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Published on November 8th, 2013 | by Ed Garrett

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Scotland’s First Superhero! Review of “Saltire – Invasion”

We are very pleased to have received the opportunity to review this original graphic novel from across the pond, one that features a character said to be Scotland’s first true superhero.  The story is a mix of history and mythology with a fair amount of superheroics thrown in for good measure…and the result is excellent!

Created by John Ferguson, this book was illustrated by the winners of a competition at the Duncan of Jordanstone Art College in Dundee, and the finished work was debuted in Scotland at the Dundee Literary Festival just last month.  Ferguson describes Saltire as “an immortal being created thousands of years ago to protect Scotland and its people. He’s big, he’s blue and he’s ginger. He has Scottish values but he’s a traditional comic book superhero with a variety of super villains to contend with as the story progresses, a Scottish competitor to Batman and Spiderman if you like.”  The book takes a twist on the story of Rome’s Ninth Legion and their attempts to spread their conquests into Scotland, into the land of Saltire.  As for the book itself?

This story has it all, from great warriors to siginificant sacrifice, from dragons to magic to superpowers, and the mix works well.  There is a sense of wonder in the story, told as if this were an historic legend passed down over the generations.  The artwork compliments this feeling well throughout the book.  Still, there are some spectacular battle scenes in here worthy of any superhero title.  From the legendary sense of the script to the execution on the page, this is a solid story that I enjoyed reading.  “Saltire” is an excellent graphic novel, well worth checking out.  You can find it for sale through several outlets…starting with THIS LINK for their publisher, Diamond Steel Comics

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Summary: There is a great sense of wonder and legend in this story of "Scotland's First Superhero", Saltire!

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Tags: Diamond Steel Comics, John Ferguson, review, Saltire

About the Author

Ed Garrett Ed is a long-time comics collector, going back to the days when comics were only 12 cents. He reviews DC titles and a variety of Indie publishers here at TMStash.

Comics Gathering Review

SALTIRE: BOOK 1 & 2

BY SEAN TONELLI on November 09, 2013

Let’s face it, if comic book heroes existed, North America would be protected. Heck, if any baddie thought of going anywhere near New York, they’d have at least 50 heroes to deal with. Even Canada’s got Captain Canuck. Well thanks to John Ferguson, Scotland is now protected by its very own superhero; an immortal by the name of Saltire. The first two books are collected in a set simply entitled Saltire, but is he the hero Scotland needs?  
Saltire serves as the immortal guardian of Scotland. Created by the 12 clans as a way to protect them from the encroaching outside world, the big-blue-wonder rocks two giant diamond-steel swords and isn’t afraid to use them in the name of freedom. The first book, Invasion, serves as an introduction to Saltire as he goes face to face with a Roman legion. Book two, Inception, delves deep into the mythology surrounding our hero and essentially sets up the rest of the upcoming series.

John Ferguson has created an interesting mythology that showcases surprising depth. I found myself completely enthralled with the mysticism that’s a healthy mix of Lord of the Rings style fantasy and Game of Thrones style politics. While the mythology is engrossing, there are some faults with the story itself. Saltire himself is visually appealing, but he’s still one-dimensional. Ferguson’s dialogue can be a bit hockey at times and the dated use of thought bubbles tires quickly. Inception, being the stronger of the two tales, shows definite sign of progress however that makes me optimistic for the future of the series.

The art unfortunately is a mixed-bag. Some splash pages are beautiful and the load split between the two artists offers very negligible difference. However, some of the sketch lines can still be seen through the colouring, giving the book more of an unfinished appearance as opposed to a style.

Saltire may not be perfect, but its engrossing mythology is enough to keep you coming back for more. If the series can fix its minor faults, Saltire may become a household name sooner than you think.

Saltire: Book 1 & 2
Writer: John Ferguson
Art: Tone Julskjaer & Gary Welsh
Publihser: Diamondsteel Comics
Purchase: http://www.diamondsteelcomics.com/shop

OUR SCORE:

7/10

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A LOOK INSIDE

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Bagged and Bored Review

REVIEW: “Saltire” Volume 1

Posted on November 20, 2013 by bagandbored

(Diamondsteel Comics, 2013)

Review by Brad Gischia

Created by John Ferguson
Art by Tone Julskjaer & Gary Welsh
Cover by Jim Devlin

One of the core ideas of the comics world, especially that of the Marvel U, is the insistence that heroes can come from anywhere. One of the key points that made me fall in love with the X-Men was that they were a truly international group, with members coming from countries across the globe. And I always wondered…could they manage to survive in a book of their own? Could Nightcrawler, German circus performer, thrive as a lone hero in Bonn? Would Sunfire be the terror of the enemies of Tokyo? Those are back-stories that would interest me profusely. In Saltire, from Diamondsteel Comics, you get that sort of story.

