Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Saltire Invasion Review Quote and Recent Press

Reviews and Press

http://www.tmstash.com/year-comics-indie-wrap/

TM Stash: Best comics of 2013

“We were amazed.”

http://www.fortressofsolitude.co.za/Book-detail/saltire-1-review/

Fortress of Solitude:

“This is a breath of fresh air.”

https://www.inter-comics.com/blog/news-views/papercuts-and-inkstains-vol-2-008-ach-noo-tis-big-blooo

Intercomics:

“Their art easily stands up to releases from the big three….The action scenes are seamless, providing slug by slug shots, but in comparison the more intricate scenes also stick out….We get a balanced tale of wizardy, war, mythology midst the backdrop of the Scottish countryside.”

http://www.geekedoutnation.com/comic-book-reviews/review-saltire/

Geeked Out Nation:

“Saltire could easily be seen standing next to someone like Superman and Batman and it wouldn’t look strange.”

http://www.followingthenerd.com/comics/comic-review-ftn-reviews-saltire-invasion-1-and-2/

Following the Nerd:

“Saltire is dubbed “the first Scottish superhero” but he’s much more than that. What the team from Diamondsteel Comics has created is a legend. “

http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/reviews/125319-a-philistine-reviews-saltire-invasion.html

The Outhousers:

“Writer John Ferguson is a Scotsman with talent…he crafts a well-paced and engaging story.”

http://celticmythpodshow.com/blog/hes-big-blue-and-the-red-headed-defender-of-the-clans-saltire-scotlands-first-superhero/

Celtic Myth Podcast:

“Saltire is an archetypal Golden Age comic book hero – the sort we see on our movie screens today.”

“He is a Hero for a nation – a symbol to stand by.”

http://thecomicbookstop.wordpress.com/2013/12/14/saltire-books-1-2-diamondsteel-comics-review/

The Comic Book Stop:

“Brilliant and packed with action.”

https://www.geeknative.com/43085/national-pride-review-saltire/

Geek Native:

“I’d recommend Saltire.”

http://www.jimmyaquino.typepad.com/comicnewsinsider/2013/12/episode-513-frozen-cni-.html

Comic News Insider:

“Pretty awesome…really cool.” (Podcast: 23mins in)

http://bagandbored.net/2013/11/20/review-saltire-volume-1/

Bagged and Bored.

“The art in these books is great…the battle and fight scenes look awesome. If you like fantasy, you’ll love it.”

http://www.superheromoviesnews.com/2013/12/comic-review-superhero-movie-news-looks.html

Superhero Movie News:

“A breathtaking introduction to an aesthetically striking hero. Truly Inspired.”

http://blogtheblummindoorsoff.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/saltire-review/

Blog the Blummin Doors Off:

“The mixture of Scottish heritage, Game of Thrones style mythology and a refreshing new story really mix well together.”

http://www.examiner.com/review/diamondsteel-comics-gives-scotland-its-own-hero-with-saltire-invasion

The Brooklyn Examiner:

“Iconic.”

http://www.comicsthegathering.com/review/sean-tonelli/2842/saltire-book-1-2

Comics Gathering:

“A healthy mix of Lord of the Rings style fantasy and Game of Thrones style politics.”

http://www.tmstash.com/scotlands-first-superhero-review-saltire-invasion/

TMStash:

“There is a sense of wonder in the story, told as if this were an historic legend passed down over the generations. “Saltire” is an excellent graphic novel.”

http://www.thetimewarriors.co.uk/blog/?p=22628

Time Warrior:

“I’m really impressed with the first Saltire Invasion book and highly recommend it.”

http://bigcomicpage.com/2013/10/31/ceej-says-saltire-invasion-review/

Big Comic Page:

“Sprawling, truly epic tale.”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=474736285974342&set=a.351215651659740.80090.258615317586441&type=1&theater

Big Glasgow Comic Page (three different reviewers):

“Panel for panel the layout and detail, especially in the battle scenes, is rich, exciting and almost dream-like.”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=474432332671404&set=a.258909800890326.56815.258615317586441&type=1&theater

Big Glasgow Comic Page:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of John Ferguson’s Scottish superhero. If you’ve not already picked up your copy yet (and if not, why not?), I’d urge you to do so immediately.”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=474583252656312&set=a.258909800890326.56815.258615317586441&type=1&theater

Big Glasgow Comic Page:

“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.

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”.

http://www.comicbookkid.co.uk/review-saltire-1-2/

Comic Book Kid:

“It’s a pretty cool. I got a real Braveheart meets Lord of the Rings, via Game Of Thrones vibe from it all.”

Video Interview with the creator:

OneOfUs: Chris Harrison

http://oneofus.net/2014/01/saltire-scotlands-first-superhero-preview/

Intercomics: Robin Jones

https://www.inter-comics.com/blog/news-views/papercuts-and-inkstains-vol-2-008-ach-noo-tis-big-blooo

The Outhousers :Jude Terror

http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/123866-new-comic-saltire-claims-to-feature-first-scottish-superhero.html

Comic book Brain Splatter: Jeremiah Peace

http://www.comicbookbrainsplatter.com/2013/12/brain-splatter-exclusive-interview-with.html

In the news:

Superheroes and Referendums in Quebec and Scotland.

http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/tne/pieces/superheroes-and-referendums-quebec-and-scotland

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/dundee-celebrates-literary-festival-and-comic-expo-1.146389

http://www.newsforscotland.com/news/ecletic-mix-as-dundee-events-celebrate-words-and-images

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/dundee/ecletic-mix-as-dundee-events-celebrate-words-and-images-1.146245

STV

http://dundee.stv.tv/articles/260709-meet-saltire-comic-book-creator-and-writer-john-ferguson/?fromstreampost=60929

http://glasgow.stv.tv/articles/260755-meet-john-ferguson-who-created-and-wrote-the-saltire-comic-book/

http://dundee.stv.tv/56484/

http://dundee.stv.tv/39123/

http://dundee.stv.tv/places/2601-the-black-hole-comic-shop/

Saltire Invasion Competition: Win limited Edition Hardback book

Win Saltire Invasion: Scotland's First Superhero Graphic Novel.
Competitions

Burns night competition: Win a limited edition signed hardback copy of Saltire Invasion graphic novel. The book will be signed by the author and will also include an A3 poster of Jimmy Devlins' iconic cover art.

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/saltirecomics

Share the competition picture on your personal page and tell us in the comments something you love about Scotland.

Twitter

https://twitter.com/SaltireComic

Share and retweet the competition picture. tell us in the comments something you love about Scotland.

For more information go to http://www.diamondsteelcomics.com

The winner will be chosen at random on February 5th 2014.

The will be one winner for this competition.

The prize is a hardback copy of Saltire Invasion signed by the author and an A3 poster of the front cover art.

This competition is open to all participants worldwide.

The competition ends at 12.00noon on 5th February 2014good luck!

Thursday, 19 December 2013

TM Stash Review

Indie Comics

Published on November 8th, 2013 | by Ed Garrett

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

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

4

User Rating: 0 (0 votes)

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

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"

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.