What Lurks in the Longbox? #28

The Celtic Clan #1
Punt Press
$4.20, color, 32 pgs.
Writer: Nigel Flood
Artist: Frank J. Right


 

After making their first appearance in Dave Ryan's War of the Independents #3, the first Irish superhero team is off to a rough start.  The initial recruits include a washed up overweight boxer, a former Irish Ranger with an attitude, and a speedster who steals purses to finance his drug habit.  And that’s just the start. 

The Celtic Clan made their first appearance in "War of the Independents" #3.

Published by Punt Press, The Celtic Clan was created by Nigel Flood, a freelance artist who lives in Bray, Ireland.  The mysterious individual forming this new group of superheroes is known only as the “Big Fella.” His mission is to form a defense against a group of reptilian aliens known as “The First Race.” The creatures enslaved humans millions of years ago, until the legendary St. Patrick and his army of knights eventually freed the human race from slavery. 



The Celtic Clan's popular Facebook Page has generated some great fan art.

The Celtic Clan begins their mission to prevent The First Race from rising to power again, but most people believe the existence of the hideous creatures to be only legend.  However, when a suspicious college professor gets too close to the truth, the creatures are forced to take drastic action and speed up their plans for conquest.  The Clan kick off their adventures in a secret base in Newgrange, which is a prehistoric monument located in County Meath in the province of Leinster. The first issue moves along quickly, diving right into the action, and ends with a great cliffhanger that readers probably won't see coming.  Flood and Right have created a great piece of "historical fiction" here, with fantasy elements that combine seamlessly with real world landmarks like Newgrange.
 

Following the current trend of other small press comics, this series was published through contributions to Fund-It, an Ireland-based funding platform similar to Kickstarter.  As stated on the company website, Fund-It "provides a platform for people with great ideas to attract funding from friends, fans and followers across the world."  Fund-It is all about creativity, whether the project involves music, comics, technology or even fashion. 

Beyond the series itself,  Creator Nigel Flood has big plans for the team, including the first-ever crossover event between an American and Irish Comic Book Publisher.  Punt Press will be teaming up with U.S. based Advent Comics for an international crossover titled "Cosmos" that will be premiering later this year.  Stay tuned for more news about The Celtic Clan in the weeks ahead!