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Where We Live: Las Vegas Shooting Benefit Anthology
On October 1, 2017, Las Vegas, Nevada suffered the worst mass shooting in modern American history, resulting in 58 deaths and over 500 injured. It broke my heart. Las Vegas is my home. I felt like something needed to be done to help in a unique way. -- JH Williams III, Artist & Curating Editor
This "unique way" was the genesis of the Where We Live anthology -- a riveting collection of both fictional stories and actual eye-witness accounts told by an all-star line-up of the top talent working in comics today. All the creators have graciously volunteered their time and talent to help bring some sense to this senseless act and, in the process, raise money for the survivors and their families.
The book will include a variety of perspectives with key themes exploring gun violence, common sense gun control, the value of a compassionate society, mental health stigmatization, aftermath of tragedy and how individuals & communities persevere and an appreciation of Las Vegas as a vibrant community.
100% of the proceeds for the Where We Live anthology will be donated to an existing GoFundMe campaign for the survivors in Las Vegas.
This "unique way" was the genesis of the Where We Live anthology -- a riveting collection of both fictional stories and actual eye-witness accounts told by an all-star line-up of the top talent working in comics today. All the creators have graciously volunteered their time and talent to help bring some sense to this senseless act and, in the process, raise money for the survivors and their families.
The book will include a variety of perspectives with key themes exploring gun violence, common sense gun control, the value of a compassionate society, mental health stigmatization, aftermath of tragedy and how individuals & communities persevere and an appreciation of Las Vegas as a vibrant community.
100% of the proceeds for the Where We Live anthology will be donated to an existing GoFundMe campaign for the survivors in Las Vegas.
331 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2018
12 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Mike Allred
727 books177 followersMichael 'Doc' Allred (Also Credited as M. Dalton Allred) grew up in the 60's and 70's and was surrounded with the best in pop culture and a steady diet of music, movies and comic books including the three B's: Beatles, Bond and Batman to the point of obsession.
So it should come as no surprise that he keeps a hand in film and music (He's the lead singer and guitarist for The Gear), but comic books have always been a seminal source of joy for Mike and that joy remains the main ingredient in most of his work.
Allred first tasted success in the comics field with his wildly popular MADMAN series, which is currently being developed for a live action film with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. His earlier work from GRAFIK MUZIK was turned into the cult hit movie G-Men from Hell directed by Christopher Coppola (featuring Robert Goulet as the Devil). Other work includes Red Rocket 7, his history of Rock and Roll told in the context of a sci-fi adventure storyl the Madman spin-off THE ATOMICS and his magnum opus, THE GOLDEN PLATES, where he's illustrating the entire Book of Mormon.
Mike counts the secret to his success to be his wife, and creative partner, Laura Allred, who is is considered to be one of the best colorists in the business.
So it should come as no surprise that he keeps a hand in film and music (He's the lead singer and guitarist for The Gear), but comic books have always been a seminal source of joy for Mike and that joy remains the main ingredient in most of his work.
Allred first tasted success in the comics field with his wildly popular MADMAN series, which is currently being developed for a live action film with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. His earlier work from GRAFIK MUZIK was turned into the cult hit movie G-Men from Hell directed by Christopher Coppola (featuring Robert Goulet as the Devil). Other work includes Red Rocket 7, his history of Rock and Roll told in the context of a sci-fi adventure storyl the Madman spin-off THE ATOMICS and his magnum opus, THE GOLDEN PLATES, where he's illustrating the entire Book of Mormon.
Mike counts the secret to his success to be his wife, and creative partner, Laura Allred, who is is considered to be one of the best colorists in the business.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 13, 2018
Better than most anthologies. Quite a few stories were first hand accounts of the night the Las Vegas massacre happened. There's a nice balance of stories that tackle the gun issue from multiple angles.
Brian Michael Bendis's story really connected me with how powerless I feel about this issue. For years, a majority of Americans have championed common sense gun laws and yet, our lawmakers choose to do nothing. Now we're relying on teenagers to carry the torch. Every time one of these shootings happen I feel a little more helpless and afraid of what this country is becoming. At what point does your right to own a gun that's made for nothing more than killing multiple people in a short time infringe upon my unalienable right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness? I know it's a complicated issue and I'm not advocating banning all guns, but...
