Red Thorn (2015-2016) Vol. 1: Glasgow Kiss

Red Thorn #1

by David Baillie, Meghan Hetrick (Artist)

RED GOD RISING

Although she grew up in America, gifted artist Isla Mackintosh is a Scot at heart. Both of her parents were born in Glasgow, and 25 years ago her older sister Lauren vanished during a visit to the land of her ancestry. Now, Isla is following in her sister's footsteps, hoping to discover the truth behind her disappearance.

The secret she's about to unearth, however, is far older and more dangerous than she ever could have guessed.

Something has been waiting for Isla, deep beneath the moors. A pagan demigod has been trapped there for millennia, caged inside the bones of ancient gods. He smells of the blood of a thousand enemies and the sweat of countless lovers. His name is Thorn, and Isla's art is the key to his freedom.

Writer David Baillie and artists Meghan Hetrick and Steve Pugh bring the myths and legends of Scotland roaring back to life in RED THORN VOL. 1: GLASGOW KISS-a sweeping, supernatural saga in the classic VERTIGO tradition!

Collects RED THORN #1-7.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Adult, Graphic Novels Comics, Horror, Fiction

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2016

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda cool.
Kind of reminded me of one of those fae romance books I read in my 30s. Not the romance part, just all the wild storytelling that brought old folklore into a modern light.



A young woman goes on a journey to Scotland to find out what happened to the dead sister she never met, and finds herself in the middle of a war between ancient beings.



I was invested enough to read the whole thing and then immediately continue on with the second volume. Then again, I didn't have anything else to read at the time.
I think this will be hit or miss, depending on how much you like the premise.
The art style was (to me) just mid. Not great, not offensive.



Recommendedish.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very intrigued with the premise but damned if I can tell half of what's going on. I love modern fairy tales and this delves into Scottish mythology which isn't nearly as well known. An American artist with the ability to bring her drawings to life comes to Scotland in search of what happened to her dead sister years ago. At a certain point she unleashes an ancient demigod and the story shifts towards an ongoing battle between the demigod and the creature who imprisoned him thousands of years ago. I really liked the art and the story shows some promise if Baillie can tighten up his storytelling.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this a more enthusiastic review/rating, but I'm afraid this is a 3.5 star for me, rounded up since I'm a huge fan of fairy-tales and mythology.

While overall I liked this quite a bit, I didn't love it, and the jury is out on whether this is truly the "Spiritual Sucessor" to Fables or not.

I am, however, liking it enough at this point to keep it on my monthly pull list at my friendly local comic store.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, this was just godawful... Admittedly, Glasgow Kiss has some good art and there's a decent story buried under painfully terrible execution. But these positives can't save this book from a rating of dreck. The book is about an artist compelled to save a demi-god from imprisonment so that he can save humanity or something. A decent writer could do something fun with that. But in this case, the story lurches along, spending too much time telling readers what is going on without actually showing. The main character doesn't make a lot of sense, nor is she all that enjoyable to follow. Everyone is a jerk. It's a boring, messy, unpleasant book to read with no charm. Uggg.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a chaotic book, as an American of Scottish descent returns to Scotland to find clues about the sister that died before she was born. Almost immediately she gets into trouble - as an artist, she's able to bring her drawings to life, and a Scottish demigod is using her powers to free himself. Once Thorn comes on the scene, the focus of the story changes to him and his quest for revenge and power, practically discarding Isla, who takes to the whole magic thing without much in the way of qualms. Throw in a mute mapmaker and some interesting monsters (including a very different take on Nessie), and you've got a riot of plot and characters that never quite settle down into an actual story. The artwork is gorgeous, though, with both the landscapes and the people captured with strong detail. Thorn as a character rubs me the wrong way, but I think that's kind of the point. It's not the strongest debut, but it does seem like it has potential as long as it doesn't get too wrapped up in itself.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like the use of myth. But the shift from a story featuring a woman to her becoming a secondary character for several issues put me off.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeous art and an interesting premise but sloppy writing and poor execution. On paper this book is everything I love, but I found myself yelling at the main character and wondering at plot holes more than I found myself getting lost in it.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Video review - https://youtu.be/v4Vo7aqaddk

[Macky Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh

Any kind of mythology based story is usually a go to. Here the writing ops and the art is brilliant. Tory is simple.enough to follow but complex enough to be compelling.off to book 2!

