Yuli and Alex’s parents are dead, and they were also in danger until the monster came and wiped out the rest of their village. But why is the army interested in these two young people? Find out in Edenfrost #1 from Mad Cave Studios!
EDENFROST #1
Writer: Amit Tishler
Artist: Bruno Frenda
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Editor: James B. Emmett
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: November 22, 2023
Previously in Edenfrost: Teenage siblings Alex and Yuli are the unlikely survivors of an attack on their village during the Russian Civil War. And this is only the start of their fight to survive!
POGROMS AND WAR
Edenfrost #1 opens in the winter on a village in flames. Fleeing through fields with dead bodies half buried in the snow, Alex carries his sister Yuli on his back. They head for the woods. Yuli remembers how much their mother loved it here, even in the bitter winter, which Yuli hates. Suddenly, the girl insists that they have to go back. Her struggles cause both of them to fall into the deepening snow. He grabs her and reminds her that they are now alone.
She remembers the attack on the village, and she remembers a monstrous creature that struck out at their attacker and let them get away. Alex promises her that they will return later, but now they need to leave, and he needs her help.
A soldier arrives in the village, shocked at the damage. Not only is the place on fire, but buildings and carts are smashed into pieces. He finds a survivor, a man who is not coherent except to insist that they must run. He threatens the man, but Colonel Krasnov walks up and stops him. He insists the villagers are allies, and he bends down to speak to the man, Igor Melnyk. He only wants to know what happened.
Eventually, Melnyk complies, even though he fears they will not believe him. It was a monster made of rock and ice, he says. When he grabbed Alex, Yuli went crazy and attacked him. He threw her down. The implication is that their family was Jewish, and dangerous, and not to be trusted. They summoned a golem, he claims.
One of Krasnov’s men finds a scarf in the snow. The children may have fled into the forest. He orders Lieutenant Belov to take a search party and bring them back alive.
Alex and Yuli stop to rest. They need to find a place to spend the night. Yuli has figured out that there will be no returning for them. After their parents were killed, the village is no place for them either. Maybe if they can find their way to Kyiv, they can go to their uncle. Yuli wonders if the monster they saw would help them with revenge. Before this conversation goes any further, they hear a gunshot.
It is a group of soldiers camped in the woods, not Belov’s men. Their uniforms are different. The children flee again.
TWO YOUNG PEOPLE IN A DANGEROUS WORLD
The art of Edenfrost #1 is terrific. Alex and Yuli are clearly young, and it looks as though Yuli has been injured. Alex’s face is exhausted but determined. After seeing the village and the bodies, we understand their desperation. It comes as a surprise when Yuli suddenly seems to come to her senses and realize how far they have come. Her insistence on going back for their mother surprises us and topples her brother into the snow. She hardly has any strength, but she is full of fiery determination. She pushes her tears aside and decides to show only bravery.
I like the way flashbacks are treated in this book. Besides being monochromatic, the panels have a border like that of old film reels, complete with little imperfections. Not only is this a terrific device to indicate memories, but it also helps to communicate the time the story takes place. The golem features prominently in memory, not only Melnyk’s but also that of the children. This gives it a flavor not unlike an old classic horror movie and a sense that it is difficult to believe that the creature could be real.
BOTTOM LINE: RICHLY DRAMATIC
I think the premise of Edenfrost #1 lends itself to a lot of storytelling potential. The setting is grim and dangerous, but also incredibly interesting.
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Edenfrost#1
After losing their parents in a pogrom, Alex and Yuli are on their own amidst winter and warfare.
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Writing8
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Art9
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Coloring8
By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.