Broken Frontier

A young man sells his soul for the greatest rock band in history. The fact that all the members are dead is merely a technicality.

Making a bargain with the infernal "Mr. Crimson," Trent "Recalcitrant" Jones asks to head the greatest rock band of all time. Crimson summons from beyond the grave some of the biggest names in music—Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, and Lawrence Welk (yeah, I’m not really sure how he got in there either). Calling themselves the Dead Beats, the group soon achieves fame and fortune. But trouble begins when the band members start to decompose. The fact that their touch can raise the dead also proves problematic…

With a premise that many rock fans have surely considered, Recalcitrant Jones takes the idea of a dream team of dead superstars to its inevitable and hilarious conclusion. Writer Terry Cronin seems to be having a great deal of fun with this book, injecting much nutty lighthearted humor into Trent’s adventures. He fills his story with goofy devils, undead rockers coming apart at the seams, and concepts such as Musician Hell (where you can only play your greatest hit….over and over again). Trent’s attempted reunion with his late father also adds an element of pathos to the story, balancing the zaniness to some degree.

The issue is not without its problems however. A few of the jokes fall flat and the ending is a bit perplexing. But really, in a book with a pink tentacled minion whose vocabulary consists mainly of "Yes, my vile lord," one isn’t going into this expecting Faust. Whatever its flaws, there is much to enjoy in Recalcitrant Jones.

The real highlight of the comic is the stylized artwork by J. Chris Campbell. He employs a style that consists of oblong and geometric shapes, almost like paper cut-outs organized to tell a story. Campbell’s art gives only the hint of human figures but the effect has a charming, cartoonish appeal. Without the intrusion of outlines or thick inks, the colors come through quite vibrantly, adding to the light whimsical tone of the comic.

Though not perfect, Recalcitrant Jones is a lot of fun and a little piece of wish fulfillment for fans of rock and roll.

The issue reviewed was a Convention Special available at 3 Boys Productions’ convention appearances. More information on Recalcitrant Jones and the creative team’s other titles can be found at www.studentsoftheunusual.com.