Broken Frontier

Captain Heath Bennett of the R.A.F. and Private Frank Grayson of the U.S. Army both believe they have shot down the Red Baron, but when they discover a map…they uncover a truth about the first World War that no one suspected.

Aces is a pretty cool book. In the end, when I have said all that I am going to say about it, it boils down to it being a cool book. Denton and Wilson have taken the buddy adventure of Gunga Din and thrown in a military foe not unlike the Nazis to give it a more Indiana Jones feel. The cross of the military action with the menace of a deep evil makes for a compelling read. Throwing in elements of B-movie fun brings it into another realm altogether.

Grayson and Bennett have been thrown together by fate. Arguing over who shot down the infamous Red Baron, they discover a map that has to lead to his treasure. What comes next is pulp fun in a historical setting. An island that disappears, the ghost of the Baron, possible court martial, and a plot by the Black Hand straight out of a 1950’s science fiction movie are what face our reluctant heroes.

The research that went into the book is on full display in the epilogue entitled “The Secrets of the Black Hand.” This is actually a key component to the book. It shows the care that was used to create the world that the book inhabits and makes clear that the art is an homage to the photographs of the era. What really makes the book is the dynamic between the two soldiers. They are as different as they are the same; having a tendency to be braggarts and quick to come up with a story when the frying pan is a little too hot for them. The characters are just as good as the wild setting.

Briggs uses a washed out color scheme and a stylistic line that makes the book feel like an old movie. This works perfectly with the themes of the book to give the reader a thoroughly enjoyable and charming time. As stated earlier, the dossier of sorts in the last thirty pages makes the care taken in the color scheme and the lines really stand out.

The dossier actually blew me away. I am a big fan of back material in general. This one really enhances the whole experience. I don’t ever remember an appendix to a comic that actually made me respect the art on a different level. Usually, you see sketches and that sort of thing and it brings to the mind how much work it took to get the book out, but this quick history of the beginning of WWI, the advancements in air warfare that changed the scope of warfare for the rest of time, and the hints at the storyline itself is in a class all alone. It is an enhancement that is just as compelling in its visual and narrative style. History nuts should really dig this book.

So in conclusion, this book is really cool. I told you after all the words that I will use to describe it, cool is all that really needs to be said.