When Does "Northlanders" #1-#8 "Sven the Returned" (2007) Take Place?
"Northlanders" #1-#8 "Sven the Returned" are historical fiction comic-books written by Brian Wood that premiered December 5th, 2007. So when is "Sven the Returned" set?
It takes place in the year:
We know this because in the first scene of issue one "As High Summer Passes", Sven of Orkney says, "We're Varangian. We're better." As he is living on Constantinople at this point, this probably means he is a member of the real-world Varangian Guard, a military distinction that only officially lasted from 988 AD to about 1453 AD so it is most likely between these two years.
980? AD
We know this because in the first scene of issue one "As High Summer Passes", Sven of Orkney says, "We're Varangian. We're better." As he is living on Constantinople at this point, this probably means he is a member of the real-world Varangian Guard, a military distinction that only officially lasted from 988 AD to about 1453 AD so it is most likely between these two years.
More specifically, later Sven thinks "I'll be back in Constantinople by Spring" and in the sixth issue, "I Mourn for the Highlands" (2008), a man approaches Sven and says, "Last autumn, you spoke to some of my men." so it's probably either September, October, or November of 980 AD at the beginning.
Furthermore, the first page of the first issue includes a time and place setting textbox reading "The Bosporus off Constantinople A.D. 980" and most other issues begin with "Orkney Islands, A.D. 980".
Additionally, issue #5 "The Land of the Leal" (2008) depicts Sven as a young boy.
Furthermore, this issue begins with its own time and place setting textbox: "Orkney Islands, A.D. 960" and then at the bottom of the page "Twenty years previous". So presumably it is 960 AD at the start of the issue.
Furthermore, this issue begins with its own time and place setting textbox: "Orkney Islands, A.D. 960" and then at the bottom of the page "Twenty years previous". So presumably it is 960 AD at the start of the issue.
Finally, there is an epilogue to the last issue of the story, "The Return of the Exiled" (2008), that is only labeled "Years and years later." by a textbox. It is therefore unplaceable other than being being before Sven would have died of natural causes by something like 1020 AD.
