401245184 –
Ian Edginton, Fransesco Trifogli - $19.99 – 144 pages
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