Rebels 2

While Seth Abbott patrols the New England forests with his militia, his new bride Mercy holds down the home front. But whatever honeymoon period the growing American Revolution affords them is cut short when Seth and Ezekiel go on a daring nighttime raid determined to deny the British access down the Hudson River.

The second book in the series highlights the strain that Seth Abbott feels fighting the war for the colonies’ freedom.  The war we see through Seth’s eyes, is not the one we learned in our history books. It is a brutal, guerrilla war, requiring, stealth, subterfuge and sacrifice.  At home, he is torn between his love for Mercy, and his commitment to the cause.  Mercy spends her days, holding down the home front, and has little patience for her new husband when she learns that the conflict is much bigger than either of them had originally envisioned.

Brian Wood’s script for this title is both compelling and heartwrenching.  His narration follows Seth’s innermost thoughts, capturing the thrill of the battles.  We have a unique window into the fear and exaltation he feels, where every victory carries a little bit of loss.  The dialogue in this issue between Mercy and Seth is well done, but painful to read.  Even from the outset, their marriage is tested by Seth’s long absences, and Mercy’s unrelenting work to keep their tiny homestead going.  Wood captures the strain of life in that time period as if he’d been born to it.

Once again, Mutti’s art paints a dark picture of life in the 1700’s.  The panels give a rough, unfinished look to the characters, which in a different story would seem lacking, but here just underscores the hardship of life at that time.  A particular highlight in this book is a daring nighttime raid to sink a ship carrying massive stones to fortify british positions and build a new fort.  The pages are dark, as the men row the canoes up to the red coats’ ships.  Bursts of color from the muzzle fire and lanterns contrast with the otherwise dark panels, to propel the reader into the fight.  The final sinking of the ship is an explosion enormous stones falling into the harbor like the collapse of a mountain.  It’s the fist of God, smashing into the river.

The powerhouse team of Wood and Mutti delivers yet again for Dark Horse.  History buffs and patriots will love this story.  If you need a break from superheroes and swashbucklers, this title is certainly for you.

For more information about Rebels or other great titles from Dark Horse Comics visit Dark Horse Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong to the individual reviewer.

Rebels 1

In a rush of great public resistance to an oppressive and excessive government, a homegrown militia movement is formed in rural America. This is not 2015, but 1775. With the war for independence playing out across the colonies, young Seth and Mercy Abbott find their new marriage tested at every turn, as the demands of the frontlines and the home front collide.

Dark Horse has long been a standard of excellence in independent comics, and the first issue of Rebels is no exception.  This book follows young revolutionary Seth Abbot through a series of epic ups and downs during the course of the American war for independence.

The first installment of the series features lush prose that captures a sense of bleak desperation, contrasted by an earnest hope for the future.  Brian Wood, the writer, sets a brilliant dynamic between his narration and the dialogue of his characters.  Where the narration is introspective, the dialogues is plain spoken, and lending the comic a nice balance.

The art is simply beautiful, capturing the tone of the time period.  Andrea Mutti's rendering of the muzzle flashes, is heart stopping, while Jordie Bellaire's colors make each panel pop.  The artist manages to capture the gritty revolutionary lifestyle on a back drop of the majestic New England countryside.

A few minor areas of improvement are that outside of the guns firing, the action seems a little static, lacking the kind of Kirby-esque energy that really brings scenes to life.  Wood also misses a few opportunities to flesh out Seth and other characters before dropping major plot revelations.  All in all though, a fantastic book that is well worth the money.

For more information about Rebels or other great titles from Dark Horse Comics visit Dark Horse Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong to the individual reviewer.

Rebels 1

In a rush of great public resistance to an oppressive and excessive government, a homegrown militia movement is formed in rural America. This is not 2015, but 1775. With the war for independence playing out across the colonies, young Seth and Mercy Abbott find their new marriage tested at every turn, as the demands of the frontlines and the home front collide.

Here we have something a little different than the usual fair.  Rebels is a historical fiction series set during the Revolutionary War and follows the exploits of Seth Abbott and Ezekiel Learned.  Seth and Ezekiel had been friends, since a chance encounter eight years prior.  The two of them have been fighting the British oppression from Albany ever since.  That’s pretty much the gist of this one.  I’m not entirely certain what kind of story this series is trying to convey, aside from two guys help fight the red-coats.  This type of story wouldn’t be my first choice for reading material, but that doesn’t mean it’s terrible.

The writing style rings true to the time period and the artwork gives the book that old, rustic feel.  History buffs will definitely enjoy this and can spend hours debating and picking out any historical inconsistencies that they find.  This is only the first part of this series, so I’m sure the action is just starting to get underway, as the Revolutionary War was a long, bloody affair.

If you need a break from all of the superheroing, then this one is definitely for you. The story is a much more grounded outing than most of the books currently available.  I can’t entirely recommend this one, but check it out all the same.  Heck, this just may become the sleeper hit of the year.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Dark Horse website, or the Dark Horse Facebook page.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong to the individual reviewer.