“British Ice,” by Owen D. Pomery, follows a mild-mannered British Commissioner named Harrison Fleet as he takes control of an imagined British Overseas Territory. But, when he arrives, it’s clear that there is quite a bit of history around this territory, and that as a British commissioner, he is very unwelcome. What happened in this territory, and can Harrison change it for the better? And is “British Ice” able to thread the needle of telling a compelling story of British Empire from the point of view of that imperial oppressor, yet still staying true to the story of the imagined indigenous people of that island? Read our review to find out!
Written and Illustrated by Owen D. Pomery
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.
“British Ice” has a lot to say about British Imperialism, and most of it makes quite a bit of sense. Though it takes place in a fictional British territory, it still goes out of its way to try and lay bare the atrocities that have been committed in the name of the British empire. It tries to tackle head on the precarious situation that the indigenous people of these British Overseas Territories face. And it does all of this pretty well. It never shies away from the terror of the British Empire. It never pretends that an empire is built off anything other than greed and a need for power.
And yet, “British Ice” also follows, as its main character, the new commissioner of said territory. The very white, very British, Harrison Fleet. Harrison is mild mannered, a perfect English gentleman, in an entirely non-sarcastic way. He is someone with the best intentions, and though he may not know exactly he and his empire has to atone for in the British Arctic Territories, he knows that he must find the way to that secret.
Even in a novel that is, on its face, as anti-imperialist as “British Ice,” it’s hard to create a work that truly digs into the horrors that indigenous people faced under British rule while still telling the story from a British perspective. And the question I couldn’t help asking throughout “British Ice” was, why is Harrison Fleet the one to come in and solve this town? Why is this privileged, powerful white dude the one that needs to figure out what exactly happened in this territory? And why, at the climax of the story, is the fact that the indigenous people are in violent opposition to his rule somehow considered as an overreaction from them?
For most of the book, “British Ice” seems to have its heart in the right place. And yet, when it comes time for the climax, the fact that two indigenous people would act violently against a person that is continuing the legacy of a ruling class that killed an entire generation of their people. How can you make a book that is anti-imperialist, yet still have the main character be a white dude with his heart in the right place, and the bad guys be indigenous people that just don’t understand what he’s trying to do?
As a segue into the art of the book, the climax is also “British Ice” at its least effective, art wise. The high-tension moment, with action and gunshots goes entirely against the strengths of Pomery’s style. This, though, really is only a problem in the single sequence that is the climax. Pomery isn’t especially effective at portraying action or high stakes, but he is fantastic at creating dynamics between characters, at making slow zooms in on arctic territory compelling, and at bringing a beauty to the arctic landscape that he is portraying.
Continued belowThe small moments that make up the rest of the graphic novel work fantastically well. Pomery uses a restrained pallet for his pages, most of which are different shades of light blue, which does a great job portraying the sameness of the landscape that exists in an arctic area. When everything is covered with snow, it makes the world feel like the only color that exists is white. The pallet choice that Pomery makes here beautifully represents that fact.
And, the moments when Harrison talks with people about what has happened to the British Arctic Territories in the past are wonderfully rendered. Pomery has a wonderful sense of pacing in his work. The way the art flows between panels, the quiet moments portrayed in silence, it all works really well.
But, these moments in the art can’t quite make me forget the question I kept asking myself. Why on earth is this Harrison Fleet’s story? Even a sympathetic British Commissioner is still an imperialist by their very nature. I wonder what this story might have looked like if taken from an indigenous perspective. Or even if it was considered that maybe the people trying to scare off or kill Harrison might have a point.
All of that, though, begs an even deeper question. Should this then have been Pomery’s story to tell? I honestly don’t know the answer to that question. Would it have been better for Pomery to tell this story from an indigenous perspective, while still being a white, British man? That is an idea with its own set of pitfalls. And while it’s clear that Pomery’s intentions with “British Ice” are good, it doesn’t seem like he is willing to engage on as deep a level as I would hope with what it means to be culpable for a legacy of something like the British Empire.
Either way, “British Ice” is still an interesting read. I’m not sure if I can fully recommend it, but it does bring to mind a number of interesting questions. Ones that are worth considering when either reading or creating any sort of work. If “British Ice” made me think of one thing, it is that it is important to examine your biases, even when you are trying to do good.
