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Briggs Land #1
Briggs Land, Vol. 1: State of Grace
Briggs Land, nearly a hundred square miles of rural wilderness, contains the largest antigovernment secessionist movement in the United States. When matriarch Grace Briggs wrests control of the operation from her incarcerated husband, she sparks a war within the community--and her immediate family--that threatens to bring the full power of the federal government down on their heads.
From acclaimed writer Brian Wood (The Massive, DMZ, Channel Zero) and artist Antonio Fuso (G.I. Joe, Judge Dredd) comes an electrifying crime saga unique to the post-9/11 world.
Praise for the previous work of Brian Wood:
"Much like DMZ, the glimpses of savagery [in The Massive] are unsettling because this world isn't as divorced from ours as we'd like it to be." -IGN
"Entertaining. Enlightening. Enrapturing. Buy this book!" (For Rebels #1) -ComicSpectrum
"Between [The Massive] and Saga, be happy that we're in the middle of a renaissance for sci-fi comics." -MTV Geek
From acclaimed writer Brian Wood (The Massive, DMZ, Channel Zero) and artist Antonio Fuso (G.I. Joe, Judge Dredd) comes an electrifying crime saga unique to the post-9/11 world.
Praise for the previous work of Brian Wood:
"Much like DMZ, the glimpses of savagery [in The Massive] are unsettling because this world isn't as divorced from ours as we'd like it to be." -IGN
"Entertaining. Enlightening. Enrapturing. Buy this book!" (For Rebels #1) -ComicSpectrum
"Between [The Massive] and Saga, be happy that we're in the middle of a renaissance for sci-fi comics." -MTV Geek
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2017
3 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Brian Wood
1,173 books961 followersBrian Wood's history of published work includes over fifty volumes of genre-spanning original material.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
May 4, 2018
Briggs Land: the largest secessionist movement in the United States, founded in the wake of the civil war and sat on a hundred square miles of prime real estate. Jim Briggs, the head of the Briggs crime family, rules the land from prison after attempting to assassinate the president. But when his wife Grace discovers he may be bargaining with the government to sell the land in exchange for a commuted sentence, she begins a takeover, triggering a war within the family. The king is dead – long live the queen!
When Brian Wood is on, he is ON - Briggs Land, Volume 1: State of Grace is really good! The story hits the ground running as Grace immediately instigates her power grab, and then we’re into it. Warring sons, rogue ATF agents, white supremacist thugs, money launderers, everyone’s got guns – so many guns! - and plenty of tense action to keep things lively. It’s very Shakespearean, albeit for the 21st century.
The characters are a compelling, distinct bunch: Grace, the cool-headed, iron-willed matriarch; Isaac, the youngest son, dutiful and honour-bound; Caleb, the oldest, brutal and ruthless whose loyalties are questionable – are they to his dad, maw, or himself?; and Noah, the middle son and wild card, running loose executing enemies of the family. Stir in a couple of shady government agents looking to bring down Grace and the vicious former head, Jim, and you’ve got a helluva cast. It’s a clichéd comparison at this point but this book really did remind me of Breaking Bad – they’re both high quality, exciting crime dramas. I can easily see why AMC snapped this up to develop into a TV show.
Wood’s storytelling is masterful. There’s an excellent balance between quiet pages, where we see Grace go about her everyday life – fine character-building moments and a nice breather from the drama – the occasional inner monologue, where we can hear the characters’ thoughts, exterior action, and flashbacks, all utilised perfectly.
The only criticism I have is Mack Chater’s art, which is serviceable but quite plain and a bit boring. Otherwise, Briggs Land is a triumph. I really enjoyed it and found it thoroughly entertaining – roll on Volume 2!
When Brian Wood is on, he is ON - Briggs Land, Volume 1: State of Grace is really good! The story hits the ground running as Grace immediately instigates her power grab, and then we’re into it. Warring sons, rogue ATF agents, white supremacist thugs, money launderers, everyone’s got guns – so many guns! - and plenty of tense action to keep things lively. It’s very Shakespearean, albeit for the 21st century.
