The penultimate installment of the first arc. Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Wood
Art: Andrea Mutti
What They Say:
The young Seth Abbott embarks on the defining mission of his career as soldier and patriot. He must organize the transport of sixty tons of cannon overland from upstate New York south to Boston.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As Rebels moves to finishing out its first arc I find myself more and more intrigued and engaged by it and how it operates. There鈥檚 been a kind of aloof feeling to it in a way as it jumps about the times it takes place in, some of the backstory that was filled in and just the nature of Seth being a quiet man of the mountains and the land. Aloof doesn鈥檛 mean bad though as it allows us to get into his character more and listen to others in a way that lets him discern things. That comes to the forefront here where his kind of assuming nature and quiet approach allows him to be more than others expect or believe him to be. It keeps his nature to himself to be used when it鈥檚 most needed to do what needs doing.
The bulk of this issue focuses on the weapon train that鈥檚 being brought from New York to Boston in order to defend against the British there and fight back in a big way. While it鈥檚 Knox鈥檚 plan, it鈥檚 been entrusted to Seth and his team to accomplish it, which works well enough but has the problem that Knox is in charge. And in charge of what he considers incompetent folks that aren鈥檛 capable of really doing what鈥檚 necessary, especially since his two week plan takes eleven weeks in reality, simply because of the landscape, weather and other realities of such a movement. The mission overall is one that鈥檚 critical and we see some of the culmination of it, though most is done through Seth鈥檚 writings/narrations, but it鈥檚 presented in such a good way that you get the weight of it in proper context while sticking to Seth as the main character here.
Where this installment wins me over is just in the straightforward nature Seth employs relatively early on. When Knox berates him and the others for how the mission is going, he spends some time with Knox in his tent and after a bit makes it clear that Knox is no longer in charge. It鈥檚 not blunt in a sense as he at first talks more about his past with what happened with his father in the woods and how he brought him home, but it makes it clear that Seth is in his element out here and he鈥檚 going to do things his way, not Knox鈥檚. The look on Knox鈥檚 face is priceless, but I love the self assured Seth we get here as he puts things into motion and just does it. When faced with challenges, you just have to get it done. It鈥檚 simple but also the truth. Get it done. And seeing Seth also making it clear he鈥檚 a lot smarter than Knox ever gave him credit for is a wonderful little moment, built upon even more when the truth arrives in Boston about who was truly in charge of the mission all along.
In Summary:
Rebels moves along very well here in picking up where we left off as it deals with the train bringing the weapons to Boston and the adversities faced there. There鈥檚 some really good little bits of dialogue that fleshes things out as a whole and expands on the situation and how others are viewing the state of the war. But it keeps its focus very much on that of Knox and Seth and the interplay between the two is great. They鈥檒l never be allies, they鈥檒l never be friends, but they鈥檙e working for the same goal and have to accept various realities about it. It鈥檚 a strong installment from a storytelling point, both in words and visuals, as the whole thing makes you really feel like part of the time and place. Though I talk more of the actions and events, it continues to be critical to talk about the artwork as Andrea Mutti really brings this to life in a raw way that鈥檚 just staggering in some of its details, layouts and the whole flow of it. It鈥檚 one of those books that looks so rugged in a way that鈥檚 very hard to produce authentically that it bowls me over every single time I get a new installment. Beautiful, beautiful stuff.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: August 12th, 2015
MSRP: $3.99
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