Author: Alexander & Joseph Lagos
(Illustrated by Steve Walker and Oren Kramek)
ISBN:  978-0-375-85670-9

Click Here To Purchase The Sons of Liberty #1

This is a fantastic middle-grade graphic novel that immediately grabs hold of the reader and doesn’t let go.  This extremely fast-paced, and eloquently-told tale was written by two brothers and illustrated by a Marvel comic veteran named Steve Walker, and Oren Kramek. 

Directly after the war for America’s independence, the reader is soon shown that not all Americans earned the right to their freedom.  In fact, on the Sorenson plantation, like so many others, there are hundreds of young men and women who are slaves to the “respectable” families.  When we begin the story, we meet up with Cole Walker – a horrific man who is the overseer of the large tobacco plantation.  Walker is the owner of dogs that are equal to the Hounds of Hades.  These horrible animals, with Walker by their side, race through the forest to bring back the slaves who try with all their might to escape their world and find freedom elsewhere.  After an altercation with Sorenson’s son, two young boys by the name of Graham and Brody find themselves on the run, trying with everything they have to escape the cold, bitter forest and the relentless pursuit of the hideous dogs.

The story takes a turn to Philadelphia where we soon meet up with Benjamin Franklin and are introduced to his son, William.  Now, William has some of the same pursuits as his historic father.  Unfortunately, though, his own electrical experimentation is centered in the world of the macabre, where he tests various things out on animals and…children.  When Graham and Brody meet up with the man near his cabin in the woods, they wake the next morning to find that they have gifts that include glowing eyes, the ability to jump streams in one leap, and an undeniable power that they’ve never known. 

When Benjamin Franklin comes to their rescue, the boys find themselves placed with a man by the name of Lay who has worked for many years to educate the masses so that they will finally give up their beliefs in slavery.  Lay tells his back story to the young boys, and the world begins to change around them.  Soon, the Quakers, and others, realize that all men should be created equal and they begin to cancel their contracts with landowners who still want to whip other men’s’ backs.

The fight between good and evil is so engaging in this tale, that I feel any age group would be interested in the telling.  I also have to say that the most exciting part for me is the fact that this is simply the first of four books that will be coming out in this graphic-meets-historical quartet.

The writing is superb; the excitement nonstop; the morals far-reaching; and, the artwork so stunning that you’ll read this again and again.  I can’t wait for the next one!

 Click Here To Purchase The Sons of Liberty #1