The characters are a compelling, distinct bunch: Grace, the cool-headed, iron-willed matriarch; Isaac, the youngest son, dutiful and honour-bound; Caleb, the oldest, brutal and ruthless whose loyalties are questionable – are they to his dad, maw, or himself?; and Noah, the middle son and wild card, running loose executing enemies of the family. Stir in a couple of shady government agents looking to bring down Grace and the vicious former head, Jim, and you’ve got a helluva cast. It’s a clichéd comparison at this point but this book really did remind me of Breaking Bad – they’re both high quality, exciting crime dramas. I can easily see why AMC snapped this up to develop into a TV show.
Wood’s storytelling is masterful. There’s an excellent balance between quiet pages, where we see Grace go about her everyday life – fine character-building moments and a nice breather from the drama – the occasional inner monologue, where we can hear the characters’ thoughts, exterior action, and flashbacks, all utilised perfectly.
The only criticism I have is Mack Chater’s art, which is serviceable but quite plain and a bit boring. Otherwise, Briggs Land is a triumph. I really enjoyed it and found it thoroughly entertaining – roll on Volume 2!
February 21, 2018
The Sopranos of secessionists. Grace Briggs's husband has been locked up for 20 years. Today's the day she tells him she's taking over the family. Now she has to shore up her support from her three sons in a patriarchy group of secessionist before it all falls apart. I can see why AMC decided to turn this into a series. It definitely has a Sopranos / Breaking bad feel to it.
July 17, 2018
This was probably one of my favorite works by Brain Wood. Funny, coming from Massive, which I didn't like, to this, which I loved.
So Briggs is a political warfare story about Grace taking over the Briggs land after her husband ends up in jail. Right off the bat she tells him she'll be taking over and he tells her she's fucked. This begins a hit on Grace, who has a three kids who she wants to work with her. So it's basically a political warfare and it gets even more nasty as the story progresses beyond Brigg's land. Death, betrayal, and racism all are in one title.
Good: Loved the family feel. I also think the idea of making all these characters shitty in some way is really interesting. The betrayals and fights are great. Oh, and the ending leaves this one building up to something horrible but I can't wait.
Bad: Some of the pacing issues in issue 3-4 are there.
Overall this was fantastic. Around a 4.5 for me. Because of some of the pacing issues I'll hit it with a 4 but this is worth checking out for sure.
So Briggs is a political warfare story about Grace taking over the Briggs land after her husband ends up in jail. Right off the bat she tells him she'll be taking over and he tells her she's fucked. This begins a hit on Grace, who has a three kids who she wants to work with her. So it's basically a political warfare and it gets even more nasty as the story progresses beyond Brigg's land. Death, betrayal, and racism all are in one title.
Good: Loved the family feel. I also think the idea of making all these characters shitty in some way is really interesting. The betrayals and fights are great. Oh, and the ending leaves this one building up to something horrible but I can't wait.
Bad: Some of the pacing issues in issue 3-4 are there.
Overall this was fantastic. Around a 4.5 for me. Because of some of the pacing issues I'll hit it with a 4 but this is worth checking out for sure.
April 25, 2018
An absorbing crime drama about a right-wing separatist community and the rift in the family that leads it. Think The Sopranos and Sons of Anarchy meets The Outsiders. The series shows promise, on to the next one!
April 8, 2017
The first volume of a series of graphic novels about internecine warfare between members of a right wing separatist cult promises that things are going to get rockier in Briggs Land before they get better. With Big Jim Briggs, the patriarch and iron-fisted ruler of the family, serving a life term in prison, his wife Grace moves to take control of the family and its assorted businesses. This immediately sets of a series of violent encounters as compound members maneuver to seize, maintain, of regain control of the multi-million dollar organization. Add to the mix a rogue federal agent with a mysterious agenda of his own and you have a series that could be a real humdinger.
My only concerns are that there are few, if any likable characters. The same can be said about The Sopranos, though, so that is not always a deal-breaker. One unpleasant aspect of the story is that it includes the murder of a dog. I don't fully understand this but many people, myself included, will will be more repulsed by the abuse or killing of a fictional animal more unacceptable than by the abuse or killing of fictional humans.
Bottom Line: While it is unclear whether or not the series will deliver all that it promises, text author Brian Wood is no stranger to plots involving separatist militias, having written the popular DMZ series. With that thought in mind, I am definitely looking forward to reading future volumes.