Granted we are not in the present day. Saltire is a fantasy book for certain, but it is so because the native land of the hero, Scotland, has such a rich history within the fantasy realm. The main hero, Saltire, is the thirteenth guardian of the land, called by the other twelve to help defend it in their darkest hour, which, during the 1st century, consisted of the invasion of the Roman legions into the north of the British Isles.

History lesson. Hadrian was emperor of Rome, and commanded the largest standing army on the planet. His empire was so big that he had no hope to hold it but my force, hence the army. When he decided to march north to Scotland, he was soundly defeated again and again by the Scots, not only because of their prowess in battle but also because of their fierce determination to be free. (We’ve all seen Braveheart, and most of us have seen Rob Roy as well. Same deal but replace the English with Romans. Obviously it’s a bad idea to mess with the Scots.) In the end, Hadrian decided that the best use of the huge army he had standing in the British Isles was to have them build a wall across the entire country, clearly marking the most northern border of the Roman Empire. The wall can still be seen today. (That’s almost two thousand years later folks. Talk about staying power.)

Back to the comic, and sorry for the class time, Saltire leads the guardians into the ranks of the legionnaires, and they begin a slaughter that causes the general to call on Mars (God of War) for help. There is an epic battle in which my favorite lines are uttered; Mars: “I am a God…” Salitre; “Then your sacrifice shall be remembered by those who worship you…but not in this land!” Very cool, very dramatic stuff. Of course with the death of their god the Romans scatter, and Jupiter then advises Hadrian to build the wall.

In the second book, Inception, we have the origin story of Saltire, which gets pretty deep into the mystical nature of the character, and is more complicated than I need to go into here. If you’re into the story, than issue two will fit nicely into that framework. There is a nice progression that shows his birth and the trial he must go through. It tries to establish a mythology for him that puts him on par with more popular mythical heroes like Hercules and Odysseus. But unlike those other characters, it didn’t feel like the trial was that hard. He does fight the shadow guardian, but the fight is short-lived and ends pretty cleanly.

The art in these books is great. There is a painted or chalked feel to the drawings that make them fluid, and the image of Saltire, a red-haired, blue-skinned, shiny eye and tattooed, bare-chested Scotsman is heroic in every sense of the word. The battle and fight scenes look great. And there is one panel of Saltire underwater, a close up of his face large on the page while you see his body diving beneath the surface, which looks awesome. The composition of that one especially stood out for me.

So is this, as the makers claim, “Scotland’s first super-hero”? If you go by a conventional timeline, than certainly. All in all, this was a good couple of books. If you like fantasy, you’ll love it.

___________________________

The examiner review

Diamondsteel Comics gives Scotland its own hero with "Saltire: Invasion"

 

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Saltire: Invasion

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November 24, 2013

 

With a rich history full of myth and magic, Scotland has long been a place full of imagination and a unique perspective on life. However, the country's representation within the realm of traditional "super hero" style comic books has often been slim, besides the efforts of John Lees ("The Standard", "And Then Emily Was Gone") or the recognition of Banshee (or his daughter Siryn) from "Uncanny X-Men". Seeking to right this inequality is John Ferguson, creator and writer of a new property from Diamondsteel Comics called "Saltire". He has been joined by artists Tone Julskjaer and Gary Welsh, who earned their right to work on the series by winning a competition held at Duncan of Jordanstone Art College in Dundee. Alongside cover artist Jim Devlin, the first tome in a graphic novel series, "Saltire: Invasion" introduces readers to Scotland's biggest, bluest, and most ginger of champions - Saltire!

