Title: Frostbite Vol 1 | Series: Frostbite | Author: Joshua Williamson | Illustrator: Jason Shawn Alexander | Colorist: Luis Nct | Publisher: Vertigo | Pub. Date: 2017-8-1 | Pages: 144 | Genre: Science Fiction Apocalyptic | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating 5 out of 5 | Source: Barnes & Noble random grab
Frostbite
In the arctic wilderness of post-apocalyptic America, death comes in many forms—but none is worse than the terrifying plague that freezes its victims from the inside out. They call it frostbite, and it is slowly, inexorably infecting the struggling remnants of humanity. Frostbite has no vaccine, no immunity, and no cure.
Until now.
In snowbound Mexico City, Dr. Henry Bonham and his daughter, Victoria, have found the key to destroying the disease. In order to make their theoretical cure a reality, however, they have to travel 2,000 treacherous miles to a secret government installation on Alcatraz Island.
Enter Keaton, captain of the cross-country cargo hauler Icebreaker, and her hard-bitten mercenary crew. They’ve spent years learning how to survive on the ice, but they’ve never before gone on a run with such high stakes—or with such determined enemies.
Will these unlikely saviors make it across the frozen wasteland, defeat the relentless forces gunning for their lives, and bring warmth to the world? Or will frostbite continue to consume all life in its icy jaws?
Discover the shocking answers in FROSTBITE. Collects FROSTBITE #1-6.
Frostbite Review
I loved this. Holy crap. I loved this so much! The cover art of Frostbite caught my attention – reminded me strongly of one of my favorite sci-fi women – and so I grabbed it while I had a coffee at the local Barnes & Noble. I knew I wasn’t going to buy it, but I’m a quick enough reader that getting through a volume like this in the time it takes me to drink a cup of coffee is fairly easy. So, even if it was a dud, I was good. It wasn’t a dud. It was freaking awesome!
The resemblance to Zoe from Firefly doesn’t just end with the outfit and (apparent) race of the main character. Keaton is firm, but kind. She makes a decision and follows through on it. She might regret her actions later, but she does what she feels needs to be done at that moment. This means she succeeds where others fail. It also means a lot of people would gladly see her dead. In comparison, though Victoria is strong in her own right, she seems to pale in comparison. Still, there were moments when I rooted for her as well.
Jason Shawn Alexander did an amazing job here. While I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the stuff I’ve seen from his past, I definitely enjoyed his work in Frostbite. It wasn’t amazingly detailed,but everything was communicated, and it was a pleasure to look at. I don’t know exactly what was different, but this just felt more ‘real’ and clean to me. His drawings were only enhanced by colorist Luis Nct’s work. Luis didn’t use a lot colors, let alone bold ones, and yet he still managed to perfectly set each scene.
While I’m sure the set-up for Frostbite is not unique (I’ve seen similar scenarios many times in regular novels), I still enjoyed it immensely. I was completely immersed in Frostbite from the first page to the last. There was at least one scene where I muttered a rather crude word under my breath, and another where I remember drawing a quick breath in surprise.
I can’t wait for the next volume of Frostbite to come out. I’ll definitely be having a coffee and mooching another read from the local bookstore!
Buy Link: Amazon
Lilyn G is the founder of Sci-Fi & Scary, and leader of the Kali Krew. She does book and film reviews for both genres the site focuses on. Her tastes run towards creature features, hard science fiction, and lots and lots of action. She also has a soft spot for middle-grade fiction that rears its head frequently.
Though no longer involved with Ladies of Horror Fiction due to other responsibilities and a too-full plate, she was one of the original 4 co-founders.
Feel free to chat her up on Twitter as long as you aren’t hitting her up to review your book.