*The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
My only concerns are that there are few, if any likable characters. The same can be said about The Sopranos, though, so that is not always a deal-breaker. One unpleasant aspect of the story is that it includes the murder of a dog. I don't fully understand this but many people, myself included, will will be more repulsed by the abuse or killing of a fictional animal more unacceptable than by the abuse or killing of fictional humans.
Bottom Line: While it is unclear whether or not the series will deliver all that it promises, text author Brian Wood is no stranger to plots involving separatist militias, having written the popular DMZ series. With that thought in mind, I am definitely looking forward to reading future volumes.
*The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
October 30, 2017
Thinks "The Sopranos" but with white supremacist secessionists instead of the mob.
Grace Briggs is the matriarch of the Briggs family and the newly crowned leader of Briggs Land, the single largest antigovernment secessionist movement in history. She's managed (barely) to wrest control from her incarcerated husband who's doing life for attempting to assasinate the president but now she has to bring her son's in line and not all of them like the idea of a woman, let alone their mother being in charge.
This was my first straight up crime comic and I'm certainly intrigued enough to find out what happens in volume two. I think Brian Wood was probably going for a more tense atmosphere than what came across but by and large he does pretty well with introducing a pretty hefty cast of characters while simultaneously telling a pretty hair raising story involving Grace's eldest son attempting to buy a very lucrative hardware store from an owner who doesn't want to sell.
The art work is good, not great. I tend to lean to more detailed with graphic novels especially when it comes to faces because you've got a really limited framework to convey emotion so I always feel like you have to work doubly hard to really nail the character's reactions to things. This is all a little too scattered for me, like someone with a nervous tick was doing the drawing.
As I said the story is solid just not quite as riveting as I think it wants to be. But I'll definitely pick up number 2 when it arrives.
Grace Briggs is the matriarch of the Briggs family and the newly crowned leader of Briggs Land, the single largest antigovernment secessionist movement in history. She's managed (barely) to wrest control from her incarcerated husband who's doing life for attempting to assasinate the president but now she has to bring her son's in line and not all of them like the idea of a woman, let alone their mother being in charge.
This was my first straight up crime comic and I'm certainly intrigued enough to find out what happens in volume two. I think Brian Wood was probably going for a more tense atmosphere than what came across but by and large he does pretty well with introducing a pretty hefty cast of characters while simultaneously telling a pretty hair raising story involving Grace's eldest son attempting to buy a very lucrative hardware store from an owner who doesn't want to sell.
The art work is good, not great. I tend to lean to more detailed with graphic novels especially when it comes to faces because you've got a really limited framework to convey emotion so I always feel like you have to work doubly hard to really nail the character's reactions to things. This is all a little too scattered for me, like someone with a nervous tick was doing the drawing.
As I said the story is solid just not quite as riveting as I think it wants to be. But I'll definitely pick up number 2 when it arrives.
January 23, 2024
Briggs Land is an absolutely riveting new series about “an American family under siege” by both the government and their own hand. Set in rural upstate New York, Briggs Land is a hundred-square-mile oasis for people who want to live off the grid. Established in the Civil War era, the Briggs family would give sanctuary to those who wanted to live a simple life, but this anti-government colony has taken a dark turn in recent times. The village that grew within its fences has morphed into a breeding ground for white extremism, domestic terrorism and money laundering.
Patriarch Jim Briggs, who is currently serving a life sentence for attempting to assassinate the president, has been leading the sect and still making orders with the assistance of his wife Grace, who visits him weekly in jail. Dismayed by his corruption, Grace decides to make a power play for leadership in the community, despite her three adult sons being valid potential leaders themselves. Eldest son Caleb is a businessman and white supremacist who feels he is being passed over, Noah is the muscle of the family with a reckless intensity and Isaac is the recently returned soldier who may prove to be a wild card.
Grace proves to be a worthy adversary in this patriarchal society, and survives a power coup by those who resent a woman taking the lead of Briggs Land. She has a steely resolve but shows a love for her family and compassion for those in need. However, although she seems to want to rehabilitate the compound and honor the original intent of this secessionist group, she is also willing to manipulate others, including the FBI agents who are investigating the family. Don’t assume anything about Grace.
