Broken Frontier

Who is out to kill actor Alex Martin and why? Bodyguard Rachel Dodd learns that this may be more than just some Hollywood stalker. Is she in over her head?

With the second issue, writers Andrew Cosby and Kevin Church rev the plot up and let out the clutch. The result is the start to an enjoyable chase but can they keep it up to cross the finish line?

Alex Martin has just been introduced to his new bodyguard... and learned that Rachel Dodd is tough-as-nails and used to being obeyed without question. She sweeps in and begins reorganizing Alex’s life – starting with the announcement that she will be posing as his girlfriend in public in order to protect him! The killers lay low for a while but when they strike again Rachel discovers that she is dealing with real, professional killers. Just what has Alex gotten himself into? More to the point – what has she gotten herself into?

Cosby and Church push forward with a story that is as light, breezy, and fast as a summer action movie. Like your typical action movie, they pepper their script with witty banter, daring action sequences, a car chase, gunfire, and explosions. What manages to keep the story interesting, however, are the personalities of the two main characters. Alex Martin comes across as a slightly goofy, self-effacing, good guy who has not been in the Hollywood blender long enough to lose his starving artist roots. Rachel, on the other hand, is actually the far more business-like and professional of the two. She has a fairly low opinion of actors but she does her job for the paycheck it brings in. There is actually something that both Rachel and Alex can learn from one another... provided they live that long.

Artist Mateus Santolouco brings an interesting but somewhat uneven style to this title. While his sharp, strong lines really make the characters stand out, his body language is occasionally strange. While, for the most part, the figures are accurate, there are certain scenes and panels where stances are awkward, stiff, or just plain impossible. This awkwardness is by no means insurmountable, however, as other panels display a nice sense of motion.

No one goes to a summer blockbuster movie expecting Othello and likewise, one should not expect drama and deep characterizations here. Still, just as those big summer movies provide a bit of fun, escapist, entertainment, so too does this title. Cover Girl is a lot like an Italian Soda – light, fizzy, refreshing, and just a little bit unusual.