Odinn’s Eye: How Perspective Shifts Through Time

Odinn’s Eye is the Bad Idea title we’ve waiting patiently for. Through the eyes of the protagonist Solveig, readers see a young girl becoming a warrior in troubling times. With epic Norse poems as a background, historical events warp from Solveig’s perspective. What seems like a quest unfolds as a tragedy with hindsight.

Odinn’s Eye: The Epic of Solveig

Joshua Dysart writes Solveig as sympathetically vulnerable. Born with a deformity, it’s obvious that the only thing keeping her safe from her neighbors was her parents’ wealth. But adding puberty and hysteric episodes to the mix is a lot of trouble. Her visions of the Norse Gods are overwhelming to the point that they practically drive Solveig insane. Ironically that same insanity gives her the mad strength and skill of a berserker. But her task ahead is going to need more than just blind rage, and the reader can’t help but feel how tragic her situation is. Solveig’s loneliness, struggle for connection, and issues end leave readers in strong anticipation for each development.

Mortals Shape The Gods

Historical records of 6th century Scandinavia are scarce, including the role of the Norse gods. Which is exactly what makes the beginnings of the Vendel Age great for stories of best guessing. The protagonist Solveig serves not just as the god’s viewpoint but the reader’s as well. The years of 534-536 are a period of uncertainty, and with Solveig getting her first period she matches her era well. Because in addition to coming-of-age, she comes across visions of the titular Allfather and his subjects. With how surreal these visions get with Thomas Giorello’s art and Diego Rodriguez’s colors, interpretation is key.

Odinn’s Eye is a very compelling take on bias. As Solveig’s mother says, people have ways of trying to make sense of the world. The only problem is not everybody can understand how things happen, especially through different beliefs. While I can understand the whys of Solveig’s situation, I don’t know not the hows. Her berserk condition is a big mystery, she’s never drinking alcohol or eating henbane; best guess, this is mutation-induced hysteria. Also I wonder how many of Solveig’s interactions with godly beings are from induced influence under hallucinations.

Is Odinn’s Eye Necessary For Hindsight?

Why is this important? Well what pushes Solveig is the Northern Hemisphere’s cooling period that kicks off the Vendel Age. Imagine how the desperate people of Solveig’s village feel with this. While her areligious parents are able to reason out of madness, their status as wealthy farmers isolates them. So the village’s attack on them feels like a political sacrifice to the gods. As is the “Dark Elves” ritual to sacrificially wed Solveig and her First Scandinavian companion Gavgu to their gods. These aren’t just acts of desperation, they’re political acts to dominate people. The mere act of correlation of having beliefs proven feels like a drug to believers. Just ask the hag witch, Veleda, who use of drugs to glimpse these gods puts her in a stupor. Even Solveig falls to bias when her hallucinations imprint visions onto her.

Even Gods Need Faith

By the final issue, things start to really become interesting; I wonder if this can even be a spoiler given the limited releases. Solveig and all of her companions reach a chamber on the precipice of the mortal and divine worlds. It’s here where Solveig embraces her role as a seer, gaining the attention of the divine. By earning the respect of the All-Wolf and Hildr the Shieldmaiden, a path opens for the latter. A war between the old gods and Norse pantheon matters little to people who know how it turns out. Yet considering how much of Hildr’s role gets lost in translation, she’s disillusioned in victory. So it’s quite interesting to see how Solveig’s insistence to change the gods’ fate moves a demigod.

Odinn’s Eye Is The Gods’ Vision

Odinn’s Eye makes a strong case on how bias can subside. With a compelling look and context on a historical event, and a protagonist to root for there’s something to enjoy. Between all of the cosmic horror-like indifference these characters encounter, there’s a strong sense of acceptance. Because with art like this, it’s best to leave things to interpretation. Not everybody’s going to like that, but nothing about this is concrete. So this series gets 8.5/10.