The artwork by Mack Chater is spot on for the gritty story and establishes the atmosphere of a trashy military compound. Sketchy with an earth-toned color palette, the layout reminds me of storyboards, which is apropos as the series is being developed for TV on the AMC network. The Briggs family and the village as a whole are drawn realistically, with varied looks for these armed right-wingers. The only misstep is an oddly colored front cover to the graphic novel in which Grace is colored in blue with other family members in red. Lately, I’ve seen the cover for the first issue used more often (picture with this post) which is more appropriate for the mood and frankly, just more attractive.
The world-building in this story is superb, with this thinly fictionalized narrative being quite plausible in our current polarized world. There was a short one-shot story in the back of the Avatar issue from Free Comic Book Day which adds another real-world issue of meth dealership to the compound. Both stories make me anxious to find out what Grace and her complex family’s next moves will be in this fascinating crime saga. Highly recommended!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2017/05/1...
Patriarch Jim Briggs, who is currently serving a life sentence for attempting to assassinate the president, has been leading the sect and still making orders with the assistance of his wife Grace, who visits him weekly in jail. Dismayed by his corruption, Grace decides to make a power play for leadership in the community, despite her three adult sons being valid potential leaders themselves. Eldest son Caleb is a businessman and white supremacist who feels he is being passed over, Noah is the muscle of the family with a reckless intensity and Isaac is the recently returned soldier who may prove to be a wild card.
Grace proves to be a worthy adversary in this patriarchal society, and survives a power coup by those who resent a woman taking the lead of Briggs Land. She has a steely resolve but shows a love for her family and compassion for those in need. However, although she seems to want to rehabilitate the compound and honor the original intent of this secessionist group, she is also willing to manipulate others, including the FBI agents who are investigating the family. Don’t assume anything about Grace.
The artwork by Mack Chater is spot on for the gritty story and establishes the atmosphere of a trashy military compound. Sketchy with an earth-toned color palette, the layout reminds me of storyboards, which is apropos as the series is being developed for TV on the AMC network. The Briggs family and the village as a whole are drawn realistically, with varied looks for these armed right-wingers. The only misstep is an oddly colored front cover to the graphic novel in which Grace is colored in blue with other family members in red. Lately, I’ve seen the cover for the first issue used more often (picture with this post) which is more appropriate for the mood and frankly, just more attractive.
The world-building in this story is superb, with this thinly fictionalized narrative being quite plausible in our current polarized world. There was a short one-shot story in the back of the Avatar issue from Free Comic Book Day which adds another real-world issue of meth dealership to the compound. Both stories make me anxious to find out what Grace and her complex family’s next moves will be in this fascinating crime saga. Highly recommended!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2017/05/1...
December 3, 2018
Very good! So I have become a quite a fan recently of Brian Wood, the man knows how to tell interesting stories and good dialogue; series like Alien: Defiance and RoboCop: Citizens Arrest, despite not having a ton of action, they sucked you in just on the writing alone. Briggs Land is Wood's own independent series with that 'Perfect for TV' type of vibe that many indie titles give off.
So the story is set in a small town in America, which is basically run by this mafia/white supremacists family; the head of the family is serving a life sentence in prison and his wife, Grace, basically decides to take over and run things her way. Right off the bat, I was sucked into this almost Sopranos like the story, with a writing style keen to TV shows you would watch on AMC or HBO. It's fascinating to see Grace's rise to power, and what she has to do to get there. The writing is honestly stellar!
Only negative I can really say is the artwork is serviceable but not the best I have ever seen; the character designs particularly aren't very good. And while I enjoyed this volume, I still enjoyed RoboCop and Aliens a bit more. But overall this is a solid recommendation from me!
So the story is set in a small town in America, which is basically run by this mafia/white supremacists family; the head of the family is serving a life sentence in prison and his wife, Grace, basically decides to take over and run things her way. Right off the bat, I was sucked into this almost Sopranos like the story, with a writing style keen to TV shows you would watch on AMC or HBO. It's fascinating to see Grace's rise to power, and what she has to do to get there. The writing is honestly stellar!
Only negative I can really say is the artwork is serviceable but not the best I have ever seen; the character designs particularly aren't very good. And while I enjoyed this volume, I still enjoyed RoboCop and Aliens a bit more. But overall this is a solid recommendation from me!
March 18, 2018
The Briggs family has been an antigovernment secessionist movement for decades before slowly turning to crime under the rule of now serving sentence Jim Briggs. His wife Grace stages a coup supposedly to bring back the original raison d'être of Briggs land. Of course there will be consequences...
