Comic Review: Frontiersman #1

Image Comics

Writer: Patrick Kindlon

Art: Marco Ferrari

Letters: Jim Campbell

Coming out this week is yet another entry to what seems to be the new era of recurring superhero series at Image Comics. Frontiersman #1 brings an engaging premise associated with a new vision on the superhero genre.

The first issue starts off with an old man, dressed as your stereotypical lumberjack walking through a forest while talking to someone he’s related to. From the cover we know this to be our protagonist, The Frontiersman, a retired superhero who now lives away from society. He interrupts his call when he realizes there’s someone in his cabin. After furiously barging in, our protagonist figures out that the young man inside his home, Deonte, is no threat. In fact, Deonte wants the Frontiersman to protest against the tearing down of an old tree.

Ok, the first thing I can compliment about this new series conflicts with what I’ve said in my last review of Geiger, also from Image. This is starting off to be a bigger “Frontiersmanverse” (thing). The difference about Frontiersman is that it presents itself as such since issue #1. Another great thing is the activism related to the superhero genre, which, at least for this reviewer, always makes for an interesting plot. However what grabbed my attention the most in this starting chapter is the fact that the main character is an elderly man secluded from urban life. He validates conspiracy theories and whatnot but that doesn’t make him instantly invalid, because this character is still attentive about what’s worth putting energy into. It’s refreshing to follow a story from the perspective of an old boomer who’s legitimately interested in the truth and the greater good and not just spouting rhetoric.

Lines and colors are handled by Marco Ferrari. His style fits the tamed mood displayed by the Frontiersman throughout the story. It’s a welcoming art style slightly resembling that of earlier mangakas. Movement depiction as well as facial expression are masterfully displayed right off the second page (the first page establishing the forest with beautiful landscapes). Jim Campbell brings in the lettering just as fast as Ferrari brings the action. Awesome sound effects accompany windows and robots crashing. Campbell transmits well how loud or quiet the sounds should be which makes for a richer reading.

Honestly, I wasn’t very interested in this comic at first. A bushcrafting superhero sounded fun but I really didn’t consider the social political facets that could be applied right from the beginning. Not only that there’s immense promise of this growing into a long run series as well as having its spin offs so it makes me quite excited to see where the creative team can go from here.