Brian Michael Bendis's story really connected me with how powerless I feel about this issue. For years, a majority of Americans have championed common sense gun laws and yet, our lawmakers choose to do nothing. Now we're relying on teenagers to carry the torch. Every time one of these shootings happen I feel a little more helpless and afraid of what this country is becoming. At what point does your right to own a gun that's made for nothing more than killing multiple people in a short time infringe upon my unalienable right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness? I know it's a complicated issue and I'm not advocating banning all guns, but...
August 26, 2018
This collection of short works is stronger than the average benefit graphic anthology due to a large percentage of the stories being based on interviews with people who were at the actual music festival or living in Vegas and dealing with the fallout of the horrible massacre. It was good to see nurses and other support workers represented.
I wholly support the messages calling for gun control and the end of gun violence. Good points were made about the connections to domestic violence, mental health issues, and the history of our cultural love affair with guns.
I wholly support the messages calling for gun control and the end of gun violence. Good points were made about the connections to domestic violence, mental health issues, and the history of our cultural love affair with guns.
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July 19, 2018
A heartbreaking anthology that has a little something for everyone. Even in so few pages, comic authors and artists manage to break, and maybe help heal, your heart. I also appreciated the essays that were sprinkled throughout. Overall, a very good read.
June 20, 2018
Warning: This review is gonna be political and my opinion on the subject is one that might not be popular on this site however if you do continue to read the review and want to discuss this topic after reading feel free even if you don’t agree with me but pretty much don’t be a d****ebag please. Also, I am covering a lot of the stories in this book but can’t do all of them (hell, there were so many that I forgot a few of them).
First, my thoughts on gun control:
It’s a big debate and a sensitive subject. I don’t consider myself left or right wing but when it comes to this subject I’m with the right wing. Pretty much, gun control wouldn’t solve anything. If anything more gun laws would make the problem worse.
1- Criminals don’t give a s*** about the law. This is really something that makes me wonder why this is even a debate. Last I checked murder was illegal and that didn’t stop these shootings from happening.
2- People are the problem, not guns. Guns are not manufactured for murder. People, however are messed up and there will always be violence in this world. Look at history, the Roman Empire, lots of f***ed up s*** happened there and guns weren’t even invented yet. Not even muskets!
3- The 2nd amendment is there so we can defend ourselves from a tyrannical government. You want to know what kind of leaders like gun control? Hitler. Stalin. Kim Jong Un. You want that happening in America? And it’s not just about muskets, it’s about all arms. The founding fathers actually intended for us to have access to the same s*** the military carries so we already f***ed up by letting current military grade guns be illegal for us to own.
4- Media isn’t the problem either. I hate gun control for many of the reasons I hate censorship. When people blame death metal, action movies, rap, shooter games or as some insane woman recently did, porn (I get that it’s probably not beneficial to society to have a bunch of people staring at the computer punching the monkey but WTF) it’s stupid and when those who support the 2nd amendment do this, it’s hypocritical.
5- Many people are very uneducated on guns. I recently heard someone say an AR-15 is able to fire 150 rounds in 15 seconds, it’s impossible. AR does not stand for assault rifle, it stands for Armalite rifle. I recently saw that some people think MS-13 is a kind of gun... in case you didn’t know that’s a gang. These are the things I often hear supporters of gun control say.
6- Banning guns will not get them off the streets. Drugs are illegal but drug addiction is one of the biggest problems America faces today. I can’t believe people don’t realize this. Besides, look at Chicago, strict gun laws but a shooting happening there isn’t even really news at this point. California has crazy gun laws yet 3 school shootings THIS YEAR, 2018, happened in California. Great job on the strict gun laws, guys (he said sarcastically). Not to mention we aren’t even in the top 25 countries with the most gun violence.
8- Guns aren’t as easy to get as some claim. It’s not like buying a toothbrush. Guns are usually protected in such a way that they cannot be used inside the store and gun shop owners usually take things very seriously. If you don’t have the proper ID and such you ain’t purchasing a gun outside of the black market. Not to mention all the background checking and the fairly long process that is involved in buying a gun.
