The Coldest Winter is a prequel beginning eight years prior to The Coldest City with a previous supporting character, David Perceval, taking center stage in this new tale. Perceval is a young up-and-coming MI6 agent looking to make his name in one of the most sought after postings during the Cold War - Berlin. He’s tasked with spiriting a defecting Russian scientist out of the city and back to Britain during a severe winter storm.
From the opening pages you immediately can tell you're in good hands with Johnston. We start with a peek at the future before jumping back several weeks and see the story tick down to that opening moment as the tension rises. Fans of John le Carré, Len Deighton and Adam Hall will appreciate how all the pieces of this classic espionage tale click into place. In particular, Perceval emerges as a spy you can root for and will have you digging out your copy of The Coldest City to re-read to see the rest of his story.
We’ve seen this type of tale in film and books before, but not in this format. Although Johnston isn’t necessarily breaking new ground in the end it doesn't matter. This plot is a classic for a reason and if the story is done as well as this one, it is worth telling again.
Steven Perkins's art is outstanding and a perfect match for this story. He makes wonderful use of negative space and his black and white drawings excel in the outdoor snowy scenes. I guarantee you'll be feeling chilly by the time you're done reading. The standout is a thrilling, mostly wordless, car chase in the slick, snow covered Berlin streets. It has just the right combination of energy and tension needed to convey that type of action via images.
This GN is very much worth picking up.
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Reviews with images
The Spy Who went into the Cold
The Coldest Winter is a prequel beginning eight years prior to The Coldest City with a previous supporting character, David Perceval, taking center stage in this new tale. Perceval is a young up-and-coming MI6 agent looking to make his name in one of the most sought after postings during the Cold War - Berlin. He’s tasked with spiriting a defecting Russian scientist out of the city and back to Britain during a severe winter storm.From the opening pages you immediately can tell you're in good hands with Johnston. We start with a peek at the future before jumping back several weeks and see the story tick down to that opening moment as the tension rises. Fans of John le Carré, Len Deighton and Adam Hall will appreciate how all the pieces of this classic espionage tale click into place. In particular, Perceval emerges as a spy you can root for and will have you digging out your copy of The Coldest City to re-read to see the rest of his story.We’ve seen this type of tale in film and books before, but not in this format. Although Johnston isn’t necessarily breaking new ground in the end it doesn't matter. This plot is a classic for a reason and if the story is done as well as this one, it is worth telling again.Steven Perkins's art is outstanding and a perfect match for this story. He makes wonderful use of negative space and his black and white drawings excel in the outdoor snowy scenes. I guarantee you'll be feeling chilly by the time you're done reading. The standout is a thrilling, mostly wordless, car chase in the slick, snow covered Berlin streets. It has just the right combination of energy and tension needed to convey that type of action via images.This GN is very much worth picking up.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2017
The Coldest Winter is a prequel beginning eight years prior to The Coldest City with a previous supporting character, David Perceval, taking center stage in this new tale. Perceval is a young up-and-coming MI6 agent looking to make his name in one of the most sought after postings during the Cold War - Berlin. He’s tasked with spiriting a defecting Russian scientist out of the city and back to Britain during a severe winter storm.
From the opening pages you immediately can tell you're in good hands with Johnston. We start with a peek at the future before jumping back several weeks and see the story tick down to that opening moment as the tension rises. Fans of John le Carré, Len Deighton and Adam Hall will appreciate how all the pieces of this classic espionage tale click into place. In particular, Perceval emerges as a spy you can root for and will have you digging out your copy of The Coldest City to re-read to see the rest of his story.
We’ve seen this type of tale in film and books before, but not in this format. Although Johnston isn’t necessarily breaking new ground in the end it doesn't matter. This plot is a classic for a reason and if the story is done as well as this one, it is worth telling again.
Steven Perkins's art is outstanding and a perfect match for this story. He makes wonderful use of negative space and his black and white drawings excel in the outdoor snowy scenes. I guarantee you'll be feeling chilly by the time you're done reading. The standout is a thrilling, mostly wordless, car chase in the slick, snow covered Berlin streets. It has just the right combination of energy and tension needed to convey that type of action via images.
This GN is very much worth picking up.
From the opening pages you immediately can tell you're in good hands with Johnston. We start with a peek at the future before jumping back several weeks and see the story tick down to that opening moment as the tension rises. Fans of John le Carré, Len Deighton and Adam Hall will appreciate how all the pieces of this classic espionage tale click into place. In particular, Perceval emerges as a spy you can root for and will have you digging out your copy of The Coldest City to re-read to see the rest of his story.
We’ve seen this type of tale in film and books before, but not in this format. Although Johnston isn’t necessarily breaking new ground in the end it doesn't matter. This plot is a classic for a reason and if the story is done as well as this one, it is worth telling again.
Steven Perkins's art is outstanding and a perfect match for this story. He makes wonderful use of negative space and his black and white drawings excel in the outdoor snowy scenes. I guarantee you'll be feeling chilly by the time you're done reading. The standout is a thrilling, mostly wordless, car chase in the slick, snow covered Berlin streets. It has just the right combination of energy and tension needed to convey that type of action via images.
This GN is very much worth picking up.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018