So Briggs land is a hard boiled crime story with a kind of Sopranos meet Sons of Anarchy vibe. And it's quite good.
Wood plunges the reader in the heart of things right on. Characters and their interactions are unveiled while tension(s) rapidly rise. Grace's coup won't play out pacifically and there'll be blood.
The Sopranos and SoA, even dealing with mobsters/killers, perniciously managed to make the audience like them. Don't tell me you hated Tony Soprano or Jax Teller, I won't believe you. There was this unhealthy fascination for criminals whose charisma you couldn't help to fall for.
No such thing in Briggs land, at least not yet.
Grace Briggs is not exactly sympathetic; shes hard and cold-even if supportive of the mistreated women of the patriarchally structured Briggs land- with a goal and the means to attain it. Her 3 sons are all borderline, psychopaths and/or white supremacists and their family ties seem quite loose. As for Jim Briggs he is, simply put, a bastard.
Well, I won't hold it against Wood. This is a story with criminals. After all, you're not supposed to like criminals. But that doesn't mean you can't like a good and original story. Even with criminals.
So Briggs land is a hard boiled crime story with a kind of Sopranos meet Sons of Anarchy vibe. And it's quite good.
Wood plunges the reader in the heart of things right on. Characters and their interactions are unveiled while tension(s) rapidly rise. Grace's coup won't play out pacifically and there'll be blood.
The Sopranos and SoA, even dealing with mobsters/killers, perniciously managed to make the audience like them. Don't tell me you hated Tony Soprano or Jax Teller, I won't believe you. There was this unhealthy fascination for criminals whose charisma you couldn't help to fall for.
No such thing in Briggs land, at least not yet.
Grace Briggs is not exactly sympathetic; shes hard and cold-even if supportive of the mistreated women of the patriarchally structured Briggs land- with a goal and the means to attain it. Her 3 sons are all borderline, psychopaths and/or white supremacists and their family ties seem quite loose. As for Jim Briggs he is, simply put, a bastard.
Well, I won't hold it against Wood. This is a story with criminals. After all, you're not supposed to like criminals. But that doesn't mean you can't like a good and original story. Even with criminals.
June 1, 2017
Briggs Land es una finca rural en la américa profunda que contiene a los miembros del mayor movimiento secesionista de los Estados Unidos. Tras enterarse de que su marido encarcelado piensa vender los terrenos para propiciar su liberación, Grace decide tomar el mando para evitarlo, lo que provocará muchas tensiones en una comunidad machista, racista y retrógrada... incluso dentro de su propia familia encontrará oposición a su liderazgo.
Disputas familiares, contrabando, extorsión, violencia... son elementos que podemos encontrar en este relato mientras Grace Briggs intenta hacerse con las riendas de "el país", para mantener su sueño de vivir según sus propios designios, sin intromisiones del estado.
Historia de serie negra muy interesante, dibujo que consigue retratar con realismo los habitantes y los ambientes. Muy recomendable, la pena es que tardará en llegar la continuación, ya que aún no está disponible en los USA
Disputas familiares, contrabando, extorsión, violencia... son elementos que podemos encontrar en este relato mientras Grace Briggs intenta hacerse con las riendas de "el país", para mantener su sueño de vivir según sus propios designios, sin intromisiones del estado.
Historia de serie negra muy interesante, dibujo que consigue retratar con realismo los habitantes y los ambientes. Muy recomendable, la pena es que tardará en llegar la continuación, ya que aún no está disponible en los USA
May 9, 2019
Briggs Land is a rural, patriarchal, white supremacist, secessionist territory created and ruled with an iron fist by the Briggs family. With Dad in prison for attempting to assassinate the president, Mom takes over. She must contend with sons who scoff at the idea of a woman leader, ATF agents with a vendetta, and a vengeful husband hellbent on ruling from prison.
This framework maps almost perfectly onto one of the greatest seasons of television ever, s2 of Fargo. And so far it lives up to that challenge. This volume was fantastic.
The individual issue covers incorporate the best use of white I'VE ever seen in graphic novel art.
This framework maps almost perfectly onto one of the greatest seasons of television ever, s2 of Fargo. And so far it lives up to that challenge. This volume was fantastic.
