So…
Comfy? Good. Let’s begin… You may have read other reviews, but hear at BGCP we love you guys so much we wanted to give you not just 1 review, but 3, so you can make a well informed decision on whether or not to part with your hard earned pennies. For the release of “Saltire-Invasion”, the introduction of Scotland’s first real Superhero, 1 little review just wouldn’t do it justice. My reviews are normally focussed on horror related comics and I love a good baddie as much as I love a kickass hero, so here’s my take on things. Who is “Saltire”? He’s a mighty Scotsman, an immortal protector of a nation, a ginger heided berserker with dual swords made of “Diamond Steel” (who needs Adamantium?), Scotland’s first real superhero and a fantastical embodiment of William Wallace. He’s also a brilliant possible mascot for Irn-Bru. As the feared and respected leader of Scotland’s armies, William Wallace, once said, “Strewth, throw another shrimp on the barby, ya flamin’ galla?” But enough about historical fact, I’m guessing you want to know if this “Saltire” story is any good? “Saltire-Invasion” written by John Ferguson is a brilliant read, it’s one of these wee boy fantasy epics, with good guys, bad guys, swords, fighting and some mythical creatures thrown in for good measure. The story sees the warrior elite, 10 representatives from the different Scottish tribes under 2 banners, “Highlands of Shadow” and “Valleys of Light” come together under the leadership of a big, blue, immortal badass, to fend off the oncoming Roman Legions, who dare to invade Scotland. Even an Immortal warrior must seek guidance and inspiration from some place and he turns to the wisdom of the “Immortals” by crossing to both the Ethereal realm and Otherworld to consult with them. Look out for “Sloan” of the Otherworld. I really wanna see more of this guy! Why would you not get excited about this??? The 10 mortal warriors must put aside their petty squabbling and unite behind “Saltire” to kick some Roman arse. It’s like a three way crossover, between “The Avengers”, “The Expendables” and “Asterix”. That being said, please don’t imagine this is just, Rock’em Sock ‘em, Mc Robots. There is more to it than that. If it was just about kicking arse, then the uniqueness, the Scottish-ness of it would be pointless. “Saltire” draws upon the rich and deep cultural, historical and mythical background of Scotland. Everything that makes your average American person, desperate to have even the weakest of family roots in Scotland. “My sisters, cousins, uncles, nephews pet iguana is Scattich!” Well…what apart from the name, makes it Scottish? The gorgeous and vibrant artwork certainly gives it a Scottish identity. Amazingly, the team behind the beautiful artwork were discovered through a competition at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee to find the best emerging talent in the country. As winners, Gary Welsh and Tone Julskjaer were given the almighty feat of bringing John Ferguson’s big, blue, ginger badass to life. They have done a hell of a job, the characters are detailed and unique in design, the landscape and depiction of rural Scotland is also very appealing and the vibrancy of the colour pallet used is fantastic. The artwork, depicting the action packed climax of this story initiates an automatic response in the reader; a fist pump in the air followed by an appropriate vocal exclamation, “YAAAAAS!” Aw aboot the banter! When threatened by the Roman God Warrior invoked by the enemy commander during battle, Saltire cries, “Come ahead!” I loved that, I really did and for me it sums up what is so likeable about this comic. It’s Scottish identity. The dialogue is peppered with wee Scottish phrases without going all “Rabbie Burns”, which I fear would have made it more inaccessible to your average non-Scots reader. I’m proud to be Scottish, (still voting no, as I can’t stand Fat Eck), but I’m proud to be Scottish nonetheless. “Saltire-Invasion” puts Scotland on the Superhero map with a carefully crafted character I can really invest in. Now, this is entirely related to my own reading experience from a review copy so it should not have any effect on your enjoyment. The review copy I had was comprised of “Saltire-Invasion” and a 2nd book named “Inception”. The one perhaps negative point I would make is that as a continuous reading experience, the 2nd book felt a bit flat. The glorious artwork remains and the universe and characters are expanded upon exponentially, but it just felt a bit slow after reading through the rollicking, action and adventure of “Invasion”. Its definitely good reading but either take time between reading the stories or perhaps read “Inception” first. I also think it’s important to express the fact that you don’t have to be Scottish to enjoy this. If you are a fan of action, adventure and/or fantasy titles like “Slaine”, “Conan” or even the mighty Thunder God “Thor”, you’ll get a kick out of “Saltire-Invasion”. Best read while listening to the Queen soundtrack from “Highlander”. Long live “Saltire”! Cannae wait to see whose gettin’ it next. Stay tuned as the next exciting review will be up around 4pm (Jordan) |
Ceej Says… Saltire: Invasion review
Click to enlarge.
Publisher: Diamondsteel Comics
Writer: John Ferguson
Artists: Tone Julskjaer, Gary Welsh
Release Date: 27th October 2013
Writer: John Ferguson
Artists: Tone Julskjaer, Gary Welsh
Release Date: 27th October 2013
Excitement has been building for quite some time over the release of Saltire from Diamondsteel Comics. The book, based around Scotland’s first comic book superhero, made its official debut at the Dundee Literary Festival last weekend, and we’ve been lucky enough to be given a look at the initial graphic novel release which contains the first two books in the series.
The one thing that initially strikes you about the book is the quality of the artwork. When John Ferguson initially came up with the idea for Saltire, he approached Duncan of Jordanstone Art College in Dundee and, with their assistance, conducted a competition to find himself an art team. And it’s clear right from the start that both Gary Welsh and Tone Julskjaer are clearly perfectly suited to a title like this, eagerly embracing the epic scope of the book in all its forms, from the mythological, supernatural aura that permeates everything to the brutally kinetic action scenes.
One of my niggling doubts when I first heard about this title was the fear that it could potentially turn into a piece of brainless, chest-thumping, pro-Scotland fluff. Thankfully however, that couldn’t be further from the case, as Ferguson has clearly done some exhaustive research to create a fully realised world complete with an extensive pseudo-history that intertwines real events with familiar Scottish folk tales. While there is clearly a pride in the Scottish heritage, it never becomes tacky or overdone, and the creativity on display – particularly in the gathering of the champions from each of the clans – is difficult not to be impressed by, with Welsh and Julskajer once again rising to the occasion in bringing this diverse cast of characters to life in a series of beautifully rendered splash pages.
The first two books each have a very different feel to them, with the first focusing on the clans being forced to summon legendary protector Saltire to defend them against the invading Ninth Legion of Rome, and the second focusing on the initial genesis of Saltire and his resulting journey to visit the clans responsible for his creation. These distinctive tones work extremely well to counterbalance one another, with the energetic, dramatic showdown with the Roman legion contrasting beautifully with the more thoughtful, almost poetic journey of the newly-formed protector.
The book has some great touches, from the aforementioned clan champions to the variety of mythological creatures on display, to – in a few choice moments – the dialogue of Saltire himself. Having a supernatural Scottish protector exclaiming “Come ahead!” or “I’m gonna have you!” just flat-out worked for me, and again served as a terrific contrast to the old-style dialogue that makes up the rest of the comic.
The groundwork has been laid here for what has the potential to be a sprawling, truly epic tale, and that’s clearly the intent of creator Ferguson who has made no secret of his desire to have Saltire become a “Scottish competitor to Batman and Spiderman”. And with the creative team he has in place, along with his clear passion for the subject matter, that dream may not be as far-fetched as it initially sounds.
Rating: 8/10.
You can buy the first Graphic Novel here from Diamondsteel Comics’ online store, or from your local comic shop while stocks last.
You can out find out more Saltire on their Facebook Page and on Twitter.
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