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“Once Our Land 2” #1

By | March 8th, 2019
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

“Once Our Land” Volume 2 #1 is the double-sized issue that begins the second installment of the “Once Our Land” saga. Don’t worry too much if you haven’t read the first book – the issue updates you on what you’d need to know from the first installment and what’s happened since that story ended. But beware, readers who may want to go back and read the first volume: it’s got some pretty serious spoilers, some of which appear in this review.

Cover by Peter Ricq

Once Our Land Volume 2 #1
Written by Peter Ricq
Illustrated by Jake Bilbao & Peter Ricq
Colored by Peter Ricq

Giant-sized first issue! The long-awaited sequel to the post-apocalyptic break-out hit! Set in 1830’s Germany where creatures from another world have conquered our land. Six years have passed since Ingrid and Fritz have ventured out of their hometown. After their long search for other survivors, they finally make their discovery. The problem is, the survivors are worse than the monsters that roam the land. A fantasy, sci-fi, action, period piece rolled into one epic package. A tale for little and big ones.

What you should know is, “Once Our Land 2” is an all-ages, post-apocalyptic story set in Germany in the 1930s. Our main characters are Ingrid and Fritz, though this first issue features Fritz almost entirely. Rather than “steampunk,” this fantasy/sci-fi/action-adventure is more “saltpunk.” Basically, salt is the only thing that keeps these aggressive, alien, apocalyptic beasts at bay, making it an important commodity in a world where the monstrous things run rampant. It’s created new trade routes and markets, and put salt manufacturers in seats of power.

With that background, this first issue of “Once Our Land 2” sees Fritz and Ingrid reunited and sets them off on a new adventure, investigating murderous dark knights who kidnapped a girl. It’s worth noting, however, that the proverbial ball doesn’t get rolling until nearly halfway through the issue. Everything before it is a great mass of title pages, catch-up, prelude, a dedication page, and a page that tells us “War, hate, and violence is for the stories we tell. Peace, love, and kindness is for the way we live.” It makes for odd pacing that feels almost like padding. Each issue is divided into smaller chapters, so you eventually get used to the untraditional pace, and it will probably not even be an issue once the book is collected into a trade.

Peter Ricq credits himself as the creator of “Once Our Land,” as well as its writer and cover artist. He also has credits for “page layouts, sketches, and designs,” as well as his name in the second position under “illustrated by,” (albeit in a smaller font compared to Jake Bilbao). It seems like Ricq wants to tell the world that this is his comic, his “vision,” and some other people happened to help on it. He also credits himself as the colorist, and in a much smaller font, he also credits Tiffany Lycar, Lina Le, Victoria Sieczka, Ana Doiz, Kinsey Deakin, Juanita Ciabatta, and Daynah Notting as helping with flats and color.

While it seems like Bilbao, as the illustrator, was not worthy of being credited as helping create “Once Our Land 2,” he does win himself credit for “additional designs.” This is a shame since the art is by far the most impressive aspect of the comic. The characters’ faces convey emotion, and their body language is dramatic. Even their bodies, themselves, show a sense of style that’s fully realized and self-confident. The landscapes are detailed, lush and beautiful, helping to build this world and make it seem like it could have been ours, under different circumstances.

The book’s color palette is limited, almost sepia-toned, bringing to life the era as if we’re seeing it through old photographs. It’s good, rich color, even with the old-fashioned filter. It makes the beasts’ blues seem more alien and the red of blood and Ingrid’s hair pop off the page. The panel pacing for “Once Our Land” is also strong, unafraid of quiet moments or letting actions speak louder than dialogue.

It’s when we come back to Ricq’s role that the strength of “Once Our Land 2” unfortunately begins to suffer. The little extras, like the sketches and maps on the chapter dividers, are welcome, intriguing diversions for the eye, but they’re poorly thought-out. One tells us people use salt on their food, but also as a sort of one-use addition to armor, weapons, and clothing. It’s not explained or explored further why something in such high demand is wasted on minimal protection and disposable weapons. Another sketch points to how Fritz might view the items at a picnic as weapons or used for defense, but doesn’t revisit this character trait elsewhere or explain why a boy might think that way. The map seems to be at least half filler territory. The sketches are representative of the world-building as a whole: interesting at a base level, but not yet fully baked.

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The overall design of “Once Our Land” Volume 2 #1 is aesthetically pleasing. At least, until you’re taken out of the moment by how much of the page is unused border, or that they use the Angry Birds font in several places. It’s important to note that no letterer was credited, so issues like font choice, tails being too thin to see, or word balloon borders being thicker than panel borders don’t quite come as a surprise.

Ricq’s writing is interesting enough. There’s action and mystery, danger and intrigue, monsters and weapons with which to fight them. The dialogue doesn’t take too long getting to the point and feels natural, not stilted. The exposition itself has a little too many unnecessary descriptors at times, making it seem like Ricq may not be comfortable with his narrative voice or writing for an all-ages audience. A little more catch-up on characters and their situations would have been more welcome, too, for readers just jumping on the “Once Our Land” franchise now. But all that is nit-picking, not deal-breaking.

All in all, “Once Our Land” Volume 2 #1 is a visually charming book with a lot of potentials. It’s an intriguing concept that blends several genres into a story that ultimately leaves you wanting to read more, even if the delivery is a little ham-fisted.

Final Verdict: 6.0 – While an aesthetic delight, “Once Our Land” is held back by half-baked world-building and a creator spread too thin over too many roles.


Matt Ligeti

Also known as "The Comic Book Yeti," Matt Ligeti writes simple, scannable reviews of comics at ComicBookYeti.com. He lives with his yeti family in the Midwest, but is ready to pick up and leave immediately if spotted. Find him on Twitter at @ComicBookYeti.

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