The individual issue covers incorporate the best use of white I'VE ever seen in graphic novel art.
June 6, 2018
Not sure where this series is going, but damn if Grace Briggs isn't one hell of a compelling main character. I'm usually not one to pick up fictional stories about white separatists (and it's nice that
Also, RPL is stepping up its comic/graphic novel collection game. Finally!!!
- Even better on rereading it along with the second volume.
Also, RPL is stepping up its comic/graphic novel collection game. Finally!!!
- Even better on rereading it along with the second volume.
May 29, 2019
The synopsis made me think of the plot for Far Cry 5. There are more guns than people in the story and their owners know how to use them. They breed them ruthless in this isolated community where one family controls all the comings and goings.
With Jim Briggs in prison for the rest of his life, his wife Grace was set to bring his orders to the Briggs Land, a community they own and control. Instead she cuts him loose and becomes the de facto leader of the antigovernmental secessionist Briggs clan. Jim orders an attack on her in their home, but she is no pushover. She must consolidate her power if she and her family are to survive.
The Briggs want to buy off Bud Hillson, the owner of Hillson Home Value. It's the largest store in town and Grace needs it under her control to ensure that the family appears strong. She is willing to use force to have her way and she needs more allies.
With Jim Briggs in prison for the rest of his life, his wife Grace was set to bring his orders to the Briggs Land, a community they own and control. Instead she cuts him loose and becomes the de facto leader of the antigovernmental secessionist Briggs clan. Jim orders an attack on her in their home, but she is no pushover. She must consolidate her power if she and her family are to survive.
The Briggs want to buy off Bud Hillson, the owner of Hillson Home Value. It's the largest store in town and Grace needs it under her control to ensure that the family appears strong. She is willing to use force to have her way and she needs more allies.
September 30, 2018
I was pretty impressed. I've heard this is being adapted to TV, which would be great. As I was reading, I thought it would make a great show for HBO or Showtime in particular.
The basic story is about a militia/secessionist movement in the US, the biggest one that exists. The patriarch of the family has been in jail for a while after attempting an assassination attempt. The family is basically a bunch of racist jerks, but the matriarch sees a chance to change everything for the better and attempts to take over the family and the group.
Things go from there but this is a good story that gets you right from the start and never lets up. If you are fans of shows like Big Love on HBO, Homeland on Showtime, or similar shows, this is probably a good read for you.
The basic story is about a militia/secessionist movement in the US, the biggest one that exists. The patriarch of the family has been in jail for a while after attempting an assassination attempt. The family is basically a bunch of racist jerks, but the matriarch sees a chance to change everything for the better and attempts to take over the family and the group.
Things go from there but this is a good story that gets you right from the start and never lets up. If you are fans of shows like Big Love on HBO, Homeland on Showtime, or similar shows, this is probably a good read for you.
April 3, 2019
Brian Wood is kind to me. I like his stories with well-written colourful characters (I usually don't need to question their motives and can't tell one from another, and that is what it should be. The only time when's good guestioning one motives is whent it has role and roots in the story, not that character is badly written). Briggs land is a good story from the "gangsters" genre, only instead o common gang there is an enclave of people who live in their own city, making shady business and deny the government. And so far it's smart, thrilling and very enjoyable. So I'm looking forward to the second half with high hopes.
June 17, 2017
Just plain awesome. I read recently that AMC is making this into a TV series. Having read Vol. 1 I can see how this would work in a televised serial format. Great storytelling and characterization.
June 16, 2017
Wow! Good start. Grace is trying to make things better, but has a lot of bad things to make happen first. 😬😬😬😬😬 I like her attitude and what she is trying to do for the women in Briggs Land.
September 14, 2017
BCDER: 82
The artwork reminded me a lot of a Brubaker / Philips comic. Very solid with clear story telling abilities. Mood is shown panel to panel via mostly analogous color schemes. Brian Wood is one of my favorite authors. He reminds me of Grisham in that I'm interested in every story I've read by him. Nothing fantastical or other worldly, just good crime / mystery / political stories with an additional subject that is always educational. A great start to another Brian Wood saga I hope to read for years.
I love books, in the beginning, that you not sure if you should like a character or not. The strong female protagonist - Grace. Will she turn out to be someone we cheer for doing the right thing(s)?
