Red Thorn, Volume 1: Glasgow Kiss

Does this sound familiar? A family death in the far past hints at greater secrets. Or this? A woman unlocks mysterious powers within her that reveal that she isn’t just an ordinary human. Or this? Drawing inspiration from obscure traditional folklore, a magical world is revealed to exist within our own. In this latest version of the modern standard formula fantasy, the family death is Isla Mackintosh’s older sister, who died before she was born, the mysterious powers are the ability to draw and have the result affect reality, and the folklore tradition is that of Scotland. All these come together pretty rapidly as Isla visits Scotland to discover the fate of her sister, and comes into contact with the gods and demons that lord over Scotland. There’s a truly great twist cliffhanger, but it’s a trudge to get there. Baillie (Judge Dredd) has all the elements of the formula, but the leaden delivery makes it unappealing, while Hetrick’s (Bodies) serviceable art adds none of the much-needed allure. (Aug.)