Broken Frontier

The American government decides to fund research into creating the perfect super-solider, only they don’t count on the tenuous nature of the man behind the power and the glory.

Narwain Publishing returns with another interesting title that focuses on the superhero genre. This time around, our hero is scientifically altered (using Alpha energy) in a similar vein as was Captain America in an effort to create the ultimate American soldier. His tenuous nature becomes the central focus of the story, and it makes for a fascinating journey into the plight of a hero with a darker intentions.

The story opens with Adam Allan convalescing in a psychiatric ward. He originally underwent the experiment to become a super-soldier, but the power that altered his physique drove him mad. The American government decides to try another attempt at Project Anthem and this time they succeed with Arthur, and they quickly get him into active duty. It doesn’t take long for the new Anthem to flex his muscles, and prove his mettle as America’s new symbol as the power and the glory of the country. The only trouble is that Arthur seems to be exhibiting a mean streak that puts his motives as America’s protector into question.

To make matters worse, Adam’s latent abilities begin to resurface and this gives rise to him becoming a threat to the country. Adam eventually breaks free from the hospital and he begins to recount his steps as the previous Anthem. He goes incognito and holds up at a church to find solace with a familiar face. The priest in question attempts to calm Adam down, but he fears for Adam’s mental stability. He’s fragile enough to do some great harm with the power he wields and this ultimately sets up the eventual conflict upcoming between him and the new Anthem.

The story of The Power and the Glory may seem like a standard plot seen all too often in the superhero genre, but don’t let that fool you. Writer Ade Capone infuses his writing with a political undertone that suggests some serious misgivings with America as a whole. I’m not insinuating the writer has a dislike for American culture, but I do find it interesting that he has chosen to create a Captain America-inspired hero minus a moral centre. It will be interesting to see where he takes the story, and how the eventual conflict between Adam and Arthur plays out.

On the flipside, the art of Stefano Raffaele was the proper choice to chronicle the story of The Power and the Glory. Stefano has been working steadily for Marvel Comics in the past and he’s worked on books like X-Men and Conan, so he understands the medium perfectly. His action scenes and character interactions were strong enough to propel the story from first to last page, and it worked for this type of standard superhero fare. Again, I would like to see how he handles future issues of this series, but he’s certainly off to a good start here.

I think this is a decent book for Narwain despite the obvious superhero conventions. It’s not a bad read and the production is slick enough to attract readers who follow Marvel and DC Comics. My interest here is with the growing political undertones, and I am very curious to know how they will be handled in future issues. I guess only time will tell.