Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Wood
Art: Andrea Mutti
Colors: Lauren Affe
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
What They Say:
As a veteran of the War of Independence, Seth Abbott retired to his Vermont cabin and lived a quiet life. When his son John returns from the War of 1812 to a bustling, vibrant America that’s finally found its place in the world, what awaits him?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Similar to the first series, reading Rebels monthly can be a bit of a challenge because of the leaps forward it makes at times, the expanded cast that it wants to work with, and the simple dropping in at certain periods and places without clueing folks in as to who they are. Brian Wood makes you work at things a bit here and that’s to the reader’s advantage as it should lead them down a rabbit hole of reading if you wiki alongside. It also doesn’t hurt that Andrea Mutti is still delivering some great looking pages with Affe’s color work that makes you feel invested in it all, from the lushness around the White House to the dirt and bustle of New York City.
John’s story continues to be engaging to watch and frustrating considering what happened in the battle that ended with him being declared a mutineer. It’s an event that’s accurate because of the rule of law and it needed to be moved in that direction but the truth of what was achieved and saved that day is significant and cannot be lost. The time since then has seen John in prison where he’s worked hard to continue with his passion, even if he’s lost his right arm and has had to relearn how to do everything with just his left. As we’ve seen over the course of this story, John is gifted and different from “normal” and that’s difficult for a lot of people no matter the period in time. Seeing that he does have someone that still cares for him, and others looking to help him, is definitely a very big warming moment for me because one can easily imagine someone like him being completely lost in the world.
Though I enjoy the closure we get at the end in regards to Seth and Mercy, the main focus on this book is with Nicholson and Alice as they head to the White House to try and get John freed so he can work on the new steamships that are going to be coming up soon to help cement America’s military might and ownership of the Atlantic coast. The dialogue between Nicholson and the President (Madison, that is) is really fun because it digs into the nature of the time with legacy and reputation and what’s owed to those that helped to put this country where it is. It’s really not that long ago but it feels like a forever ago with how it plays out, the nature of the White House at this point in time just in terms of how it looks – and that it was burned down just a few years prior! – and the comment by Madison about how strange it is to free a man. Curious times when viewed in the mirror, to say the least.
In Summary:
Rebels continues to be a must-read series for me as it delves into some fascinating stuff and brings it to life well, and makes me want to see out novels that explores the truth and reality of this time. Wood’s scripts are minimal in a way but they convey a lot and the dialogue helps to present several fronts to soak up. Andrea Mutti was a favorite of mine on the previous series and he’s once again delivering some fantastic pages, particularly those opening pieces in New York and then the beauty of Vermont when it shifts up there. Great stuff all around and definitely worth sinking your teeth into.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 26th, 2017
MSRP: $3.99