9- Armed good guys beat armed bad guys any day. The media does not report on this much but good guys with guns often stop gun related tragedies. Also, name the last time you heard of a mass shooting at a gun shop. It doesn’t happen. Why? Because criminals aren’t gonna f*** with people that they know are armed.
10- It’s easier to oppress a population that is unarmed. If people f*** with the second amendment and stop people from exercising the right to bear arms, our free speech is next. Not to mention, minorities who are in danger- many minority groups support gun rights so that they can defend themselves against tyranny.
11- We protect politicians and celebrities with guards armed with guns. Many places: schools, concert venues, movie theaters, restaurants, college campuses, etc. protect the people there with a sign that has been proven to not do a d*** thing.
What’s it about?
This book is a comic anthology with stories mostly focused on gun violence and gun control.
Pros:
Most (not all) of the artists did a pretty good job with the drawing.
This book contains a lot of real life accounts of people who witnessed some things involving the Vegas shooting that happened in 2017, that was pretty interesting.
The first story (You’re From Vegas, What’s That Like?) was a nice little story.
One story called A Simple Twist of Fate is very notable for being both emotional and short.
I like the Bully story very much. It focuses on how bullying in schools is the reason for a lot of school shootings and how that is more of a problem.
Sticking to Your Guns is very noteworthy for being quick, a bit humorous and having a great message about how we should put aside political bulls*** and get along even if we disagree.
Finding Savannah is another huge highlight. Very interesting, well written and emotional. I would say that this is probably the most beautiful story in the book.
Though a bit silly I enjoyed the NR-Yay story. It was a fun little joke that I got a good laugh from.
Shaken, Not Deterred was really good. Had interesting, not too biased commentary (Sean Phillips art being awesome doesn’t hurt).
Mary Doesn’t Dance is weird but a very good read (no pun about the website intended). It doesn’t have much to do with the topic of the book but I didn’t mind because of how good it is.
Half a World Away and Remember are very well written. I don’t agree with the politics in those stories but it was well written and executed.
Cons:
Most of the art was good but some of it was pretty bad.
I was shocked and a bit disturbed by how some of the stories not only promoted gun control but also promoted censorship. Some motherf***ers really don’t care about the constitution. I think the main reason this shocked me is because it’s in the comics medium. Comic creators had to rise against the comics code authority not too long ago, the comic community still has to fight censorship (we have the CBLDF for f***’s sake). Oh, and special shoutout to Cameron Stewart’s story, if Stewart reads this I want him to know that blaming artists for deaths because they expressed themselves is f***ing disgusting, though I’m glad you weren’t censored I think that’s f***ed up.
Some of the stories had nothing to do with anything (and the only one of those that was any good was Mary Doesn’t Dance).
A few parts of this book try a bit too hard to be “deep” and “powerful” when really just leaving readers with a WTF feeling.
This book mixes comics and prose. For f***’s sake can we stop? If I wanted to read prose book when I decided to read some of this I would have picked up a prose book.
Bendis has a story in this book, it’s kinda sad to be honest and not in an emotional way. It is pretty much an old man (he even grumps about how old he is) ranting and then having some unfortunate artist add pictures.
Involution is so dumb. So it shows the evolution line but the man at the end of it It’s like a political version of a kid at a playground saying “ha ha, you dumb like monkey, hoo hoo hoo!”
Jesse Slays The Dragon is laughably bad. It uses dragons as a metaphor for guns and the main character slays this dragon while listening to Behemoth making the metaphor not work. I’m just sitting there like “Huh? We’re meant to go on an epic journey of destroying guns and listening to black metal? Is the writer of this on drugs or something?” It really doesn’t work.
Mark Millar’s story barely makes sense (I know many of you won’t be surprised).
Ghost was a poorly written mess that I understand but it’s just SO poorly executed and let’s be honest, a tad too optimistic for the message to make sense.
Hero Fantasy starts off pretty good and well written but suddenly becomes a cringe worthy commercial for (mostly left wing) organizations.
