Curse of the White Knight Presents: VON FREEZE REVIEW
Writer – Sean Murphy
Art- Klaus Janson
Colors – Matt Hollingsworth
Letters – AndWorld Design
Publisher – DC Comics
Release Date – 11/20
For those of you who have read my reviews before, you know how much I absolutely love Sean Murphy and White Knight and Curse of the White Knight. If you are a new reader, well now you know! One of the things that attracts me to his Batman tales is the fact that not only is he a fantastic writer, but he is also one of the best artists in comics today. I don’t write comics, I just review them, but anytime I read a White Knight story I picture Sean sitting around and imagining this world and what it looks like and drawing random pictures all around and using them to create his story. I believe that the fact that he can imagine what his story looks like in his mind and then bring them to life himself from his own art really sets this series apart from any-other comics out there. This issue however is a new approach to the series. Sean has enlisted the help of Klaus Janson, who is in his own right an art legend in the comic industry. Murphy and Janson have a very close friendship and this issue works because Murphy has modeled his own art style after Janson’s. It’s such an amazing dynamic between the two and Janson’s art brings a fresh look to this series, but still feels of the same world.
VON FREEZE is a story that is packed with so much emotion, and is a new story that covers the beginning of Victor Fries’s life and gives us a deeper story about his childhood in Germany during the Nazi regime. The story is a deep and dark tale, but is an amazing one that helps build up Victor’s character and what has been a factor of his villain career. I’ve always wanted a deeper story into Mr. Freeze because he isn’t like most other Batman Villains. He had a freak accident like others, but that isn’t what drove him into a career of crime. Victor has always done whatever it takes to keep his wife Nora alive and try to find the cure to her disease to bring her back to him. I feel Freeze is one of the most human villains in the Rogue Gallery because if it was one of us, we would probably do the same thing to save a loved one and this has always made me relate to the character. There is just such a deep story there waiting to be told and Murphy was brave enough to explore it and it paid off! Just a beautiful story that puts even more pieces of Fries’s past together for us.
Like I mentioned above, bringing in Klaus Janson for this issue was a great call. With a story like this that has so much depth, you want a guy who has done it all and knows how to capture that while still feeling of the same world. Sometimes when a series has had an artist for so long and then brings in another one, it can really mess with the flow and throw you off a little bit. It’s just so amazing that Murphy and Janson have been so close and zmurphys style is directly modeled after Janson’s. There are some really stunning images in this issue and having Matt Hollingsworth who has been the long time colorist on this series step up and bring it too life is a win for the entire creative team. Hollingsworth stays true to all his previous work, but this issue requires him to step out of his normal realm and use a lot of blues and darker tones as well as work around a lot of snow. He does an amazing job bringing the colors to the forefront but making sure to accent the art instead of drown it out or hide any of it. You can tell he really took the time to work with both Murphy and Janson to give us the best possible art to such an impactful story. The panel work is beautiful and there is not a flaw in the entire issue. One of the best issues in the series art wise and really sets the tone for the story.
If I haven’t convinced you enough already, you need to pick this one up. Even if you have not read any of the other White Knight series, this issue really stands on its own without it and can be read as a one shot. I really hope Murphy decides to do more with this story and add on to it because there is so much more to explore in the Freeze character and from reading this one, he is the one I want to do it! Batman Curse of the White Knight presents VON FREEZE is available now so do your self a favor and pick it up today. It is also available for digital download from your preferred online retailer.
-Wes Greer
Art- Klaus Janson
Colors – Matt Hollingsworth
Letters – AndWorld Design
Publisher – DC Comics
Release Date – 11/20
For those of you who have read my reviews before, you know how much I absolutely love Sean Murphy and White Knight and Curse of the White Knight. If you are a new reader, well now you know! One of the things that attracts me to his Batman tales is the fact that not only is he a fantastic writer, but he is also one of the best artists in comics today. I don’t write comics, I just review them, but anytime I read a White Knight story I picture Sean sitting around and imagining this world and what it looks like and drawing random pictures all around and using them to create his story. I believe that the fact that he can imagine what his story looks like in his mind and then bring them to life himself from his own art really sets this series apart from any-other comics out there. This issue however is a new approach to the series. Sean has enlisted the help of Klaus Janson, who is in his own right an art legend in the comic industry. Murphy and Janson have a very close friendship and this issue works because Murphy has modeled his own art style after Janson’s. It’s such an amazing dynamic between the two and Janson’s art brings a fresh look to this series, but still feels of the same world.
VON FREEZE is a story that is packed with so much emotion, and is a new story that covers the beginning of Victor Fries’s life and gives us a deeper story about his childhood in Germany during the Nazi regime. The story is a deep and dark tale, but is an amazing one that helps build up Victor’s character and what has been a factor of his villain career. I’ve always wanted a deeper story into Mr. Freeze because he isn’t like most other Batman Villains. He had a freak accident like others, but that isn’t what drove him into a career of crime. Victor has always done whatever it takes to keep his wife Nora alive and try to find the cure to her disease to bring her back to him. I feel Freeze is one of the most human villains in the Rogue Gallery because if it was one of us, we would probably do the same thing to save a loved one and this has always made me relate to the character. There is just such a deep story there waiting to be told and Murphy was brave enough to explore it and it paid off! Just a beautiful story that puts even more pieces of Fries’s past together for us.
Like I mentioned above, bringing in Klaus Janson for this issue was a great call. With a story like this that has so much depth, you want a guy who has done it all and knows how to capture that while still feeling of the same world. Sometimes when a series has had an artist for so long and then brings in another one, it can really mess with the flow and throw you off a little bit. It’s just so amazing that Murphy and Janson have been so close and zmurphys style is directly modeled after Janson’s. There are some really stunning images in this issue and having Matt Hollingsworth who has been the long time colorist on this series step up and bring it too life is a win for the entire creative team. Hollingsworth stays true to all his previous work, but this issue requires him to step out of his normal realm and use a lot of blues and darker tones as well as work around a lot of snow. He does an amazing job bringing the colors to the forefront but making sure to accent the art instead of drown it out or hide any of it. You can tell he really took the time to work with both Murphy and Janson to give us the best possible art to such an impactful story. The panel work is beautiful and there is not a flaw in the entire issue. One of the best issues in the series art wise and really sets the tone for the story.
If I haven’t convinced you enough already, you need to pick this one up. Even if you have not read any of the other White Knight series, this issue really stands on its own without it and can be read as a one shot. I really hope Murphy decides to do more with this story and add on to it because there is so much more to explore in the Freeze character and from reading this one, he is the one I want to do it! Batman Curse of the White Knight presents VON FREEZE is available now so do your self a favor and pick it up today. It is also available for digital download from your preferred online retailer.
-Wes Greer
A Look Inside
