Hardråde

In Hardråde (2024–present, Strand Comics), writer Jan Ove Ekeberg and artist Nils Axle Kanten deliver a taut, two-issue miniseries that carves a stark Scandinavian noir from the Viking age. The story follows its title character through a harsh, unforgiving landscape of blood-feud and honor, rendered in Kanten's gritty, atmospheric linework. This compact tale matters as a focused, modern take on historical comics, proving the power of a lean creative team to evoke an entire era without a single wasted panel.