S is for Stand, Still, Stay, Silent and especially Sundberg

September 12, 2014 2:08 PM

"Stand Still, Stay Silent" is the follow-up to Minna Sundberg's successful webcomic "A Redtail's Dream" (previously), but instead of a 550 page Finnish fantasy tale, it's a post-apocalyptic but still very Scandinavian story intended to run for years. After 10 months of almost-every-weekday pages, she has taken a short break for the end of 'Book One' and it's a good time to catch up. (SPOILERS INSIDE, but reading from the beginning is still strongly recommended)

90 years after a still-incurable pandemic, Iceland is the only nation in what they call "the Known World" not to have its human population decimated, thanks to extreme intentional isolation. So there is still much opposition to even a small, low-budget "research mission" into what is called "the Silent World", where There Be Monsters - not human zombies, but other mammals (except cats) mutated by the same disease into classifications called "Beasts", "Trolls" and "Giants". We haven't yet met all of the small and rather quirky group of explorers, but they have already encountered their first Troll while still on a 'safe' train. It's gonna get uglier, but with Sundberg's art, beautifully so. Just remember to "Stand still and stay silent".

posted by oneswellfoop (9 comments total)

I just read the first few pages and I love the art style.

Thanks, bookmarking for later.
posted by Fizz at 2:13 PM on September 12, 2014

Sundberg is doing a great job of the "slow reveal" of the true terror of the post-apocalyptic future. Even reading the OP's introduction is a bit of a spoiler... do yourself a favor, don't click any links and just start at page one!
posted by anthill at 3:06 PM on September 12, 2014

Oh wow, I didn't know there was a new comic by the author/artist of Redtail's Dream. Not that I have time to catch up on 10 months of a comic right now! Thanks oneswellfoop!
posted by Inkoate at 3:06 PM on September 12, 2014

As an Icelander, I can confirm that for all intents and purposes, we're basically Madagascar.
posted by Kattullus at 3:40 PM on September 12, 2014 [3 favorites]

Ok that was sensational, thanks for the post! Between this and Nimona I'm really enjoying graphic novels again.
posted by dhruva at 6:49 PM on September 12, 2014

To be quite honest, it took so long for the story to start up I've mostly lost interest by now, even though I'm still following it. I hope it gets better (my level of interest, not the story. The story is probably fine. I think it's my attention span.)

Loved A Redtail's Dream though.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:27 AM on September 13, 2014

Okay, caught up now.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 3:50 PM on September 13, 2014

Just got caught up as well. Beautiful comic. Really looking forward to watching the world unfold.
posted by cthuljew at 4:30 PM on September 16, 2014

Book 1 print drive is on!
posted by anthill at 6:46 AM on September 23, 2014