It’s a good thing when you come to the end and are angry that it’s over right?  The Iron Saint published by Top Cow, written by Jason Rubin and art by Joel Gomez and Francis Manapul is so entertaining.  The worst part about it is it ends in a cliffhanger.  I wanted to read more, I wanted to see it continue and find out what comes next.  Everything negative I can think about it, are positives!

From the creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter!
The long-awaited collection for Jason Rubin’s original comic series, previously released as Iron and The Maiden is finally here. Set in an alternate-universe 1930s metropolis, a reformed hitman and an innocent debutante get caught in the middle of a three-way power struggle between the government, a religious sect and an underworld criminal organization.

Written by Jason Rubin (Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter) and drawn by Francis Manapul (The Flash, Adventure Comics) and Joel Gomez (Witchblade), The Iron Saint Volume 1 Trade Paperback collects the sold out Iron and The Maiden #1-4 plus the hard-to-find #0 issue, along with a cover gallery and much more. Featuring covers by Jim Lee, Joe Madureira, Michael Turner, and Chris Bachalo

This comic book was planned like a video game or animated movie and feels like it with beautiful art and amazing scenery, the story is top notch as well.  While the story is familiar (mob vs. government vs. church), set in a universe that’s a mash-up of a lot other items, there’s just something pure fun about this story.

The characters are all stereotypes, but who cares.  It’s fun, entertaining and that’s all that matters.  This is the art I love with character designs by Joe Madureira that set the tone for everything else, it all fits perfect.  The art by Gomez and Manupal is fantastic with an over the top exaggeration and images that pop off of the page.  There’s just fantastic use of the pages to convey the action and the art, color, really everything is beautiful to stare at.  I’m a huge fan of Madureira’s and Gomez and Manupal have a similar style.

Overall, again, the worst part of the comic is it ended.  I want to find out what comes next and see what happens to Michael Iron and Angel Chase.  The story is entertaining, art is fantastic, this is a definite buy.

Plot: This is one of those comics that even though you’ve seen it before, there’s just something that’s really fun.  The characters are all great in their personalities and how they interact.  The plot is something that could easily be on the big screen or in a video game, this is what comics should be, entertainment, pure and simple.  Rating: 9.5

Art: This is the art style I gush over.  An over exaggeration that, like the story, is fun to look at.  It’s cartoony, in a good way.  There’s big guns, big pecs, women that would topple over in real life, it’s just fun.  The colors pop as the images jump off the page, there’s just great use of pages, panels, everything.  Rating: 9.5

Overall: Can you tell I like this?  This is one of those comics that are just so much fun to read.  It’s definitely not for everyone, it’s over the top action.  If you don’t enjoy those type of action movies or games, you probably won’t enjoy this.  But if you’re nostalgic for 80’s action movies this is it, in comic form.  So much fun, I can’t recommend it enough.  Overall rating: 9.5

Recommendation: Buy

Page count: 176 pages    Price: $14.99    Release Date: 8/11/2010

Top Cow provided Graphic Policy with an advance copy of this issue for FREE for review.