Creative Staff
Story/Art: Mitsuhisa Kuji
Translation/Adaptation: Ko Ransom
What They Say
The bailiff sweats. The rebellion is on.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
After three volumes of this bloodthirsty series, other than the antagonists, only Walter Tell has survived all three volumes. It is almost impressive how the author can quickly introduce a character, make the reader connect with them, and then brutally kill them off. This is also the thing about Wolfsmund that I don’t care for.
Walter has accomplished all he was meant to do in Italy, and now he is ready to return to his homeland and ignite the flames of war. Unfortunately, to get the battle plans from their Italian comrades to the rebels in Switzerland, Walter will once again have to scale the ravines past Wolfsmund. The only way he can make it is if he has a diversion, and that will require a suicide mission to keep the Bailiff and soldiers of Wolfsmund occupied. This makes sense since the last time he climbed it with his father, Walter was the only that survived after Wilhelm sacrificed himself.
Despite the fact that the mission to create a diversion for Walter is ultimately a suicide mission, that doesn’t mean the brother-sister team attacking Wolfsmund aren’t going to try and kill the Bailiff before they fall against superior numbers. Albert and Barbara are going to do their best to trick the Bailiff into passing judgment on them and exposing himself before attacking him in hopes of avenging their parents death. Revenge against the Bailff of Wolfsmund is a major driver in nearly every aspect of this series. Can Albert and Barbara keep Wolfsmund occupied long enough for Albert to sneak past?
Even after Walter makes it past Wolfmund, even after the Swiss rebels are ready to kickstart the war, Walter still has to suffer one last blow from Wolfsmund’s Bailiff. That sick bastard was able to track down Walter’s mother and little brother. They suffer dearly at the hands of their torturers before being put on display for the citizens. The Bailiff is hoping he can lure out the rebels by threatening the lives of the Tell family. But will it really work, or will Walter sacrifice his family to ensure the success of the rebellion?
In Summary
Unfortunately, the many attempts on the Bailiff’s life continue to fail. While the author has done an amazing job at building my animosity for the Bailiff and the Swiss’ oppressors, it is almost becoming too much for me. I need to see some bad guys die already! And not just faceless foot soldiers, I need to see some main guy baddies go through some pain and suffering like all the Swiss victims in this series.
I’m feeling better about this series after this latest volume. The rebels may suffer even more with the Bailiff’s sadism, but they also finally experience some successes. Some of those successes are small, some are successes that come with a price, but nonetheless, the characters are finally starting to make some progress. Whether or not any of these sacrifices lead to the Swiss winning back their freedom or not, Wolfsmund continues to be a brutal examination of medieval Europe.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Vertical, Inc.
Release Date: January 14th, 2014
MSRP: $12.95
