British Ice

by Owen D. Pomery

Overview

In this gripping Arctic-noir mystery, a whistleblowing diplomat grapples with the legacy of colonialism, far from the eyes of the world.

Working for the British High Commission, Harrison Fleet is posted to a remote arctic island which is still, inexplicably, under British rule. As he struggles to understand why, and what interests he is protecting, Harrison learns just how much of the land and its community lies in the shadow cast by the outpost's founder.

Caught between hostile locals, the British Government, and an unforgiving physical environment, he begins dragging dark secrets into the light, unaware of the tragic repercussions they will cause. And help is very, very far away.

Part noir, part historical mystery, British Ice explores the consequences of colonialism and the legacy of empire.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603094603
Publisher:	IDW Publishing
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,037,951
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Owen D. Pomery grew up in rural England before studying architecture and moving to London. After several years working in practice and a couple of distractions in a few other countries, he specialized in illustration. Through this he started writing and drawing comics, becoming known on the UK scene with the publication of his debut book Between the Billboards. He continues to live in London, working with an array of design clients and exploring architecture & narrative illustration.

Editorial Reviews

12/02/2019

An evocative “arctic noir,” this graphic novel unfurls a study in desolation, mounting tensions, and chilling atmosphere. British national Harrison Fleet is assigned four years as commissioner in 1984 to Nethertown, a territory claimed by Britain in the late 1800s and “the gateway to the arctic and all her bounties,” where he must solve the disappearance of the previous official. Upon arrival, Fleet is met with distrust from the natives, as the specter of the former British Empire’s stranglehold on the remote area lingers and the indigenous people bear no love for the crown or its representative, as expressed by open hostility and a succession of animal corpses left at his doorstep. While investigating, Fleet receives information from a handful of allies, and as the local hunters slowly close in with lethal intent, he unravels why his government has interest in so remote a location, as well as its gruesome, horrifying Heart of Darkness–style history. Pomery’s narrative is as sparse as the landscape it depicts, with a static, fine-lined visual style reminiscent of a children’s book and nautical etchings, which conveys the frigid environment in a blue-gray monotone. Though fictional, the piece addresses the legacy of British colonialism with simple, straightforward aplomb. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"An evocative 'arctic noir,' this graphic novel unfurls a study in desolation, mounting tensions, and chilling atmosphere." — Publishers Weekly

"An affecting, lonely, and ruthless novel of cold capitalism, the sicknesses of patriotism, and one man with the grip of history on the shoulder trying to thread an entire country through the needle of a moral compass." — Warren Ellis, author of Gun Machine, Normal, and Transmetropolitan

"Pomery's starkly drawn, sharply written mystery artfully brings to life the tale of a lone outsider facing the cold climate and even colder atmosphere of a distant Arctic community scarred by the grubby tide mark of the British Empire." — Hannah Berry, UK Comics Laureate and author of Britten and Brülightly, Adamtine, and Livestock

"Based on a premise that is totally believable." —Fanboy Factor

PRAISE FOR OWEN D. POMERY:

"A major talent." — Forbidden Planet

"Quietly understated from one standpoint and yet at the same time profoundly expressive in delivery... stunning." — Broken Frontier

“Visually innovative, exciting, and absolutely bloody brilliant to behold. Above all, it highlights the power of graphic novels to deliver thought-provoking observations on society where other mediums would fail.” — Slings & Arrows Graphic Novel Guide

“Pomery’s drawings are crisp and precise, making great use of both negative space and geometric patterns... but there’s also a loose sketchiness to them, as though Pomery was creating that blueprint of what it’s like to be human on the page.” — Rob Clough, High-Low

From the Publisher