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I got this because the cover was very intriguing. The story line was interesting and so I gave it a go. There were parts that I was confused. Due to it being a graphic novel it’s rather short on telling of details and talking about what is going on. There was a lot of back and forth between characters and timelines which makes this a little complicated to follow. Nonetheless it was entertaining and had some surprising elements near the end where some of the puzzle pieces started to piece together. Overall I enjoyed it. I am curious to see what is next and how the story plays out. I did a few flip backs after reading and pieced some of the confusing parts back together just to cure my own confusion. Again, it’s rather a beautifully crafted novel.

[Társis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A arte está linda mas eu esperava mais da história. Porém essa HQ me animou a ler um livro de lendas e folclore escocês que eu trouxe de Inverness. Já botei na lista desse ano. Enfim é muito fácil amar a Escócia.

[Shelby P · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork is so great but the story holy crap. I was so confused what was going on most of the time.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nossa, gente, que quadrinho ruim, mais sem eira nem beira. Uma das piores leituras (e gastos) que fiz esse ano em quadrinhos. Estava achando que ia ser legal porque tem gente pelada, mas né, desde quando gente pelada foi sinônimo de histórias boas? (o pornô que o diga). Somos levados pela história de Isla, uma menina ruiva que se muda para Glasgow e que pode tornar seus desenhos em realidade, se encontrar com Espinho, uma semi-divindade celta que quer dominar o mundo. Se fosse isso, daria um bom enredo para uma história infanto-juvenil, baseada nas lendas celtas. Mas parece que partes da história deixaram de ser contadas. Fazer isso numa revista seriada é abusar da paciência do leitor. Ao mesmo tempo que, ao chegar na última revista desse encadernado (que terá mais um encadernado para completar a história), tudo que o leitor conhecia sobre a personagem e a história se revela uma mentira. Então, é abusar duplamente da paciência do leitor. Assim, eu me pergunto: com tanta série melhor da Vertigo para trazer ao Brasil, porque a Panini Comics Brasil tinha de trazer essas história tão horrível? Mistééério!

[Bodea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the single issues. I like the art and the story has potential. The concept of humans getting talents from the god blood in their veins is interesting. Volume one only scratches the surface though. The tone is rather light. I was expecting something heavier, maybe darker. Isla seems inquisitive and smart enough to know that everyone is in it for themselves. Thorn seems kinda silly for the most part. The main characters are interesting, but I'd like to see more character development. I'll be on the look out for volume 2. Hopefully more unfolds in the way of plot in upcoming issues.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shaky story. It looks like the first artist baled after a few issues, too. The replacement artist isn't as good.

[Mik Cope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice folklore heavy monster mash from the now defunct Vertigo line. I'm intrigued as to how the story will further develop.

[Andy Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Authors Baillie and Hetrick bring Scottish mythology through Vertigo comics to the Game of Thrones generation and establish a muscular presence which is bloody, visceral and feral underlaid by horror foundation of cognitive dissonance. The book starts rocky, unsure of itself, renderings in Manga-style and 90s Marvel, and some terrible double-layered lettering. Hetrick's art and Oliff's colours clash giving the beginning a hyper-lit gaudiness, a Glasgow without rain. When we enter the solid fantasy setting of part 2, things improve rapidly. Hetrick and Oliff create a series of grotesquely defined monsters and ethereal wisps. Artist Hetrick's panels are packed full of activity and she has a great way with drawing the reader's eye around the page. When the art becomes consistent, we get strong bloody fantasy tapping into solid genre service and occassionally, classical fusion. Writer Baillie is keen to layer the story with Scots cultural sense from the get-go, though at times the sequeway dialogue is too fragmented, relying on the fast-reader a little too much to put the pieces together. There's a sense of great confidence in his characters, which for Isla requires some patience although male lead Thorn enters fully formed: impressive, frightening and charming with quality promise for futher down the line. It's in the final third of the book that Baillie whips out an impressive series of twists, back-doors and shifting threads. Not all of those are tied up here, but they do manage to leave a fantastic impression, if at times an unsettling one. Steve Pugh takes over the art duties on the last chapter and his work is textured and perfectly fitting. Mandatory mention to Choon Yoong's covers: seriously iconic, five star, serious gravitas to the book. Very nearly a four.

