Illustrated by Robert Ahmad and lettered/designed by DC Hopkins, And It Snowed is the final black and white comic in the Monochrome Trilogy of standalone stories written by Nick Bryan.
And it Snowed follows a brother-sister pairing who pay off a debt by stealing a magical snow globe. Sam and Luke then run from Jack Frost in the flesh, as the vengeful monster wreaks havoc on anything nearby.
It’s odd when there are similarities between two completely different stories of the comic world, but the beautifully illustrated noir And It Snowed portrays an epic journey which bears similarities to one of the climactic scenes of Black Panther. After becoming the King of Wakanda, Erik Killmonger decides to burn all of the heart-shaped herbs. As the new king of Wakanda looks at a garden burning to ashes, this image aligns with the African proverb, ‘a child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel it’s warmth.’
While Killmonger wants to ‘burn it all’ to feel warmth, Sam, the main character in And it Snowed, is willing to freeze it all, to shake a magic snow globe that controls the weather ‘until an ice age hits.’ The two share a common theme of desperation, and they will both do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.
Sam’s sole concern is to rid herself of being at ‘something else’s mercy.’ Sam is willing to do whatever it takes to escape her debt. Everything else is secondary. As a result, she does not flinch at the thought of ‘freezing it all’ to cover her mistakes. The story’s strength is how it shows that a negative perception of the world has a significant impact on even a relatable character’s moral compass.
That is exactly what Sam and Luke are from the beginning. A likable brother-sister pairing who are down-on-their-luck, in debt to a ruthless loan shark and hunted by a monster. However, Bryan’s story proves to be a lot more complex than the traditional good vs. evil dynamic.
Sam’s in severe debt due to her drug addiction, so Luke and her con their way throughout the story. Whether they’re stealing jackets or telling fake sob stories for money, the two keep this Bonnie and Clyde dynamic, of course without the romance. However, throughout the story, we are led to believe and we’re convinced that the duo is the lesser of two evils.
As we follow our leads across an epic trek through the snowy London night, we along with the leads begin to question if the journey is ultimately worth it. And the more that Sam and Luke attempt to outrun their mistakes, the more consequential their decisions become.
All the while, there is an impending doom following the two on both sides, which is always slowly getting closer. The climax will leave you wondering who was right, who was wrong, and if there were any lessons learned. The 32-page one-shot has many twists and turns, and there’s even time for some tea!
So, if you’re interested in an epic journey between two complex characters in the midst of a picturesque, tumultuous landscape, give And It Snowed a read and don’t get left out in the cold.
If you want more details about And It Snowed you can check the Kickstarter here! See how you can access the full Monochrome Trilogy, and if you already have, sound off on both our Twitter and/or Facebook feeds to let us know about what you thought!