The Middle Ages, now you'll see, has a certain influence over me. And after a small concession to
Renaissance (I'm talking about the short
introduction to "Caesar" ), it is time to return to the sweet one thousand years. And 'round this time, in fact, there are the stories of "
Vinland Saga",
manga of
Makoto Yukimura , from the evocative name
inevitably pretentious: the mind goes immediately to the great Norse sagas, the Norse epic cycles, the Scandinavian mythology. Pretentious, but not unjustified
. The historical references are many and very precise - oh God, we are not at the levels of "Caesar", but in a
high standard - as well as
reconstruction of villages, weapons, armor,
imbarcarzioni ...
Nevertheless, "
Vinland Saga"
can hardly be considered tout-court a comic historical
more effectively we can define a manga Action
historical setting. The story part, as usual,
in medias res , with the assault of a group of Vikings, led by the cruel irony but
Askeladd , a village works: the group of assailants stands
Thorfinn , a young dark, silent and has an 'isolated
ability to combat
. Thorfinn
is revealed early on as the true protagonist
the series, thanks to the long
flashback on his childhood and sull'enigmatica figure of his late father,
Thors. The most obvious historical reference is that which gives the title to the work, ie
the Vinland, Canada's legendary region occupied by the Vikings in the eleventh century, is also the character of
Leif Eiriksson , the discoverer, according to Norse sagas, the new world: there is still not known what role these will
elemeti in remainder of the series (even in Italy the second number), but surely the few references that emerged so far bode to be central.
Beyond the historical value, the author demonstrates good graphics and narrative skills, ability to build a good character and a remarkable ability for the action scenes, the
more explicit reference is to "
Berserk , "to the
preponderance of fighting (in defiance of realism, in most cases) and for the important role of the past within the narrative: the flashback can not remember what in the work of Miura
tells the youth
Guts and joining the team of hawks.
Two numbers are few to say more, I just see that there are prerequisites for a good adventure, the face of the literature of escape, still want the accuracy and philological so insulted "complexity".
Makoto Yukimura,
Vinland Saga, Star Comics (number 1: February 2010, currently the number 2 output)
Short sitography - Wikipedia page about the legendary Vinland and on the ' Anse aux Meadows.
- Latin text of Gesta Pontificum Ecclesiae Hammabirgensis of Adam of Bremen, a work that last part, the descriptio mentions the Vinland.
