Northlanders #40

A hooded archer crouches low in a blood-red winter landscape, crossbow drawn, while a proud stag stands silhouetted against the fiery, ember-lit forest behind him — Massimo Carnevale's painterly cover immediately captures the tension of predator and prey locked in a primal standoff. Billed as a single-issue story, this 2011 Vertigo entry brings writer Brian Wood and artist Matthew Woodson together for what promises to be a self-contained tale rooted in the brutal, elemental world of the Northlanders. It's a striking, atmospheric package that showcases exactly the kind of intimate, survival-focused storytelling the series does so well.