Review by Ian Keogh
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Iron Maiden’s fourth album this graphic novel anthology was released, with a different creative team building a story around each of the nine track titles. It follows on from two Legacy of the Beast projects in which band mascot Eddie was trawled through hell.
As heavy rock is never associated with the intellectual, it’ll surprise many to learn that Iron Maiden lyrics are peppered with literary influences, and that makes constructing stories around the songs a little easier. ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ draws on Tennyson’s poem; ‘Revelations’ combines G.K. Chesterton and Aleister Crowley and ‘To Tame the Land’ was so titled after Frank Herbert refused permission to call it ‘Dune’.
The greatest excitement among the band’s fans will presumably be generated by ‘Revelations’ being plotted by singer Bruce Dickinson above and beyond the lyrics supplied to the original track. With Tony Lee’s florid scripting, it’s transformed into the awakening of Crowley, renowned as an offensive occultist, but also greatly respected as a climber. That’s used as visual metaphor for his ascent into enlightenment by artist Damien Worm.
It’s to be presumed the creative teams worked individually, so it’s surprising how many of the opening efforts are stories about someone finding themselves, or overcoming the odds. It’s therefore the stories avoiding this theme that stand out. Antony Johnston and Staz Johnson combine for a well designed meditation on the eternal warrior (sample spread left), Johnson repeating the poses for the left page of each spread, but dressing the soldiers in different uniforms as they pass through the ages. In adapting ‘Still Life’, Leah Moore and John Reppion have an artist confronted with the inexplicable, brought to impressive life by John J. Pearson.
Given the music of Iron Maiden frequently relies on violent imagery the odd moment of pastoral peace is a surprise, and achieved by Danijel Žeželj for ‘Sun and Steel’ (sample art right). It’s illustrating a subtle script by Chris Roberson echoing the song’s original samurai inspiration. There’s a different type of serenity to Alison Sampson’s wordless version of ‘To Tame a Land’, reflecting on the power of imagination, and, strangely, to the importance of mobile libraries to rural communities. She draws impressive alien creatures in phenomenal spreads.
Iron Maiden’s massive fanbase will surely respond to a lavishly packaged celebration of a classic album. In addition to the strips, a number of artists provide portraits of Eddie, there are recollections of those associated with the band, leaving no fan disappointed. However, it’s unlikely anyone not already a fan is going to find enough to convert them.
