Broken Frontier

Iconic is the latest published outing for the Comicbook Artists Guild (CAG). CAG is a collective of folks who are interested in comics, specifically the creation thereof. It is also an anthology of interesting inventiveness. As with most anthologies, it works beautifully in some stories and in others, not so much.

Let’s start with the bad. Reason being there isn’t that much to begin with. There is only one story that does not cut the mustard art wise and unfortunately for it, the story isn’t much better.

Baldwin and DeSantis’s "Repercussions" is amateurish at best. It is a twist on Sherlock Holmes, having him go after Jack the Ripper. Holmes and Watson are written to such an extreme not present in Doyle’s work that it goes past caricature into the realm of different characters altogether. The solution to the crime is laughable and utterly bewildering. The art morphs from panel to panel, using too much black and suffers from an awkward character design.

Now that that is out of the way, we shall continue. "Of Christmas Past" by Lowe and Tuthill fairs much better. There is a distinct misunderstanding of its source material, but it is a compelling enough read. As a sequel to A Christmas Carol, we see Scrooge’s ghost coming to the aid of his nephew, who is on the verge of a most grievous error of vengeance. There is competent art that starts off magnificent in its detail, but wanders into less and less as it goes, almost as if they did not get a chance to finish it properly. The only real problem is that Ebenezer being a ghost defeats the purpose of Marley warning the old miser to begin with.

Beyond that, "Cuchulainn: How Setanta Was Named", "Prometheus and the Fire of Tomorrow", and "First in Flight: The Story of Gustave Whitehead" are all decent twists on mythology or in the case of "Flight", history that is not as well known. They are engaging reads with crisp clear art.

The rest of the book provides a showcase for some really talented folks.

Murphey’s "This Life of Mark Twain" is a concise and readable summary of the writer’s life and times, but the real accomplishment is the art which looks straight out of a history book or even appears to resemble wood etchings here or there. It is magnificent to behold.

"The Life and Death of Talos the Bronze" provides a unique twist on the Jason and the Argonauts story by taking the point of view of one of their conquests. Gonzalez’s mangacentric art provides a levity to what is otherwise a dark tale.

"George and the Monster" is a delightful allegory of St. George’s dragon slaying tale. It is sure to put a smile on a child of any age’s face with its toy box full of characters and evil closet. "Outlaws of Industry" updates the story of Robin Hood by making it a western and a story of the dangers faced in the early days of the unions. Its social consciousness is paired with a fine line and stunning greyscale.

The masterwork here though is "John Henry: America’s First Superhero." This story expands on the familiar folktale making John Henry a hero reluctant to let his fellow humans suffer. His tremendous energy and apparent invulnerability lead to the bet that sees his demise. The tale is told through the eyes of a private investigator sent to examine the possible murder of the rail worker. It is a study in human compassion and the abuse some men deem necessary to inflict on each other. It is brilliantly illustrated and takes the tale from tall to epic.

Tying these various stories together are "Grandpa Pages" that give the book a Princess Bride feel while providing a unified theme.

Iconic is bold in its scope. It takes on some of the greatest stories ever told and in the end shines above many anthologies stuffing the shelves of your local book store. Here’s hoping that the CAG continues to provide such inventive works.