Northlanders #19

The Shield Maidens" reaches its fierce conclusion in this September 2009 Vertigo issue, with a cover by Massimo Carnevale that puts a blood-streaked warrior woman front and center — mid-battle cry, blades drawn, her fury radiating off the page. Behind her stand two more armed figures, a pale-haired swordsman and a cloaked shadow, the whole scene washed in crimson splatter against a cold, grey Norse backdrop. Brian Wood and Danijel Žeželj's gritty Viking series is at full intensity here, and this second half of the two-part arc promises no let-up.