The artwork reminded me a lot of a Brubaker / Philips comic. Very solid with clear story telling abilities. Mood is shown panel to panel via mostly analogous color schemes. Brian Wood is one of my favorite authors. He reminds me of Grisham in that I'm interested in every story I've read by him. Nothing fantastical or other worldly, just good crime / mystery / political stories with an additional subject that is always educational. A great start to another Brian Wood saga I hope to read for years.
I love books, in the beginning, that you not sure if you should like a character or not. The strong female protagonist - Grace. Will she turn out to be someone we cheer for doing the right thing(s)?
August 4, 2017
Very generic crime comic. It might be interesting to see how AMC punches it up for television.
December 9, 2018
I wasn't real crazy about this one. First in the series so there's a lot of setup and that slowed the pace. Some of the characters look pretty similar and that was confusing at times. See plenty of potential given the theme - white-supremicists and intrafamily skirmishing - but I'm luke-warm on the execution of Vol. 1.
December 5, 2017
It does seem to be a setup for a TV show. Most of the characters are hateful and the story brutal, but you really want to know where this is going. Real enough to be truly scary.
July 10, 2017
Fantastic crime comic, with hints of DMZ, Scalped, and Southern Basterds.
June 26, 2017
Solid opening for a new series about the wife of a jailed secessionist/white supremacist/terrorist who decides she needs to take over the family business in order to save it. Of course, not everyone in her community--or family--likes the idea of answering to a woman.
June 19, 2017
About a real threat to the American way of life, instead of the Islamic and the Russian perceived dangers, treated with depth and complexity. The potential for a fantastic tv series is clear.
June 17, 2017
Timely in a way. Left me wanting more. looking forward to the next volume.
October 24, 2016
Picked this up, a little bit randomly in my first visit in years to a comic store. With my daughter, saw no 1 issue, looked a bit intriguing and "adult" so went for it. Enjoyed enough to buy issues 2 and 3 and end the story.
Clearly liked to big up the fact that it has already been sold as a concept, prior to publication, to be developed into a TV series. The holy grail for the comic creator I should think, the hard graft it is to make a living in that world, I am sure.
Read a bit like what you imagine, the concept is of course appealing, and 95% of the appeal. The actual characters, plot development does not live up to it. And as you would expect in a 3 issue comic story, just as perhaps something within the story was interesting beyond "white trash" voyeurism (the woman that marries into the society is the one with the most understanding of its true worth and point) it ends.
Clearly liked to big up the fact that it has already been sold as a concept, prior to publication, to be developed into a TV series. The holy grail for the comic creator I should think, the hard graft it is to make a living in that world, I am sure.
Read a bit like what you imagine, the concept is of course appealing, and 95% of the appeal. The actual characters, plot development does not live up to it. And as you would expect in a 3 issue comic story, just as perhaps something within the story was interesting beyond "white trash" voyeurism (the woman that marries into the society is the one with the most understanding of its true worth and point) it ends.
December 27, 2016
This was the first comic I've read in about 20 years. I was anticipating its release and made sure I got it right away. I am so glad I did! The characters were well-defined in such few words. I was equally impressed by how well the wordless scenes helped in the storytelling. It also made my day to find out it takes place locally for me. I have definitely been converted back to a comic book fan again.
July 1, 2018
The story's good, the art is decent*, but I'm finding it really hard to give a fuck about the characters. At the end of the day, they're all shitty people -- and not just run of the mill shitty people... these people are white supremacist racists who're basically squatting on land. Now Grace talks a good talk 'bout how when she first married old Jimbo she was seventeen and naive and thought they were going to go live in the woods and be self-sufficient and how she didn't agree with the violence/hate/racism, blah blah blah. That came after, she says. But how believable is that, really, to an audience?! Especially when Gracey-poo's already been with him for twenty odd years already? She sees it getting out of hand now? Why now? Seems a little sloppy of the writer(s?) to skim over that bit, when Grace is supposed to be the closest thing this series has got to a conscience. She stayed with him after he tried to assassinate a president and took their not-even-ten-yet son with him to get the job done... I guess we'll see, but I don't think I'm going to be too impressed with revelations of Grace's motives any time soon. Plot and characters moving along smoothly otherwise, as one would hope with a political drama/family saga like this -- it'll do well on TV.