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The series draws back into the past with a legend which mingles real history with the myths and legends of the land itself - legends that most Americans at best might see referenced or imitated in many "sword and sorcery" epics. The story begins in 83-85 A.D. when Scotland was believed by many to be the "end of the earth" and the Roman empire stretched out over most of the globe in their conquest, including modern day Europe. The army of Rome assembles upon the border of the "Valleys of Light", one of several distinct realms within Scotland. This forces the champions of the tribes of Scotland to assemble to defend their nation against tyranny from without. Yet their mightiest warrior is an immortal champion born of the combined life-forces of the champions' fathers - the titular Saltire. He emerges from the "stone of destiny" and not only engages the Roman horde single-handedly, but literally meets Mars, the Roman god of war on the field of battle. Yet this is only the beginning of the journey of Saltire, as he sets out to unite the champions of Scotland with the stones empowered by their fathers as well as exploring the rest of the realm. While he may not have a "fortress of solitude" or a caped dog like Superman, he does have two blades forged of magnetic "diamond-steel" by beings from the "Ethereal World" as well as a black steed, Caledon, from the dark "Otherworld". Thus, Saltire is a being who embodies the combined realms of Scotland, from the valleys to the woods to mythical realms, a being of history and magic.

The artwork by Julskjaer and Welsh is quite good, capturing the spirit of this "sword and sorcery" based realm masterfully. The Roman soldiers and brawny Celtic warriors look as they should, while still allowing for mythical beings such as beautiful dragons or unicorns to exist. Saltire himself has a simple but iconic design, even if his matching blue trunks can sometimes give the impression he is fighting in the buff - not unlike Silver Surfer. A host of other characters are also created, with their names given in text boxes above them in classic style. As with many mythical tales, so many characters are introduced so quickly that unfortunately a lot of them can blur together in an introductory yarn such as this, but hopefully in subsequent tomes more of a supporting cast to flank Saltire will emerge.

The first of these tomes, "Invasion", was sold in Scottish based shops (such as Forbidden Planet, which has a branch in Manhattan) on October 26th, quickly selling out of an initial printing of a nine pound softcover and a nineteen pound hardcover (or roughly $18-$40 in U.S. dollars), and even Amazon's been picked clean. To that end it is best to stick close to Diamondsteel's website as well as their Facebookand Twitter feeds for more announcements and sale dates. Fans of "sword and sorcery" adventures such as "Lord of the Rings" or even more modern pop culture deviations such as "Masters of the Universe" should give Saltire a try, as it combines legends past and present, real and mythical into a cohesive whole for new readers. Turn on some good European power metal to set the mood and give it a whirl.

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Saltire Review

 NOVEMBER 22, 2013 BY BLOGTHEBLUMMINDOORSOFF

It is safe to say that in the world of comic book heroes, the States have got a rather large monopoly of the characters; this seems set to change with the newest hero to come out of Scotland, Saltire.

Written by John Ferguson and with art provided by Gary Welsh and Tone Julskjaer; who both won the chance to provide the artwork for the comic after winning a competition ran through the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. This first collaboration between the group fits perfectly with the overall tone of the comic, and seems like match made in heaven; I for one can’t wait to see the work for them all in the upcoming issues.

The comic is a mixture of Scottish history and mythology, but you don’t have to have an overwhelming interest in either to enjoy this comic. Book One - Invasion gives the reader a quick introduction into the tribes that are to be involved in the upcoming battle against the Roman’s. When it comes to first issues, it is often the case that you are presented with too much information and you feel overwhelmed by the story only a few pages in. This however is not the case with Saltire. We are gradually introduced to the main players of the story and the mythos that the Ferguson has created for this world.

Whilst the character of Saltire is not the only warrior in the story, he is certainly the most prominent. Every super hero team needs a leader, and it is clear from his introduction that the ultimate guardian of the thirteenth tribe is the one we are to be following.

Book Two - Inception is of a completely different tone to the first issue. I can see why Ferguson wanted to put the issues in this order, because some new readers may have been scared away initially if they were given the story of Saltire‘s creation straight away. You need the first issue to come to terms with some of mythology surrounding him and to gently ease yourself into following everything. The second issue does not hold back though and gives the full story on how Saltire came into being. His creation story is one full of anger,  acceptance and curiosity. The overall tone in this issue feels a lot more rounded than the first and seems like something you’d expect much further down the line; it shows great promise from Ferguson. Once again the artwork completely echoes and fits with the writing and as I mentioned earlier can’t wait to see the rest of the world Welsh and Julskjaer have to offer.

I definitely recommend picking up a copy of Saltire is you have the chance. The mixture of Scottish heritage, Game of Thrones style mythology and a refreshing new story really mix well together.

For more information on Saltire check out Twitter, Facebook and their site 

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