Northwest Passage: The Annotated Collection - Hardcover

Chantler, Scott

3.77

225 ratings by Goodreads

9781932664614: Northwest Passage: The Annotated Collection

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1932664610 ISBN 13: 9781932664614

Publisher: Oni Press, 2007

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After Fort Newcastle is brutally captured by invading French mercenaries, Charles Lord and a band of his surviving soldiers, trackers, and explorers embark on one last great adventure to unite the people of Rupert's Land to reclaim their home. This rollicking historical adventure fights its way on land and sea, all in search of and control of the mythic Northwest Passage.

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From the Publisher:

Publisher's Weekly:

"While being hyped as the greatest Canadian western comic book ever may sound like faint praise indeed, in the case of Chantler's thrilling historical adventure, it definitely is not. Categorized as young adult historical fiction, the book is a James Fenimore Cooper-styled thriller set in remote Rupert's Land, circa 1755. Fort Newcastle, an English-run trading post commanded by the stout-hearted hero Charles Lord, is overrun in a vicious sneak attack by French mercenaries looking to get rich off the fur trade. Lord and the survivors of the massacre wander the wilderness, looking for allies and plotting their revenge, while inside the captured fort, the villainous Guerin Montglave plots evil deeds. Chantler's sharp black and white artwork (replete with dramatic closeups and muscular action choreography) has a welcome precision to it, while the writing has a pulp immediacy which brings history to life. This collected edition of the three-issue original comes with copious and welcome annotations at the back, where Chantler discusses various plot points and historical references as well as the different styles used from one frame to the next."

The Fourth Rail:

"Northwest Passage is far and away the best work that [Chantler hass] done"

"There are fascinating tales of adventure to be found in history, if they can be placed in the right hands for exploration. Scott Chantler clearly has the skills and the viewpoint to be able to bring the later adventures of Charles Lord to life."

Warren Peace Sings the Blues:

"Full of action and violence, while still telling an emotional tale with well-developed characters"

Comics Worth Reading:

"If you've been looking for a gripping, meaty read with larger-than-life heroes, this is the series for you."

Precocious Curmudgeon:

"Chantler packs the book with action, and he layers it with plenty of interpersonal conflicts. Everyone in the large cast of characters gets a moment to shine as the tension builds. Twists and turns pile up without ever derailing the story. And Chantler's art is as snappy and stylish as ever. All of the elements come together to make a tremendously entertaining comic."

From Booklist:

A cover from the serialized version of this story proclaimed "two-fisted historical adventure," and seldom has a product so lived up to its advertising. Chantler conflates American western mythology and British naval adventure to tell the story of the Canadian northern frontier of 1755, when British, French, and private interests competed for the lucrative fur trade. In such a large-scale epic, characterization might easily have been lost, but by focusing on the fierce enmity between Lord, a British company man and explorer, and Montglave, an amoral French privateer, the story hangs its historical facts on an emotional stake. Though Chantler assembles a huge ensemble cast with complex backstories, his expressive, fluid art brings out the personality of even such supporting characters as a Han Solo–inspired trader and a Batman-like hunter. Readers, particularly boys, looking for a rich, suspenseful, action-packed story (with some fascinating historical details) will find it here in spades. Included is a nearly book-length annotated section, discussing the book's creation. Karp, Jesse

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