Niourk, published by Dark Horse books, is a ‘cave to stars’ adventure. And it works.
The story of Niourk is this: a chemical spill in the deep ocean ends up affecting life big time. An isolated tribe of humans, living in isolation, slowly emerge into society, only to find it has been radically changed, during a global apocalypse. Meanwhile, a young man, outcast from the tribe, learns valuable life lessons and takes big steps toward becoming a man. But is he strong enough to lead his people when their current leader dies?
Heavy questions, these. But well handled by writer and artist Olivier Vatine, who has a master’s hand in this book. First published in France in 2012, the drawings have grace, nice geometry, the story flows from large to small panels and back again. There is an ease to reading his work that allows us to be lulled into almost ignoring the beauty of the visuals in order to absorb the story. And so it should be all elements subservient to the tale, adapted from the novel written by Stefan Wul.
There’s a lot of depth and thought in Niourk, which I won’t describe any further here, to avoid spoiling your reading experience. Just rest assured that this is a deep, vast story with lots of elements at play. Check it out!
Dark Horse Books: Niourk, $29.99 hardcover, for 158 pages of content. Rated 16+
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