[Vishualee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glory to Scotland, the land of poets, artists, and inventors. The land of impossible beauty. The story is set in Glasgow. And it carries an air of old fables -of Gods and Demigods. What I liked about the story was that the protagonist was an artist. Whoever she draws comes to life and seem to carry an identity in the neighborhood. As an artist myself, I would love to have that power.

The story kicks off with a dark tone and with a label that said "for mature readers", I expected it to be a lot darker. That wasn't so. As soon as it peaked with darkness and creepiness, with battering rain and suspicious interaction, it soon plummeted to humor. It wasn't about Vampires, as I had first assumed. The artwork is pretty decent. The covers are gorgeous. I have someone in my mind who can essay the role of Isla, and she is the WWE superstar Becky Lynch.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd probably give this one closer to a 3 1/2, but the premise and GORGEOUS art made me round up. The premise is interesting, but it ends up bogging itself down a bit trying to make too many of the details into plot twists. My biggest problem is the difficulty connecting with the characters. Thorn is obviously manipulative and out for his own gain, but Isla never truly confronts him about how he's using her. She postures like she is, or is going to, but practically the next frame she's agreeing to do something for him. I may try to pick up the next volume, but I don't feel an urgent need to find it right this very second.

[Laura Wattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

And the Vertigo Revival continues, this time with Red Thorn. With this book its not hard to compare to the likes of previous Vertigo classics such as Fables and Sandman, as well as modern comics such as the Wicked and The divine. However its still very much its own thing, a strange mash up of myth, horror, supernatural, rock and roll and the power of art. Admittedly the art is thrilling and wonderful and helps to elevate the story which is admitted a mixed bag and gets a little confusing at times.

[Shannon]

Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6

Current review score: 3 (waiting on #4-6)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a sale, the premise sounded interesting, and the art looked decent, so I took a chance. The story relies heavily on Scottish lore and history. The story sets up an interesting premise—girl’s drawings come to life and supernatural demigod wants to take advantage of her powers to accomplish his own means. Thorn presents a mysterious and curious opening volume that piques my interest enough to get volume 2.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts off pretty confusingly with several revelations along the way, but it's certainly a fun read with mainly fantasy and some horror thrown in. This volume feels like little more than an intro, so my expectations are high. The artwork is detailed and colorful, but it doesn't shy away from gory scenes. Basically the comic is written well, drawn beautifully and so far is worth a read.

Isla receives a sketchbook belonging to her sister Lauren whom she never met. Lauren disappeared right before Isla was conceived, but the two share a connection that determines Isla to go to Scotland where Lauren was last seen. They were both obsessed with drawing Thorn, a demigod chained for sixteen hundred years. Isla's drawings of him in the past year have empowered him to escape his magical prison.

Isla encounters Thorn when she is attacked by two ogres from the Red Caps. Thorn tricks their leader and assumes command of their army. He offers to help Isla discover what happened to Lauren if she helps him against Cadros who tricked the demigods and took over the world. In Isla's personal life she has to contend with her boyfriend Alec falling in love with a mysterious blue-haired girl. Tarek is a young man with an ability similar to Isla's, but centered on maps. The locations he draws become accessible even if they exist in other moments in time.

Thorn needs both Isla and Tarek's abilities to defeat Cadros. The two decide to create a portal into Cadros's keep and Isla confronts Cadros alone. She discovers that her sister's blood, very much like her own, has godly powers because she is a descendant of old pagan gods. While in Cadros's realm she loses control and unknowingly unleash the time bomb that Thorn set inside her by feeding her wine with Lauren's blood. Thorn's incantation ensures that a portal into the Otherworld is left open, so the first round apparently goes to Thorn, but the battle has only begun.

[Vít Kotačka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it if there is a graphical novel from Anglo-American publisher which is not so mainstream-stereotypical. Glasgow Kiss has such hints, but unfortunately, is stays in middle of the road.

What's positive? The plot is set in Scotland! Aye, there are no girls in this comics... only lassies.The drawing is very good, matching the story. Maybe it could be just a little bit darker and dirtier. But that's fine. And those gorgeous dark red covers!

Characters are well written. The main heroine Isla /ˈaɪlə/ is lovely lassie - cute and rough, uncertain and impulsive and total sexy Celtic redhead. The second main character - Scottish demigod Thorn - is a cool lad. Playful, divinely irresponsible, handsome, cool tattoos, fantastic haircut (red as blood).

