Available at DriveThruComics.com ^[1]

Just before I received this comic, I read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. In that book, history gets turned every slightly, so that readers can be treated to a vision of the Sixteenth President. It’s a fun game to play, which is evident by the flood of books related to this genre.

Comics, however, get to reveal Paul Revere’s secret story. His story proves equally fun.

Grant Bond’s artwork in Revere: Revolution in Silver is, for lack of a better word, wicked. His splash pages along with the sketchbook at the end of the book show an incredible range of style. He often crafted two-page splashes with incredible effect. The colors are mostly dark (red is used for blood and the British mainly). Lots of grays and blacks fill this book; however, it looks vibrant. He captures violence in a spectacular fashion, which fits perfectly in the confines of this blood graphic novel. The expressions on the characters faces capture emotion quite well. Essentially, Bond’s art does exactly what it needs to do.

Lavallee’s writing isn’t slacking either. He takes a healthy mix of what we know and what could have been. His writing shows a deep appreciation for 18th Century America as he works to capture the dialects and phrases that came from that period without making the book stuffy. Yes, it’s a time of stodgy old men with powdered wigs, but Lavallee also makes it a time of “shooting werewolves in the face.” It’s a clever and fun read. Revere is a tortured hero. He isn’t happy with what his lot becomes, but carries on his agenda with severe obsession (unlike Batman, he’ll take a kid out, which seems a new level of obsession).

There is a reason why I’ve gotten burnt out on comics. One can only read the same story so many times before it becomes unbelievable (yes, I’m suggesting that the X-Men are believable the first few times around . . . mostly). Revere doesn’t contribute to this burnout. This is fresh, blood snow for readers to trek through. Put away your spandex. Get out your flintlock. Go ahead and give this book a try (especially since it’s a graphic novel and so much more satisfying that way).

My scores for Revere: Revolution in Silver are:

Artwork: Five out of Five Ink blots (love the uberviolence)
Writing: Five out of Five Thought Balloons (clever settings/good characters)
Overall: Five out of Five (a strange mix that works thanks to two talented artists)

I would like to thank Archaia Studios Press for my free PDF for review.

Review by Todd Cash

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