Vinland Saga vol. 10

My concern after the (still compulsively readable) vol. 9 was that this series was going to wind up becoming “The Thorfinn Show” as the main plot continued to focus in on him to the exclusion of the rest of the cast.  That’s still a valid concern with this volume as Thorfinn meets Vagn, the leader of the other faction seeking to control the Jomsvikings, and learns the role Floki had in his father’s death.  Meanwhile, Thorkell sets out to satisfy his insatiable craving for battle against Vagn, even if he’s more than a little suspicious of why Wulf, one of Canute’s retainers, has been sent to accompany him by order of the King.  Into all this is thrown laid-back-yet-vicious spear wielder Garm (that’s him on the cover) who is looking for a one-on-one battle against Thorfinn to see if he’s the one person who can finally kill him.

While most of this volume revolves around the various pressures Thorfinn find himself fighting against, mangaka Makoto Yukimura still finds room for some quality time with the rest of the cast.  Benefiting most from this is Thorkell whose gigantic stature and hunger for war could’ve been played for one-note comedy. That may be the case in some scenes, but it’s made clear that there’s a method to his madness best seen when he confronts Wulf.  He’s like a version of Sabretooth who’s smart enough to know when to dial things back in order to keep the murder party going. I also wasn’t expecting to get some scenes with Floki that help flesh out his character beyond that of a scheming leader as he clearly wants the best for his grandson, even if that’s not what the kid wants.  Finally, Garm is a promising addition to the cast and I’m sure he’ll make an interesting travel companion for the main cast provided he survives the “War in the Baltic.”

As for Thorfinn, his story remains compelling even if we’re now in the second consecutive story where he’s forced to confront the sins of his past.  There are moments when Yukimura hits the “ominous foreshadowing” button a little too hard as the possibility that he might have to kill in order to resolve this situation rears its head.  To the detriment of Hild’s character, since she only seems to exist as a constant vocal reminder of what will happen if he does at this point. Yukimura still manages to wring some anxious drama out of Thorfinn’s situation as the volume goes on and things spiral ever further out of his control.  By the time we get to the final page the desperation on his face feels perfectly, terribly understandable. While we’re all hoping that he’ll succeed in the end, Yukimura has pulled off the tough job of convincing us that might not be in the cards here.