In a world where politics has taken a much larger role than ever before, politically charged works of fiction are becoming much more prevalent. One such book stuck out to me, and that was the graphic novel series USNA: The United States of North America. In both books one and two of the series, the future is dominated by advanced technology and a continent formed into one nation, and a small group of rebels who hope to return their nation to the people, and not the military council that now rules. Here is the synopsis:
An action filled multi-character drama, this graphic novel tells about a time in the future when our two great countries, Canada and the United States, have amalgamated and there is a growing discontent. Family farms have been replaced by huge corporate farms that exploit the bulging prison populations for labor. Severe drought has led to food shortages and rationing in the cities. Young adults are being conscripted to fight in the Cent-Am wars while a groundswell of rebellion is building. The rebels want to return to a time when the policies of the government represented the best interests of the people, not the best interests of those who govern. To lead their movement, the rebels are planning the return of their leader, the exiled former prime minister of Canada, Samuel Stern. To combat this threat, a new organization has been created by the administration of USNA. It’s a covert homeland security force: the Strategic Home Alliance Defense Organization (S.H.A.D.O.). Operating on the fringes of the law, their mission is simple: locate and eliminate any rebel activity using deadly force if necessary. This is the story of the people’s fight against tyranny in our own backyard.
A mixture of science fiction, political fiction and espionage thriller, this story showcases a future where two nations become one, and the rule of law makes corporations the dominant force, not the lower class who help build businesses or the farmers who’s entire lives depend on the land they farm. This graphic novel series does a fantastic job of showing multiple points of view, from the naive widow who is shown the real world for the first time to the optimistic rebel leader to the tough as nails military general who is as ruthless as he is cunning.
The artwork in this graphic novel is beautiful, bringing a sort of noir realism like Frank Miller’s Sin City to a fast-paced, action packed world where boarders have all but evaporated on our continent. The plot is both familiar and new, exploring a new topic but giving a reassuring formula of a small, ragtag group of rebels who must become heroes to free the people under the corrupt thumb of a military based government.
Overall, this is a must read graphic novel series, which showcases the lengths a government may go to exert control over a nation and the strength of the men and women who yearn to give freedom back to the people. USNA: The United States of North America is a wonderful series from a talented group of writers and artists who I hope to see more work from in the future. Pick up your copy of USNA: Books One and Two today!
USNA: The United States of North America https://www.amazon.com/dp/098097013X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_X.-MzbPXS8CK8