Another positive topic is ticklish. Although I prefer female nudity in graphical novels, I have to appreciate that authors are not afraid of so-called "male frontal nudity". You know, penises (no erections, I promise ;-)

Negative points. The story - it's episodic, meandering and characters look clueless (Isla mainly). The background setting are myths and mythology. So if you compare Red Thorn to Sandman, you see a difference of several orders. Still, this can improve in next volumes.

[Brian Rosenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Thorn: Glasgow Kiss
Vertigo

Isla Mackintosh visits Scotland, investigating the disappearance of her sister Lauren 25 years earlier. She meets with various people with no success. We learn Isla is an artist, only her drawings come to life. She meets a dude, Alec, at a Nirvana tribute band concert and they become an item.
Time passes. Then a monster knocks at her door and gives Isla a sketchbook that belonged to Lauren, filled with images of a male figure she’s also been drawing - Thorn.
Here’s where the comic goes off the rails.
After being imprisoned for centuries, thanks to Isla’s powers Thorn, a demigod, walks the Earth again, acquiring an army and a castle.
Finish at your own risk. Ok, so you’re into suffering.
Isla meets Belatucadros, who years ago “…drained Thorn of his power. Stripped the meat from his bones. And buried him.” He also mentions Thorn has been spiking her wine… with her sister’s blood.
Belatucadros offers, “Stay here with me. We’ll be Gods together” and learns the sad fate of her sister.
Nice art but confusing storytelling. Purchase at your own risk.

[Erin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok first volume. I think it wanted to be grand, but used some cheap parlor tricks that diminished the value of what could have been an interesting plot. The obnoxious use of nudity as a way to either demonstrate power or premonition has always been popular but I find, like with Saga and many others, the casual indifference to sex and both genders bodies is not really followed through, and instead just highlights the things that these novels are trying to equalize. The female form is still coveted and reduced to childlike proportions, the males continue to be throwaways. It isn't more feminist, which in some cases seemed to be a point but failed in multiple ways.

Plots like these are exciting, which makes it all the sadder when you can tell the series is going to be extremely surface oriented. I can't help but feel that these types of graphic novels are previews of skill sets and not really intentional independent works meant to be consumed.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Review: I was originally drawn into this one by the stunning illustration on the cover, but it had been sitting on my shelf for some time. I finally got around to picking it up and was rather disappointed. I fell like whole chunks of the story were missing, maybe if it was in video format or in full length novel to fill in the holes, I would have enjoyed it more. The premise behind it that blood of gods gives individuals powers, and that illustrations becoming real and opening doors with those powers, is very intriguing but the delivery left a lot to be desired. The illustrations were great and I kept reading simply because I was enjoying them. Sadly, I won't be continuing the series due to being completely unable to follow the story.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book showed potential, but it did not deliver. The use of folklore and mythical creatures seems to be a good fit for a graphic novel. When a foreign setting is added - here it is Glasgow, Scotland - I had high hopes for this book. But it never really found its mark. The writing is good but it seemed rushed to me, as if it had one edit too many. It jumps around a lot and introduces new characters almost as an afterthought. I could follow what was happening but it all seemed disconnected and the subplots never really worked with one another. The artwork was a saving grace although I never felt that I was either in Scotland or the mythical realms that are hidden within. It was a good premise but poorly executed.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5

There's honestly not a ton of explanation about what is actually going on in this first volume but it's interesting and the art and character designs are good so I'm willing to just go with it. Also the author/artist seem to be very aware that Thorn's sex appeal will carry the title for a lot of readers and I hate to say it but I'm willing to go along with that as well. Also it is my personal curse that I see a red haired dude who's a bit of an asshole and has been held captive underground for several hundred years and has now escaped to wage a war for revenge and go [is this a pigeon .jpg] "is this my next Loki Substitute TM?" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Not a ton of substance so far but if you like vague mythology and shirtless dudes it's not a bad way to spend a bit of time lol. We'll see if things become any more plot-forward in volume two.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, Bloody, Mythical

Overall, I really enjoyed this comic, though it's definitely not for everyone, what with all the blood and naked people. Ancient gods and equally ancient feuds, coming together in modern times, is an engrossing premise. I'll admit I don't always know what's happening -- maybe it's because I'm not acquainted with the folklore of the region -- but I want to continue reading. I want Isla to succeed.

Recommend, unless you're squeamish with blood and or full frontal nudity.