Bertozzi's newest graphic novel explores the adventures of another famous explorer, Ernest Shackleton, who led one of the most ambitious expeditions of the Antarctic continent. Simple line drawings and witty narrative draw the reader along Shackleton's journey, from seeking funding to attempting to cross a continent covered in ice. Rather than highlighting some of the more gruesome aspects of the journey (loss of toes to frostbite, eating of the sled dogs), Bertozzi focuses on the more whimsical aspects of arctic exploration, which will disappoint readers looking for a sensationalist read.The graphic novel format limits the amount of information in the text and leaves readers looking at a lot of roughly drawn men on minimalist ice. This graphic novel makes a good supplement to the Shackleton Expedition body of work but lacks diverse appeal.Rebecca Denham.

Earnest Shackleton made several attempts to reach the South Pole in his career as an explorer, but he never managed to see it. Bertozzi's latest, much in the same spirit of his well-received Lewis & Clark (2011), covers one such expedition, during which Shackleton and his crew spent almost two years in and out of ice packs, drifting in lifeboats, and desperately trying to find a way back to civilization. For all the peril, though, the slightly obsessive (but never foolhardy) Shackleton comes across as an exceptional leader, maintaining a positive, enterprising attitude and never losing his probably life-saving spirit of camaraderie. Bertozzi eschews all narrative explanation, relying solely on dialogue among the crew and the detailed black-and-white panels to tell the story. The snow- and ice-bound journey is the perfect match for Bertozzi's minimal style st stretches of white become gasp-worthy, desolate vistas. The result is stark but effective, and it only serves to underscore the tense drama of the harrowing journey beset by seemingly endless obstacles. Perfect for fans of real-life adventure stories.

Translating historical accounts into the graphic novel format can be an iffy proposal, often reducing the subject to illustrated factual regurgitation, but Bertozzi (Lewis and Clark) compellingly brings readers along for Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914-1915 conquest of the South Pole, just in time for the centennial anniversary of the expedition. After two failed previous attempts to reach the pole, Shackleton and a stalwart crew braved unimaginable desolation, an eight-month stretch with their icebreaker at a standstill, the ship sinking when crushed by tons of thawing ice, and the subsequent trek across 374 miles of frozen wastes. It's an epic true-life adventure, and Bertozzi's storytelling will keep readers riveted as he illustrates the expedition's day-to-day travails in b&w panels as sparse as the stark expanses Shackleton and crew crossed. That bleakness is offset by Bertozzi's depiction of the tenacity, camaraderie, and humor of the men, and it's that spotlighting of the crew's unwavering humanity in the face of icy doom that sets this book apart. A must-read for history buffs and fans of cinema-quality visual storytelling alike. Ages 12-up. (June)