A suspenseful political thriller, No Man’s Land lures you in through its sleek atmosphere and intriguing murder mystery.
From acclaimed writer and illustrator Szymon Krudanski (Blood Commandment, Spawn, Punisher), comes an all-new political mystery No Man’s Land, which follows a struggling FBI agent, Kevin Collins, who’s sent out to investigate a murder as tensions ignite between the United States and Russia.
Krudanski introduces readers to a world that’s not unlike our own. Set during the Cold War era, the story begins when a murder occurs on the naturally-formed frozen ice path known as the ‘Ice Curtain’ that allows easy passage between the USA and Russia, crossing the Diomede Islands. There’s always been tensions over who holds jurisdiction over the two Diomede Islands — Big and Little Diomede — and following the mysterious killing, the fragile relationship between the two superpowers borders on collapse. The duty falls to an unwilling FBI Agent and a KGB operative to solve the mystery behind the murder, lest tensions boil over to potential nuclear disaster.
Despite telling a story on a global scale, with potentially cataclysmic consequences, No Man’s Land feels very close, personal and even claustrophobic. Our protagonist, Kevin Collins, is desperate to take an early retirement, but his request is denied. He’s forced to investigate this case. What’s more, the secrecy and dedication he has to his job means he doesn’t have a present home life. His wife struggles mentally without his presence and support, and files for a divorce.
Krudanski’s research pays off massively. The real-world ice bridge between the Diomedes is paved in a history of mysteries and tensions. It’s one of the most geopolitically fraught locations on Earth, making it a perfect location to tell a story like this.
The artwork is glorious. It’s gritty, brooding and atmospheric, whether it tackles intimate, raw emotion, or larger scale panels.
I loved No Man’s Land #1. The story has an ominous tone, and with each page you turn, you can almost feel the ticking of the Doomsday Clock as it approaches midnight.
Rating: 4/5
No Man’s Land #1 debuts September 17th from Image Comics.
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