“No Man’s Land” by Szymon Kudranski is an absolutely beautiful graphic novel. Not the subject, mind you, but the artwork. I kept having to remind myself to read the words because I was soaking in the artwork.

The story? Oh, it’s good.

We are in the middle of the Cold War. A body has been found in a unique spot. An ice bridge that connects Russia with the United States. If one were to be assigned to investigate, you must be cautious. One misstep, and you are going to be arrested as a spy. So, two investigators, one from America and one from Russia, are in the middle of a political conundrum while trying to figure who, or what, committed this atrocity.

And the consequences of the investigation? You will find out in the last few panels.

Epic.

Historic, even.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was a really cool, atmospheric, graphic novel. "No Man's Land," follows an American FBI agent who is sent to an area between Russia and the US to investigate the murder of an unidentified woman. While there, he must work alongside a KGB agent, all while maintaining complete secrecy, in hopes of avoiding international scandal.

I really enjoyed this story. It took the "I'm getting too old for this" trope and used it in a very cool way. I really loved the art and thought the bright white of the frozen landscape really made the color more impactful, when used.

Again, I feel like Image Comics rarely misses and this was another example of them nailing a really cool concept.

For three months each year, you can walk from the USA to Russia across an ice bridge, a frozen path known as the Ice Curtain. No Man's Land is a thrilling Cold War era murder mystery set along this frozen border between the U.S. and Russia. Szymon Kudrański crafts a stunning and hyper-realistic blend of political tension and emotional weight with outstanding artwork,

Diomede Islands. For three months each year, you can walk from the USA to Russia across an ice bridge—a frozen path known as the Ice Curtain.

In 1963, when the body of a young woman is discovered on this icy no-man’s land, the already fragile relationship between the superpowers threatens to collapse. With nuclear tensions rising, an FBI agent and a KGB operative must solve the murder—before the ice melts…and war ignites.

As with any Kudrański comic series, picking up No Man's Land for me was based mostly on the incredible artwork I knew would be inside and once again, I was not disappointed. His hyper-realistic style and attention to detail can be jaw-dropping at moments. The true brilliance of his artwork lies not in his incredible lines, character designs, or settings, but in his ability to light just the right spots in every panel, something that is truly breathtaking. This draws you into the tension and emotion on each page. The extremely detailed imagery isn't for every comic, but for an atmospheric thriller story, like No Man’s Land, it's incredibly stunning.

I came for the artwork, but as with previous Kudrański comics, the storytelling is what kept me around. No Man’s Land is an outstanding, tension-filled political thriller with just the right amount of heart. This is not just a Cold War thriller with foreshadowing of a global catastrophe, but a more personal story about an FBI agent nearing the end of his unblemished career, dealing with his own personal battles. This blend of emotion and political tension, gives me plenty to look forward to as the series continues.

No Man’s Land is a stunning political thriller that blends the tension of war with emotional depth. Szymon Kudrański's talent for creating outstanding comics is seriously unmatched, and with No Man’s Land he proves once again that just as skilled at crafting a story as he is at illustrating the tale. His One Man Art comics have been fantastic and No Man’s Land is right at home among his best work.