Northlanders #18

Vertigo's gritty Viking series ventures into new territory with "The Shield Maidens," a two-part story from writer Brian Wood and artist Danijel Žeželj. Massimo Carnevale's cover sets a tense, intimate mood — a warmly lit figure crouches low over what appears to be a bloodied wound or fallen body, bathed in firelight, while a dark, armored silhouette looms watchfully in the cold shadows behind them. The stark contrast between that amber warmth and the foreboding darkness above makes this 2009 issue feel like the opening frame of something quietly gripping.