Stig and Tilde: Leader of the Pack – Comic Review
Thanks to the lovely folks at Nobrow I got my hands on an early copy of the latest Stig and Tilde: Leader of the Pack, due out in February. I wasn’t familiar with the series, so I did read the first volume, Stig and Tilde: Vanisher’s Island first so I was more prepared. Rest assured though, you do not NEED to have read Vanisher’s Island before Leader of the Pack. While LotP does contain spoilers for Vanisher’s Island, it does explain some of the more important events of the first book as they tie in.
The Basics
Stig and Tilde are 14 year old twins. The community they come from has a tradition called Kulku. When the children turn 14 they sail off to one of the nearby islands and have to survive alone for a year, returning as adults. Over time this has shrunk down to a month that the children now look forward to as a party without parents. On their voyage to the island in the first volume, the twins are ship wrecked during a storm on a different island. One without WiFi!
Synopsis
After a narrow escape the first time round, Stig and Tilde find themselves shipwrecked once more on a mystery island… where they’re immediately greeted by a pack of feral wolves!
With their boat in bad shape, and only each other for back up, will they make it out unscathed? Or end up in the belly of several hungry beasts? Find out in the second instalment of Stig & Tilde.
Stig and Tilde: Leader of the Pack
Leader of the Pack picks up almost immediately after Vanisher’s Island, with the twins putting ashore on a new island, but still not the one they want. As in Vanisher’s Island, the twins are once more confronted with dangers that they must overcome, if they are to survive.
Anyone unfamiliar with the books would be forgiven for making comparisons to a certain other Belgian created comic about a young adventurer. Even the cover art (above) calls to mind Hergé’s Adventures of TinTin. And there are similarities, but Stig and Tilde are, at least to my mind, easier to identify with for the reader. TinTin was always a bit too perfect for my liking. In comparison, Max De Radiguès‘ creations Stig and Tilde have their flaws.
One of my favourite parts of the first book was when Tilde mentions that she’s stuck dragging her brother along on her Kulku as they are twins. She wishes she could do something on her own. In the first book she gets her wish, having most of the story to herself. Leader of the Pack has Stig getting more of the action this time.
Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE wolves. What Stig gets to do in Leader of the Pack made me unreasonably jealous of a comic book character.
I also love how a larger story seems to be unfolding over multiple issues. There are revelations throughout Leader of the Pack that echo back to the previous issue and seem to be setting up future ones. I am unsure how many stories are planned in this series, but hopefully it’s a lot.
Summary
Stig and Tilde’s adventures are an absolute delight. De Radiguès has really struck on something I think. I’m not sure what reception was like for the first volume, but I believe that Stig and Tilde are set for great things. I’m truly excited to see where else their adventures take the twins, and will be eagerly awaiting future volumes.
Both Vanisher’s Island and Leader of the Pack are available direct from Nobrow’s website. Vanisher’s Island is already out, with Leader of the Pack launching in February 2020. I do heartily recommend getting both books as while the stories can be read in isolation, as I said above, there’s a larger tale unfolding.
All images © Max De Radiguès/Nobrow Press
