Wolfsmund tells the story of the struggle of the people from the Three Cantons that would become Switzerland against the oppression of the tyrannical Austrian Hapsburg invaders. It uses the start of the revolt from the actions of the great hero William Tell, albeit taking some liberties with the story.
The first half of the story takes place at the Gotthard Pass Checkpoint, which is dominated by the fortress known as Wolfsmund (the Wolf's Maw). The rebels try and fail repeatedly to cross the checkpoint with the intention of reaching the (then) Italian city of Lugano in the south. The pass is effectively a bottleneck that impedes the people of the Cantons from contact with southern Europe. The second half is dedicated to the war against the Hapsburgs.
The historical liberties don't mar the story (the fortress didn't exist, nor Wolfram, its monstrous commander, did, him being a composite character representing the Hapsburg yoke on the people of the Cantons), and otherwise, the manga takes special consideration in showing realistic medieval warfare and sieges, armored melee combat, as well as depicting actual historical battles.
A fact that sets it apart from other Dark Medieval manga is that Wolfsmund lacks a clear protagonist, and the one character who could be considered as such doesn't show up until some ~7 chapters later. The manga does not shy in showing brutal imagery of torture against men, women and children, as well as the horrors of war.
Wolfsmund is not a manga where a hero prevails alone, making special consideration in showing the significance of collective struggle against tyranny, as well as the questionable moral decisions that the oppressed also do for the sake of the revolution. It is not black and white.
The fact that it's a dramatic retelling of the infancy of the nation of Switzerland doesn't mean that it's a romantic retelling.
If the reader is looking for hero and villain, Wolfsmund is not the manga for that.
Art: 9.5/10
The art is excellent save from the fact that the Hapsburgs don't sport the characteristic "Hapsburg Chin" :)
Characters: 7/10
The characterization could be worth more if people like Wolfram weren't so one-note.
Story: 8.5/10
The historical liberties taken are quite a few, but don't detract from the story that much.
Overall: 8/10
Give it a read. Might not be your cup of tea, but at least you get to see molten lead poured on a dude's face.
Manga A Good Historical Fiction Manga
Wolfsmund tells the story of the struggle of the people from the Three Cantons that would become Switzerland against the oppression of the tyrannical Austrian Hapsburg invaders. It uses the start of the revolt from the actions of the great hero William Tell, albeit taking some liberties with the story.
The first half of the story takes place at the Gotthard Pass Checkpoint, which is dominated by the fortress known as Wolfsmund (the Wolf's Maw). The rebels try and fail repeatedly to cross the checkpoint with the intention of reaching the (then) Italian city of Lugano in the south. The pass is effectively a bottleneck that impedes the people of the Cantons from contact with southern Europe. The second half is dedicated to the war against the Hapsburgs.
The historical liberties don't mar the story (the fortress didn't exist, nor Wolfram, its monstrous commander, did, him being a composite character representing the Hapsburg yoke on the people of the Cantons), and otherwise, the manga takes special consideration in showing realistic medieval warfare and sieges, armored melee combat, as well as depicting actual historical battles.
A fact that sets it apart from other Dark Medieval manga is that Wolfsmund lacks a clear protagonist, and the one character who could be considered as such doesn't show up until some ~7 chapters later. The manga does not shy in showing brutal imagery of torture against men, women and children, as well as the horrors of war.
Wolfsmund is not a manga where a hero prevails alone, making special consideration in showing the significance of collective struggle against tyranny, as well as the questionable moral decisions that the oppressed also do for the sake of the revolution. It is not black and white.
The fact that it's a dramatic retelling of the infancy of the nation of Switzerland doesn't mean that it's a romantic retelling.
If the reader is looking for hero and villain, Wolfsmund is not the manga for that.
Art: 9.5/10
The art is excellent save from the fact that the Hapsburgs don't sport the characteristic "Hapsburg Chin" :)
Characters: 7/10
The characterization could be worth more if people like Wolfram weren't so one-note.
Story: 8.5/10
The historical liberties taken are quite a few, but don't detract from the story that much.
Overall: 8/10
Give it a read. Might not be your cup of tea, but at least you get to see molten lead poured on a dude's face.