The Sons of Liberty

As some of you know, I am slightly addicted to graphic novels. They're a perfect blend of my two great loves: literature and art. I am always on the lookout for imaginative and interesting graphic novels. When I found The Sons of Liberty, a graphic novel that combines early American history with science fiction, I knew we had to have these books in the collection here at Dover Public Library.

About: The Sons of Liberty series is created and written by Alexander and Joseph Lagos. Art is by Steve Walker and color is by Oren Kramek. The series is published by Random House out of New York. The first book was published in 2010, the second in 2011.

In the first book, we meet Graham and Brody, two slave boys who run away from their plantation. A chance encounter with William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, leaves the boys with extraordinary powers. They are then taken in by Benjamin Lay, a Quaker who speaks out against slavery and teaches the boys to fight and use their powers for good. 

The second book is called Death and Taxes and takes place several years later. Graham and Brody have made a new life in Philadelphia, but chaos is about to erupt. The American people have begun rioting over unfair taxes, and Graham and Brody keep getting caught up in the fight. 

The Good: The story is imaginative and exciting. The characters are easily recognized and charming. Even William Franklin and his silent goon are incredibly entertaining. 

The Best: The art is fantastic! It's true Pre-Revolution America has never looked this good! The colors are vibrant, the scenes and poses epic. Nightmares and flashbacks are brought marvelously to life, as are the wide range of emotions experienced by the characters.

The Not As Good: I don't want to say bad, because I like these books so much. There is just one little detail that might get in the way of a true history buff. The science fiction. The boys get almost magical powers and are called demons by the people they are trying to help. Not exactly historically correct, but quite awesome!

From the Author's Note: "While some settings, characters, and events in this series are drawn from history, we have taken extensive liberties in the interest of crafting an exciting story." 

Who Should Read These: Fans of historical fiction (like Sally Gardner's The Red Necklace and Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution) and fans of super heroes (like Captain America and all his friends) would enjoy this well-crafted series.

Now that you've seen a review, how about writing one yourself? Email me at strausel@oplin.org to submit your review or ideas for blog articles.