Broken Frontier

Connor MacLeod seems to be developing a dark side and worse, he is now starting to give in to those darker impulses! Can Duncan MacLeod help him find the light?

The Highlander franchise has a dedicated fan base thanks to both movies and television. Writer Brandon Jerwa sets out to please everyone by blending the movie and television series continuities. But in trying to please everyone does he end up satisfying none?

Still reeling from the events of the previous story arc, Connor MacLeod fears that he is being taken over by the spirit of the immortal he slew – the being known as the Kurgan! With Duncan’s gentle prodding Connor confesses that he broke his own code of non-involvement. Where once he would only take another immortal’s head if he were forced to, now he is actively hunting immortals! Duncan is determined to help Connor work his way through this but there are forces gathering who do not want Connor to ever leave the path of darkness he is starting down.

Jerwa obviously knows the Highlander franchise well and he manages to seamlessly blend concepts, ideas, and characters from both the movies and TV series. He also does a good job this issue bridging the previous story arc and the one to come. The tale here is intense but more with emotional drama than action and as such it would be easy for the issue to drag or to feel unimportant. Jerwa avoids this trap by keeping the characterization tight and focused.

As tight as the writing is, however, the art by Fabio Laguna is a bit too loose. For the most part Laguna manages to do well with the character of Connor, drawing a very good likeness of a young Christopher Lambert but he does fall off model from time to time. The same happens with the renditions of Duncan. Additionally, some panels have very awkward shadowing. There are some nice examples of letting facial expressions tell the story, though.

If you are a fan of the Highlander characters there is much to enjoy here and it is certainly worth your money to check this title out. This title really does feel like a continuation of the saga that began with the first Highlander movie. There are new characters to go along with old, familiar favorites, and new dangers and darkness to face as the immortal game continues.