Watershed is probably the stupidest thing in this book. Where do I even begin? The pro censorship message? Oh, maybe the s***ty dialogue? Oh or where they start saying things about the 2nd amendment to are completely inaccurate? Perhaps I should go with when they claim dumb s*** about gun violence not happening much in the UK? There are so many things wrong with that dumb story.
The Deadliest Man is another laughably bad one. 2 men with guns are in the same location but in a different time. The modern man has an AR-15 of course and somehow I will admit it’s kinda humorous though I don’t think it’s meant to be.
A Father’s Nightmare is poorly written and blames people being irresponsible by not putting their gun in a safe place that kids couldn’t access (like gee I dunno, a gun safe) on guns.
The Bee Man story is horrible. The commentary is a bit more well written (though I don’t agree with it) but the story itself is so dumb and poorly written.
Overall:
Is it the cringe worthy mess I expected? Yes and no. No because there were some really good and well written stories, as well as a lot of nice artwork. Yes because most of this book is preachy, inaccurate and poorly written, not to mention the fact that we got some censorship pushing. I would not recommend reading this book (unless you’re super interested, in which case see if it’s on Hoopla if you have access to that). This book could have been interesting and some of it is but mostly is a train wreck that makes me cringe and pray for America’s future. Last but not least, there are a lot of artists and authors I read in this book, I will still continue read their work (except Cameron Stewart perhaps). Boycotting people for having opinions you disagree with is closed minded and immature, I would hate to be either.
2/5
First, my thoughts on gun control:
It’s a big debate and a sensitive subject. I don’t consider myself left or right wing but when it comes to this subject I’m with the right wing. Pretty much, gun control wouldn’t solve anything. If anything more gun laws would make the problem worse.
1- Criminals don’t give a s*** about the law. This is really something that makes me wonder why this is even a debate. Last I checked murder was illegal and that didn’t stop these shootings from happening.
2- People are the problem, not guns. Guns are not manufactured for murder. People, however are messed up and there will always be violence in this world. Look at history, the Roman Empire, lots of f***ed up s*** happened there and guns weren’t even invented yet. Not even muskets!
3- The 2nd amendment is there so we can defend ourselves from a tyrannical government. You want to know what kind of leaders like gun control? Hitler. Stalin. Kim Jong Un. You want that happening in America? And it’s not just about muskets, it’s about all arms. The founding fathers actually intended for us to have access to the same s*** the military carries so we already f***ed up by letting current military grade guns be illegal for us to own.
4- Media isn’t the problem either. I hate gun control for many of the reasons I hate censorship. When people blame death metal, action movies, rap, shooter games or as some insane woman recently did, porn (I get that it’s probably not beneficial to society to have a bunch of people staring at the computer punching the monkey but WTF) it’s stupid and when those who support the 2nd amendment do this, it’s hypocritical.
5- Many people are very uneducated on guns. I recently heard someone say an AR-15 is able to fire 150 rounds in 15 seconds, it’s impossible. AR does not stand for assault rifle, it stands for Armalite rifle. I recently saw that some people think MS-13 is a kind of gun... in case you didn’t know that’s a gang. These are the things I often hear supporters of gun control say.
6- Banning guns will not get them off the streets. Drugs are illegal but drug addiction is one of the biggest problems America faces today. I can’t believe people don’t realize this. Besides, look at Chicago, strict gun laws but a shooting happening there isn’t even really news at this point. California has crazy gun laws yet 3 school shootings THIS YEAR, 2018, happened in California. Great job on the strict gun laws, guys (he said sarcastically). Not to mention we aren’t even in the top 25 countries with the most gun violence.
8- Guns aren’t as easy to get as some claim. It’s not like buying a toothbrush. Guns are usually protected in such a way that they cannot be used inside the store and gun shop owners usually take things very seriously. If you don’t have the proper ID and such you ain’t purchasing a gun outside of the black market. Not to mention all the background checking and the fairly long process that is involved in buying a gun.
9- Armed good guys beat armed bad guys any day. The media does not report on this much but good guys with guns often stop gun related tragedies. Also, name the last time you heard of a mass shooting at a gun shop. It doesn’t happen. Why? Because criminals aren’t gonna f*** with people that they know are armed.
