Hinterkind #1 – Review

By: Ian Edginton (story), Francesco Trifogli (art). Chris Peter (colors)

The Story: In a land where the hunters have become the hunted, the hunted decide to hunt back.

The Review: I’ve never denied that I’m a DC fan, but I don’t think I’ve ever made known my particular love for Vertigo.  The Books of Magic and Sandman were two of the major works that led me to more serious comic book reading, and some of my favorite titles afterward came from the same publisher.  I confess it’s been a little difficult, seeing Vertigo’s position as primo indie publisher usurped by Image, but equally encouraging to see it making its revival now.

Hinterkind is the vanguard of Vertigo’s second wave of new titles, a smart position for the series since its premise has the potential for the broadest appeal: humans once again facing the wane of their species in a disaster-stricken world populated by wild animals and mythical beasts.  The characters are young, adventurous, and sensitive, making them easy to like.  Edginton’s writing is perhaps prone to too much exposition, but otherwise respectable.  In fact, Hinterkind’s biggest flaw is not so much in its execution as in a failure to take groundbreaking chances in its content.