Here's a great example of why I'm so suspicious of Grace's intentions/why I don't buy what she's trying to sell. She says: "This isn't society. This is Briggs Land. It's supposed to be better."
I pose the question: better for who, Grace? Straight White Christians? What about no hate, no violence, no racism, Grace? Is she on some "separate but equal" shit? I just wanna know what angle she's playing, because seems to me right now the tune she's humming ain't all that different from the one her hubster's singin' in state prison...
*Personally, I think the artist really needs to learn how to differentiate between characters -- some look damn near unrecognizable between panels. This is a comic book! You need recognizable characters. Half the story's in the art. The male detective and Grace are the two the artist seems to have the most trouble with, in my opinion. I'm still not sure if the male detective is supposed to be part black -- I'd think his race would be important since he's investigating white supremacists and all, he could be risking his life... but the artist wants to make him look white in some panels, possibly mixed in others.
I'm conflicted. It's a good story. But is it really what we need right now? A white supremacist utopia that's been up and running since the Civil War? A story where the bad guys win? Where there are no "good guys"? I get it, I get it, comics were never meant for that. Forgive me for wanting a little bit more heart, a little bit more meat on the bones of this flimsy, lifeless carcass.
Here's a great example of why I'm so suspicious of Grace's intentions/why I don't buy what she's trying to sell. She says: "This isn't society. This is Briggs Land. It's supposed to be better."
I pose the question: better for who, Grace? Straight White Christians? What about no hate, no violence, no racism, Grace? Is she on some "separate but equal" shit? I just wanna know what angle she's playing, because seems to me right now the tune she's humming ain't all that different from the one her hubster's singin' in state prison...
*Personally, I think the artist really needs to learn how to differentiate between characters -- some look damn near unrecognizable between panels. This is a comic book! You need recognizable characters. Half the story's in the art. The male detective and Grace are the two the artist seems to have the most trouble with, in my opinion. I'm still not sure if the male detective is supposed to be part black -- I'd think his race would be important since he's investigating white supremacists and all, he could be risking his life... but the artist wants to make him look white in some panels, possibly mixed in others.
I'm conflicted. It's a good story. But is it really what we need right now? A white supremacist utopia that's been up and running since the Civil War? A story where the bad guys win? Where there are no "good guys"? I get it, I get it, comics were never meant for that. Forgive me for wanting a little bit more heart, a little bit more meat on the bones of this flimsy, lifeless carcass.
September 8, 2017
Look, this book is fucked up. It's everything I'd typically hate : white supremists, abuse, thinly veiled twisted Christian ideology, violence for violence sake...it feels too real. But that's the thing: right now it does feel too real and in a not so great way (the same that made me tune into House of Cards only after it seemed "reasonable"), that makes it compelling. Plus, the art is fantastic, the storytelling seamless, and it reads like a tv show. No wonder AMC is looking at it.
Ultimately, its Grace Briggs that drives it. She's compelling and good, evil, ambivalent, I love women characters like this. You don't know what her plan is: on the one hand she seems better than her husband. On the other, she's letting her racist son run wild, and her assassin son do what he does. It'll be interesting to see her end goal, what things she actually stands for: is it change? If so, how did she get a son like Caleb? Or is her only interest power?
Ultimately, its Grace Briggs that drives it. She's compelling and good, evil, ambivalent, I love women characters like this. You don't know what her plan is: on the one hand she seems better than her husband. On the other, she's letting her racist son run wild, and her assassin son do what he does. It'll be interesting to see her end goal, what things she actually stands for: is it change? If so, how did she get a son like Caleb? Or is her only interest power?
February 6, 2018
Though I love most of Brian Wood's work this one felt incomplete and unsatisfying. Yes I understand that it's an ongoing series as 'Lone Wolves' continues the tale but I was still disappointed with how this series ended.
That said, the art is wonderful and feels appropriate and the story is believable - I am just waiting for it to... take off? I hope to update give the next series a review of four or five stars as there is a lot of potential here and it is certainly timely. The hints of where the main character's story arc will go bode well.
That said, the art is wonderful and feels appropriate and the story is believable - I am just waiting for it to... take off? I hope to update give the next series a review of four or five stars as there is a lot of potential here and it is certainly timely. The hints of where the main character's story arc will go bode well.
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