Celtic folklore and modern moxie collide as an ancient pact between worlds is broken. The sinister forces of Faerie have slipped their shackles, and the Black Dog walks abroad this night…
The four-issue comic series ‘Cold Iron’ by Andy Diggle and Nick Brokenshire follows aspiring musician Kay, who feels stuck on the Isle of Man, with a thankless job and an aging grandmother to look after. Kay’s life turns upside down when she accidentally hits a young girl with her car and the two encounter a sinister talking goat. Turns out, her grandmother’s stories about magic, beasts, hidden paths and faerie rings are all true. It’s up to Kay to keep the young girl safe from villainous entities.
‘Cold Iron’ heavily leans on existing fables, beliefs and beasts, so those who aren’t familiar with Celtic folklore are going to feel a little lost at the beginning. Kay is an interesting protagonist, while she isn’t ambitious enough to take risks and is trapped in a relationship with someone who doesn’t respect her; she is a responsible caring adult who is there for her grandmother. It’s the antagonists who aren’t fleshed out well enough to offer a strong conflict.
The illustrations by Nick Brokenshire are slightly retro in style, the dark palette lends a very 80s horror comic-strip atmosphere to the tale. It also makes reader expect a lot more action, excitement, crazy plot twists than the creators have to offer. So the climax felt rushed, childish and underwhelming.
Perhaps this could’ve been a longer series, but it would’ve become extremely tedious if the writers didn’t have enough story to keep the issues going. In its current four-issues state, ‘Cold Iron’ is a decent limited fantasy comic series. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited.
It’s a 3/5 from me.