Broken Frontier

There's a cold biting snowstorm lashing the Gold Rush era town of Tin Cup, and in it the merciless outlaws, The Heavy Gang, have enslaved the townsfolk to dig them their fortune! Led by a metal plated monster they have made these honest people's lives hell. However, vengeance is floating back to town, Vengeance of the Vapor!

This is how the new Markosia mini series from creators Sal Cipriano and Jok begins and from there, things just get grittier and uglier by the second!

The solicitation to issue #1 reads:

Spaghetti western grit meets pulp hero action! The Heavy Gang has overrun the town of Tin Cup, but opposing the maniacal bandits at every turn is the mysterious avenger, The Vapor! While they are about to face off in a winner take all battle, spirit photographer Brooks Rogers is making a beeline for the town. However he has to first survive the wrath of the "good" Reverend Pollux and his lynch mob!

In 1964 writer/director Sergio Leone and his fellow amici made film history by rejuvenating the western. This new genre of film was dubbed the Spaghetti Western, which at first was a derogatory reference to what some critics of the time thought were just bad imitations of our "true American Westerns". It took a little while, but the genius of those films finally shown through and became a staple of influence in many creators today.

While this is firmly where the inspiration for Vengeance of the Vapor is drawn from, creator/writer Sal Cipriano further explains there's even more to it than that:

"Spaghetti Westerns were an answer to a stale genre, something different and exciting and sexy. Now, 40 years after the Spaghetti Era ended westerns have evolved many times for better or worse, with each revision trying to add a new stamp to the canon. So with that in mind, and not unlike what the Italians set out to do all those years back, I went into this story with my own approach. I started with a finely soaked Spaghetti attitude filled outline, and began filtering in more ideas about spirit photography and pulp hero like characters and standoffs. From there I let it go and take me wherever it would. I hope the results are close to what Leone had felt all those years ago, because that would be a pretty cool feeling to have."

Fast rising Argentine artist Jok joins Cipriano on Vengeance of the Vapor  and brings his own appreciation of the genre to the table saying, 

"The energy flows throughout the story, and readers will even be able to hear some of Ennio Morricone's melodies when they get carried away by its magnetic characters and breath-taking plot. The story skillfully amalgamates drama, action, suspense and even some comedy in a very appealing and balanced way. Vengeance of the Vapor  talks about brotherhood, tragedy and legacy. I must say Sergio Leone would be very proud of Sal!"

After a comment like that, Markosia publisher Harry Markos had simply this to add, "It's good, read it!"

The Diamond spotlighted 4 issue miniseries guns its way into stores this May with 2 covers and continues its path of vengeance bimonthly after that from Markosia, Sal Cipriano and Jok.

(MAR073584 and MAR073585, respectively)