It’s time to raise a Navy.
Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Wood
Art: Andrea Mutti
Colors: Lauren Affe
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
What They Say:
In 1775, Seth Abbott fought to win his fellow Americans their independence. In 1794, his savant son, John, comes of age as their new nation faces multiple threats: high seas terrorism, fresh aggression from Britain, and intense political division at home. When Congress authorizes building America’s first navy, the famous “six frigates,” John Abbott signs up.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The first Rebels series was one that really drew me in with its exploration of the more off the beaten path stories and events that took place during the Revolutionary War. While the greater fascination tends to be with either the Civil War or World War II, there are so many interesting stories to tell about this period that a book like this really is an opportunity to feel fresh and new. Thankfully, we do have something in the form of continuity here with the past book as Brian Wood is back to write it and he’s got Andrea Mutti to work with, someone whose pages in that first series blew me away and really made it a strong work because of the attention to detail and just making sure that it had the right tone and feel of the period, now ably aided by Lauren Affe with the color design.
With this book the focus shifts, taking what we knew of Seth Abbot and following his son about twenty years later as John is now a man and out in the world. What we get is the tale of how he got there, mostly focusing on him as a ten year old boy who is most definitely a savant. He’s gifted with his fascination with boats and how to make them work, a level of obsession in the eyes of his parents that makes them worried about his surviving in the world and dealing with others. The exploration of his gift is certainly intriguing as it plays out and we see what he’s capable of and the scope of his knowledge and how it gets Seth to eventually set him up with an apprenticeship in Boston, one that they’re worried about because of how he could be viewed by others through his clipped and distinct interactions. John’s a character that will take some time adjusting to but is a welcome addition to the overall work as he’s not the norm, such as a roguish and charming young man we might get with other books. Here, you want to see exactly how his contributions impact everything.
Running alongside this story are the events of 1794 where we see the leaders in government debating about what to do with the piracy of the Algerian ships along the Barbary Coast and the loss of lives and wealth. Alexander Hamilton is spearheading the push for a Navy but others are against it and you get a good sense of the fractured nature of the states that are just looking out for themselves in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. Hamilton’s making a solid push about the United side of it and the loss of American lives while tying it to the way that they’re paying off bribes in order to keep people safe. The arguments between him and the Federalists are intriguing and I really wish we had some strong documentary TV material to bring it to life because these are the core arguments of the commons and the common good that have been lost in society today. Seeing the first stages of putting together a Navy to protect that is fascinating.
In Summary:
I thrilled to pretty much every issue of the original Rebels series and it’s one that reads well both as individual chapters and as an overall work in one very engaging sitting. This series begins to expand upon what people fought for and the hard work of actually working and creating a functional government to protect and serve all people. Brian Wood’s script may get a bit exposition heavy at times but it captures the nature of these men and the politics of the time – and how they were expressed in sessions – just right. Combine that with Mutti’s artwork that captures not just them well but the curious nature of John Abbot, the worry of Mercy and Seth, and the loss of other children along the way and you’ve got a book that’s rich and top shelf. A must read.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 22nd, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
