What if in the future the United States attacked Canada? Here is the scenario of this strange comic proposed by Urban Comics since the end of June.
All for water
Things are going very badly in the future. Men have absolutely not changed their way of life, there is almost no water left on Earth… except in Canada. The United States is attacking its neighbor to appropriate this resource, which has become very scarce. But what can maple syrup eaters do against a much more powerful opponent? Should we do everything to fight, even if it means forgetting the values we want to defend?
The story follows Amber who lost her parents during the first attack and her brother in a labor camp. She joins a group of resistance fighters who have discovered a secret about American technology. We are quickly touched by this redhead who has not been spoiled by life but decides to fight. This complete account presents the reaction of a people under attack and we see less of the camp of the United States.
Brian K. Vaughan, known in France for writing Saga is here accompanied for the script and drawing by the Canadian Steve Skroce who drew the storyboards of most of the Wachowski sisters' films. The scenario is breathless because we quickly get attached to these resistance fighters and we wonder how they will cope with these war machines so powerful. It is amusing to see what an American author from his country writes. The very realistic and sometimes quite gory drawing plunges the reader into the violence of the fighting. Skroce's style should appeal to the fan of realistic Franco-Belgian comics. We can only regret that the bland colors lack a little shade.
Behind science fiction, a committed work
We can read this book as a work of science fiction but it is also a creepy vision of a possible future. When a country is led by Donald Trump, we can sometimes say that the worst is possible. Fortunately, the book also shows us that individuals can put freedom and democracy above all else. It is also a committed work. The two screenwriters show the violence of the war in a raw and bloody way. Despite the omnipresent snow in the drawings, one wonders if the authors do not think rather of Syria or Afghanistan when they speak of the American attack on a militarily weaker country.
As often, we can salute the quality of the translation but also the bonuses. JustFocus had already offered you the review of Moonshine published in the same Urban indies collection. There are sketches of the covers and research on the characters but also the Canadian anthem in English and French!
We stand on guard is a superb tale about the violence of war and the risk of fanaticism. Climatically, Canada is far from the France in summer but this is THE comic to read this summer.
