DIAMONDSTEEL COMICS PRESENTS
NOMINATED FOR ARTS AND CULTURE AWARD
(SCOTTISH GAELIC AWARDS 2014)
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Reviews -
"Saltire delivers again on great imagery and grabbing the root of its source, Scottish legend, and making it an epic experience. There’s something Avengerish about it but also Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones with its deadly battles, dialogue and overall atmosphere"
"an awe inspiring climax, both visually and thematically"
Nerd Nation
"Ferguson’s love of his country pours through the pages"
"Incredibly Enjoyable...ambitiously sweeping in scope and application as it skillfully incorporates a whole array of Scottish myth and legend."
"Dynamic and exciting...I am a Saltire fan!"
"Wonderfully dramatic...the depth of its themes raises it above a simple action comic, incorporating notions of honour, self-sacrifice, standing for ideals greater than yourself, and the nobility in laying down your life in the defence of others"
"Compelling, fast, full of action"
4/5
"engaging, dynamic slice of swords and sorcery fiction, and should appeal to readers all around the world."
"perfectly formed publisher."
Fortress of Solitude
"straight off of the pages of one of the better New 52 comics"
ARTWORK -a
http://bigcomicpage.com/2015/04/03/ceej-says-saltire-annihilation-part-2-review/
The fifth Dimension"veritable whirlwind of exciting myth and legend"
"Legendary 4/5stars"
"An amazing adventure. 9/10"
"9 out of 10. What I found was epic fantasy. The Gaelic influenced culture and folklore storytelling was as intense as it was immense."
"Ferguson’s genius ...shows his skill has a writer and storyteller."
"action is fast and furious "
Skiffy
"Very Tolkien in nature"
"reminiscent of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy"
8/10
"Ferguson does an admirable job in balancing the colourful myths surrounding the Stone of Destiny, the banshee and Faerie."
"cinematic "
"artwork is fantastic, and the design for some of the characters is absolutely off the charts"
"Awesome...an enjoyable adventure tale with really strong artwork from Julskjaer and Welsh, especially in the action sequences."
"Saltire is a vibrant blaze of mythological fury that far exceeds expectations of a debuting superhero comic. With the forthcoming third issue titled Annihilation, we can likely expect the scale to expand even further and even faster."
"It’s simple. Saltire is one of the best modern mythologies out there."
"A mesh between The Lord of the Rings,Beowolf, and Thor, Diamondsteel Comic’s Saltire has an epic adventure in store for any comic lover!"
Geekly Review
"John Ferguson meshes history with fantasy, life and death, mystery and myth into one action packed story. The story of glory is one we’ve read and watched time and time again, yet somehow Ferguson unleashes Saltire as a breath of fresh air! This is the modern epic comic readers have been waiting for."
"“Saltire” should appeal to fans of “Game of Thrones,” as well as anyone who loves a good action-packed superhero story. "
"A new emblem, a new cultural icon for the Scottish in comics."
"more appealing and epic than the usual"
"A Hero has risen"
"Savory art that fits the setting and a sweeping epic story, and lots of the rough stuff of course."
"Saltire: Invasion is a fantasy epic based in part in reality, and will bring a smile to any Scottish reader. Evoking atmosphere from some of the best fantasy literature out there, Saltire: Invasion is a great, action-packed read and features some gorgeous artwork."
TM Stash: Best comics of 2013
“We were amazed.”
Fortress of Solitude:
“This is a breath of fresh air.”
Intercomics:
“Their art easily stands up to releases from the big three….The action scenes are seamless, providing slug by slug shots, but in comparison the more intricate scenes also stick out….We get a balanced tale of wizardy, war, mythology midst the backdrop of the Scottish countryside.”
Comics Anon
a mix of Game Of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and maybe 300 with it’s Roman element
Geeked Out Nation:
“Saltire could easily be seen standing next to someone like Superman and Batman and it wouldn’t look strange.”
Following the Nerd:
“Saltire is dubbed “the first Scottish superhero” but he’s much more than that. What the team from Diamondsteel Comics has created is a legend. “
The Outhousers:
“Writer John Ferguson is a Scotsman with talent…he crafts a well-paced and engaging story.”
Celtic Myth Podcast:
“Saltire is an archetypal Golden Age comic book hero – the sort we see on our movie screens today.”
“He is a Hero for a nation – a symbol to stand by.”
The Comic Book Stop:
“Saltire’s design is awesome. He is blue, he is a ginger, and a superhero you do not want to mess with. Saltire also has blue glowing tattoos on his arms, making the character even more awesome and god like. He looks like a guardian that can give Thor a run for his money...Brilliant and packed with action.”
Geek Native:
“I’d recommend Saltire.”
Comic News Insider:
“Pretty awesome…really cool.” (Podcast: 23mins in)
Bagged and Bored.
“The art in these books is great…the battle and fight scenes look awesome. If you like fantasy, you’ll love it.”
Superhero Movie News:
“A breathtaking introduction to an aesthetically striking hero. Truly Inspired.”
Blog the Blummin Doors Off:
“The mixture of Scottish heritage, Game of Thrones style mythology and a refreshing new story really mix well together.”
The Brooklyn Examiner:
“Iconic.”
Comics Gathering:
“A healthy mix of Lord of the Rings style fantasy and Game of Thrones style politics.”
TMStash:
“There is a sense of wonder in the story, told as if this were an historic legend passed down over the generations. “Saltire” is an excellent graphic novel.”
Time Warrior:
“I’m really impressed with the first Saltire Invasion book and highly recommend it.”
Big Comic Page:
“Sprawling, truly epic tale.”
Big Glasgow Comic Page (three different reviewers):
“Panel for panel the layout and detail, especially in the battle scenes, is rich, exciting and almost dream-like.”
Big Glasgow Comic Page:
“I thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of John Ferguson’s Scottish superhero. If you’ve not already picked up your copy yet (and if not, why not?), I’d urge you to do so immediately.”
Big Glasgow Comic Page:
“Saltire-Invasion” written by John Ferguson is a brilliant read, it’s one of these wee boy fantasy epics, with good guys, bad guys, swords, fighting and some mythical creatures thrown in for good measure.
You don’t have to be Scottish to enjoy this. If you are a fan of action, adventure and/or fantasy titles like “Slaine”, “Conan” or even the mighty Thunder God “Thor”, you’ll get a kick out of “Saltire-Invasion”.
Comic Book Kid:
“It’s a pretty cool. I got a real Braveheart meets Lord of the Rings, via Game Of Thrones vibe from it all.”
"Much like The Lord of the Rings/Hobbit books, this graphic novel starts with a map. You know the story is going to be epic when it has to include a map."