10- It’s easier to oppress a population that is unarmed. If people f*** with the second amendment and stop people from exercising the right to bear arms, our free speech is next. Not to mention, minorities who are in danger- many minority groups support gun rights so that they can defend themselves against tyranny.
11- We protect politicians and celebrities with guards armed with guns. Many places: schools, concert venues, movie theaters, restaurants, college campuses, etc. protect the people there with a sign that has been proven to not do a d*** thing.
What’s it about?
This book is a comic anthology with stories mostly focused on gun violence and gun control.
Pros:
Most (not all) of the artists did a pretty good job with the drawing.
This book contains a lot of real life accounts of people who witnessed some things involving the Vegas shooting that happened in 2017, that was pretty interesting.
The first story (You’re From Vegas, What’s That Like?) was a nice little story.
One story called A Simple Twist of Fate is very notable for being both emotional and short.
I like the Bully story very much. It focuses on how bullying in schools is the reason for a lot of school shootings and how that is more of a problem.
Sticking to Your Guns is very noteworthy for being quick, a bit humorous and having a great message about how we should put aside political bulls*** and get along even if we disagree.
Finding Savannah is another huge highlight. Very interesting, well written and emotional. I would say that this is probably the most beautiful story in the book.
Though a bit silly I enjoyed the NR-Yay story. It was a fun little joke that I got a good laugh from.
Shaken, Not Deterred was really good. Had interesting, not too biased commentary (Sean Phillips art being awesome doesn’t hurt).
Mary Doesn’t Dance is weird but a very good read (no pun about the website intended). It doesn’t have much to do with the topic of the book but I didn’t mind because of how good it is.
Half a World Away and Remember are very well written. I don’t agree with the politics in those stories but it was well written and executed.
Cons:
Most of the art was good but some of it was pretty bad.
I was shocked and a bit disturbed by how some of the stories not only promoted gun control but also promoted censorship. Some motherf***ers really don’t care about the constitution. I think the main reason this shocked me is because it’s in the comics medium. Comic creators had to rise against the comics code authority not too long ago, the comic community still has to fight censorship (we have the CBLDF for f***’s sake). Oh, and special shoutout to Cameron Stewart’s story, if Stewart reads this I want him to know that blaming artists for deaths because they expressed themselves is f***ing disgusting, though I’m glad you weren’t censored I think that’s f***ed up.
Some of the stories had nothing to do with anything (and the only one of those that was any good was Mary Doesn’t Dance).
A few parts of this book try a bit too hard to be “deep” and “powerful” when really just leaving readers with a WTF feeling.
This book mixes comics and prose. For f***’s sake can we stop? If I wanted to read prose book when I decided to read some of this I would have picked up a prose book.
Bendis has a story in this book, it’s kinda sad to be honest and not in an emotional way. It is pretty much an old man (he even grumps about how old he is) ranting and then having some unfortunate artist add pictures.
Involution is so dumb. So it shows the evolution line but the man at the end of it It’s like a political version of a kid at a playground saying “ha ha, you dumb like monkey, hoo hoo hoo!”
Jesse Slays The Dragon is laughably bad. It uses dragons as a metaphor for guns and the main character slays this dragon while listening to Behemoth making the metaphor not work. I’m just sitting there like “Huh? We’re meant to go on an epic journey of destroying guns and listening to black metal? Is the writer of this on drugs or something?” It really doesn’t work.
Mark Millar’s story barely makes sense (I know many of you won’t be surprised).
Ghost was a poorly written mess that I understand but it’s just SO poorly executed and let’s be honest, a tad too optimistic for the message to make sense.
Hero Fantasy starts off pretty good and well written but suddenly becomes a cringe worthy commercial for (mostly left wing) organizations.
Watershed is probably the stupidest thing in this book. Where do I even begin? The pro censorship message? Oh, maybe the s***ty dialogue? Oh or where they start saying things about the 2nd amendment to are completely inaccurate? Perhaps I should go with when they claim dumb s*** about gun violence not happening much in the UK? There are so many things wrong with that dumb story.
