Fairy tales are known for their wonder, but they also have a dark side, as exemplified in some of the best Disney movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Fantasy stories are often seen as a way to escape reality, but they also serve as a means of preparing for the challenges of adulthood. Andy Diggle and Nick Brokenshire’s Cold Iron, originally published under the ComiXology Originals banner and now released by Dark Horse, aims to capture this essence.
The story revolves around Kay Farragher, an aspiring singer-songwriter living a mundane life on the rural Isle of Man. One night, while rushing to pick up her difficult partner Rory, Kay gets into a car accident. It is during this accident that she encounters Mona, a young girl displaced in time, and their destinies become intertwined in an ancient pact rooted in Celtic folklore.
This is certainly a change of pace from what we’ve come to expect from Andy Diggle, though the closest comparison would be his run on the Vertigo title, Hellblazer. Considering its fun premise of Celtic fantasy clashing with a modern woman who rocks a black leather jacket and a guitar, Cold Iron should have been more than what it delivers. Although Diggle delivers snappy dialogue for Kay, who references Bruce Campbell to show how cool her magic-believing grandmother is, it never quite finds that balance of humor and horror.
Though sprinkled with elements of fantasy, the story primarily stays within the rural setting, effectively personifying Kay’s desire to escape her financial and emotional constraints. However, there is a missed opportunity to delve deeper into this aspect. Halfway through, the story finds its emotional angle when Kay learns responsibility as she sets out to protect Nora, who was kidnapped away from her timeline to serve as a gift for the Fairies’ king, Mann.
Nick Brokenshire’s art feels right at home on the Isle of Man, showing the countryside presented in drab coloring by Tríona Farrell. Being no stranger to fantasy, having drawn the IDW series Amelia Cole, Brokenshire relishes in the land of Fairies during the final issue, which would make Neil Gaiman gush over the magical woods where the creatures that resemble as cutesy animals like rabbits that banter with one another. Following the four issues, the trade concludes with a prose text that serves as an epilogue to the story, which does feel unsubstantial, but makes you wonder if Diggle had more to say with Cold Iron that could have benefitted with more issues.
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