Wednesday 20 March 2013

So I Read Whiteout

A 250 word (or less) review of Whiteout and Whiteout: Melt
By Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, Oni Press



The Whiteout series tells stories about life on The Ice; about the rugged frontier world of Antarctic explorers living in the one truly alien part of the world. (I mean, think about it, Antarctica is the one place on Earth so inhospitable that humanity has never properly colonized it.) Specifically the whiteout books tell Action Thriller stories set in this frozen wasteland that pit US Marshall Carrie Stetko, literally The Law on The Ice, against her fellow arctic explorers, international criminals, and worst of all The Ice itself. From a writing standpoint, Rucka creates warm, complex characters mired in elaborate capers and suspenseful plots. The Whiteouts are compelling page turners. As strong as the writing is, the real star of the books is Steve Lieber. Rucka's scripts, while very good, are just stories until Lieber imbues them with life. Lieber's Antarctica is something to behold: a vast, white expanse punctuated under a haze of yet more white where humans are insignificant black aberrations. Lieber manages to convey the majesty, the terror, and sheer coldness of The Ice in a way that makes Whiteout’s setting seem tangible and real. Which, of course, is absolutely essential in making Antarctica a full character in the cast, which in turn makes Whiteout work as a concept. It's really something to see. Which you should: Whiteout and Whiteout: Melt are good comics.

Word count: 227

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