Chapterhouse's Surprise o' The Month! Northguard!

Every month, I review solicitation material from as many publishers as I can locate in order to (hopefully) help fill these pages.

Landing on Chapterhouse's upcoming releases always creates a bit of a charge. There's always a moment of anticipation before clicking the link. It's been said here before but I find Chapterhouse has developed an ability to surprise fans on a regular basis now, whether it be through collecting past, now hard-to-find material, or re-releasing recently-published books such as The Pitiful Human-Lizard and True Patriot.

Their March 2016 solicitations are no different. Unexpectedly (at least from my perspective), Northguard apparently returns in the spring. Not only in the form a compendium reprinting his earlier appearances (we knew that already) but as a guest-star in the regular Captain Canuck series.

(Story) Kalman Andrasofszky
(Aart) Leonard Kirk
(Cover) Kalman Andrasofszky 

Who is Northguard? Is he friend or foe? And how does his sudden arrival affect last issue’s shocking revelation about Redcoat?

If I recall correctly, Northguard creator/writer Mark Shainblum had stated in interviews that there was a possibility that his character would return at some point.

Now frankly I come across such statements fairly frequently. The best example is Captain Canuck himself, really. How often has he "returned" (Reborn, Legacy, etc...) only to fade away again just as quickly? I had no reason to doubt Mr. Shainblum, but sometimes circumstances derail plans and intentions. Nothing was written in stone. Nothing could be.

So this was very nearly a coffee spit-take type of surprise for me this morning, as I'd heard nothing about the possibility in several months. But when Chapterhouse gives Northguard his own series, I'll be better prepared. ;-)