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