Blacksad: Arctic Nation

            Arctic Nation is the second volume in the Spanish/French award winning Blacksad comic series, released three years after Somewhere Within the Shadows. It is written by Juan Díaz Canales with art by Juanjo Guarnido. This review will build off of my first Blacksad review, Somewhere Within the Shadows,  so I suggest you read it first.

Arctic Nation takes place in a fictional industrial suburban town known simply as The Line. From the name and the lack of clear location, it seems that this town is meant to capture many towns instead of Blacksad’s usual approach of using a specific city. Racism is the major theme in this story as Blacksad tries to solve the case of a missing Black girl in a town struggling with race issues. By taking a slight change in the direction of this volume, Canales and Guarnido remain true to the noir nature of the series while still making a very fresh experience. In my last review I called Somewhere Within the Shadows a very basic noir story done incredibly well. It would have been awfully boring for Blacksad to continue with the same classic storyline. One of the reasons I love Blacksad is because it always keeps the noir style, while changing the major themes in each story. The differences in each Blacksad volume elevate the series as a whole, providing for a memorable experience with each story.  Arctic Nation happens to be my personal favorite. Just like the previous volume, the art and writing are absolutely phenomenal.

In the suburban town, The Line, there are very apparent race issues. Since Blacksad takes place in the late 1950s in a universe with the same history, this would be just a few years before the civil rights movement. Race is a little confusing as the discrimination is still based on color. Since these are animals, it is based on their fur color. A white supremacy group, Arctic Nation, has influence in the city. That’s not to say that the black communities of The Line are perfect angels. A gang known as the Black Claws has been causing trouble in their own ways. These two groups are in direct opposition which is causing trouble in this suburban town. Not long after Blacksad arrives, he witnesses the aftermath of a hanging. A crowded street is staring at lifeless body of a black vulture. Wearing a trench coat with a bottle of alcohol in his pocket, it seems likely that he was homeless, an easy target for Arctic Nation to help send a message. That won’t scare off Blacksad, who shares the vultures color, except his white chin of course. He has a mystery to solve.

Blacksad has been hired by Miss Grey, an elementary school teacher portrayed by a deer. Again, it’s important to note how perfect the casting is for this series. Miss Grey as a deer provides the frailty and strength you would expect to find in an old teacher. It’s a combination that is hard to pull off, but a deer provides perfect imagery to convey these traits. Miss Grey wants Blacksad to look for a missing black girl named Kaylie. The town seems uninterested in searching for her, including her mother, who hasn’t reported it to the police. The rest you will have to find out for yourself by reading it. This is one story you do not want spoiled.

The most fascinating aspect of Arctic Nation is how well it handles racism. It’s not uncommon for media to portray racist characters as totally unlikable with flat characterization. Arctic Nation does a fantastic job of fleshing out the characters. Instead of one group acting as a single unit, the white supremacy is multifaceted. We very briefly see Mr. Oldsmill, a white tiger representing the upper class. While extremely influential to spread of racism within the town, he is ultimately detached and unaffected by the problems surrounding racism. There is also the polar bear, Mr. Karup, who is the police chief and a choir director for children at the church. A symbol of morality as the upstanding W.A.S.P., he struggles behind closed doors while having a mysterious past, once being married to a black woman. Then there is Huk, an arctic fox who is cunning and ruthless. He is almost entirely self-absorbed, mainly interested in furthering his own influence and power. These characters with their diverse goals, ideals, and backgrounds allow for greater exploration of racism. While most will agree that racism is bad, there is more to tell than just the message. Arctic Nation isn’t really interested in that message so it focuses on telling a compelling story. The most compelling stories have rich characters. Making a group that is instantly dislikable with most audiences today fully developed was essential in making this story work and it is done incredibly well.

One of the major problems with noir is that the final reveal is often underwhelming in comparison to the buildup. Either the ending is too obvious or it’s nowhere near as exciting or interesting as the buildup. Arctic Nation, on the hand, delivers an ending that is extremely satisfying. Almost every part of the story is important for the end. Clues are placed throughout, in places one wouldn’t expect. This makes this story fantastic to read again just to pick up on the little details you missed.

For those who have already read it, didn't notice this the first time!

It’s hard to find any piece of media, let alone cat fiction that is so flawless. I may be biased because of my love of this story, but I can’t find a single flaw. I have to really grasp at straws in order to do that. The mystery and reveal are amazing, the characters are fully fleshed out and compelling, the art is absolutely spectacular (flashbacks gain more color the closer they are to the present), and the voice in the writing bleeds noir style in every sentence. I can’t describe everything that is right with Arctic Nation because it would take several pages to fully explain how wonderful it is. If you liked Somewhere Within the Shadows even just a little, you have to read Arctic Nation. 

Final Purrdict: Purrfect!

Also, Blacksad gets a sidekick in this volume and future volumes. Weekly, a least weasel who is a journalist for a tabloid called What's News. He fun and adorable. Great sidekick with a lot of comedy. Not super important for the story, but he makes a great foil to Blacksad's more serious nature.

Don't you want to just give him hug? After he bathes of course.