Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: November 27, 2013
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Writer-artist Victor Santos brings to life a tale of espionage, assassins, death and salvation in Polar: Came From the Cold. Warning: A spoiler-heavy review follows here.
Heavily influenced stylistically by the likes of Frank Miller this TPB is divided into two parts, Blood & Snow and Sword of Damocles. The first part is all slick character introduction, building on the character's “silent webcomic†origins, as the main character known only as Black Kaiser is revealed to be the strong, silent type that, despite his age and missing an eye, is still a formidable foe. A team descends upon an isolated winter cabin where BK is engaging in what's presumed to be some well-earned nookie. The setup is obvious: A highly-trained team of special agents are set on taking BK out. But, as is the way with most of these hero types, his instincts serve him well and he's one step ahead of their trap. He escapes, murdering all his would-be assassins and discovering some clues as to who's behind the order.
Pulpy, bloody, frenetic and fun, Polar: Came From the Cold is an excellent stand-alone story. Also included in this TPB is a bonus story, Red As a Rose, which appears to be one of the original web comics as there's no dialog in the short vignette. Additional artwork and character sketches are included as well as the original single-issue covers and a short biography for Santos.