Broken Frontier

The future proves to be a difficult place for those creatures with a mix of human and animal DNA. These hybrids form the new persecuted class, hunted by the government police. Indego Blue is one such hybrid, but he is far from a helpless victim. Part human, part dog, Indego is a classic man/canine of action complete with gadgets, zip lines and other secret agent gear. He works with an underground movement that looks to be trying to topple the gene engineering government or at least discover the secrets of the program.

The story is easy to read and fast paced, with some excellent action sequences. The overall world seems a little derivative. With the heavy handed state and military police patrols, there is little here we have not seen before. I am hoping future issues delve a little deeper into the background of the dystopian future because in this first outing, there isn't much new to digest. The Indego Blue character is the strongest part of the book. Even though he has a James Bond vibe, complete with a “gadget guy,” both his appearance and his personality make him instantly likable. He seems very much a kind-hearted hero which is a welcome take, and proud of his hybrid origins. The story suffers from trying to introduce too much, the world, the characters, the villains, but the feelings should dissipate when the mini-series is read as a whole.

Russell's artwork is a mixed bag. The characters are clean and fresh, with interesting designs and features. The book is presented in black and white, but the inking is a little too sparse for a non-colored presentation. The storytelling is good and page design appealing, but the lack of darks gives the impression of being unfinished. The outlines also appear a little scratchy, and I don't think this is a function of the PDF review copy, but rather the lines themselves. I really like the rendering style, but it could use a little more polish.

After reading the book, you are left with the impression that there is a lot of potential in the world of Indego Blue. Even though this future is bleak, the fresh faced animated hero is exciting and unusually happy and makes you want to stand up and cheer for him. It is refreshing to have such a positive hero in such an inhospitable world. Not a perfect outing by any means, but there is enough here to bring the reader back for more.