The Deadliest Man is another laughably bad one. 2 men with guns are in the same location but in a different time. The modern man has an AR-15 of course and somehow I will admit it’s kinda humorous though I don’t think it’s meant to be.
A Father’s Nightmare is poorly written and blames people being irresponsible by not putting their gun in a safe place that kids couldn’t access (like gee I dunno, a gun safe) on guns.
The Bee Man story is horrible. The commentary is a bit more well written (though I don’t agree with it) but the story itself is so dumb and poorly written.
Overall:
Is it the cringe worthy mess I expected? Yes and no. No because there were some really good and well written stories, as well as a lot of nice artwork. Yes because most of this book is preachy, inaccurate and poorly written, not to mention the fact that we got some censorship pushing. I would not recommend reading this book (unless you’re super interested, in which case see if it’s on Hoopla if you have access to that). This book could have been interesting and some of it is but mostly is a train wreck that makes me cringe and pray for America’s future. Last but not least, there are a lot of artists and authors I read in this book, I will still continue read their work (except Cameron Stewart perhaps). Boycotting people for having opinions you disagree with is closed minded and immature, I would hate to be either.
2/5
July 29, 2020
For The 2020 Reading Rush prompt Read a book that takes place on a different continent than where you live..
Whilst very informative and extremely sad, this anthology was a bit repetitive.
Considering the subject I get why may people see it in a certain way, but I honestly think the stories that stood out were the ones that were diverse and showed a unique view into the subject matter.
I always feel at a loss when brutal unnecessary crimes like these occur. Can't we just learn to respect and love each other?
January 21, 2023
Really enjoyed reading this - in an educated way as Americas infatuation with gun and the consequences of this have always fed my morbid curiosity on the topic. The anthology was great - some really interesting discussions, essays, tribute and eye witnesses accounts that had my eyes tearing up and constantly gave me goosebumps. Very interesting read and the book was an eye opener and all for a good cause so if its your kind of thing then I think you’ll be happy with it!
January 27, 2020
(Reviewer's Note: This story hit pretty close to home for me. I am speaking from a very tender spot about gun violence. It was very personal and I talk a bit about that. If you are triggered by discussions about gun violence, this book is not for you in any way.)
As Author Michael Bendis wrote on the second page of this story, we all feel silent rage, and he felt like he did not have anything new to bring to the table. I don't believe that. I think that each of us, including Michael, in our own ways, are whacked out and off-kilter. It is as if we citizens of the United States are treading water and a giant dark wave wants to crush us. Violence once thought to be the thing of movies and TV, is all about us. But, we as a society are sold the idea that the violence is happening somewhere else, not here. Not at a country music concert. Suspicious theories, no better than the "whisper game" from childhood, tell us our news. The news that is vetted and manipulated to want to tear us along party lines not since seen since the civil war. Those Blues and Those Reds.
The thought that this book even exists makes me want to tear at my hair and bruise my fists on the walls. I want to take my sweet five-year-old child and hide her away in a bunker, teach her training, martial arts, and never to have her leave home without body armor. I wish I were kidding. But violence killed a class of adorable five years old kids that just wanted to talk about barney and Winnie the pooh. They are the personification of innocence. It is insane.
Are you still with me here? I promise to get to the bits about the book and why it is so damn important to me.
I AM LAS VEGAS NATIVE.
I didn't just live there like so many Cali transplants coming for cheaper homes. I grew up and ran through the deserts of lizards, jackrabbits, and Joshua Trees. Trees that look like a spikey alien reaching for the heavens only to feel a loss at being anchored to the burning sand. I was there when strip signs fell, water-filled up hotels, hotels raised to the sky as glittering monstrosities, and came crashing down reduced to nothing - nothing but ghosts. Vegas courses through my blood as much as blood cells do. Vegas is a glittery and dirty myth for some, but for me, Vegas will always be a four-letter word - home. I got married in Liberace's house - I am as Vegas as they come.
I think because of my personal connection to the subject matter, the entire experience reading it was more heartbreaking. This book broke me in places that I didn't know had places. I currently live in Portland, but I remember learning about the shooting and frantically calling MY ENTIRE FAMILY. "Please don't be there. Please don't be there" I begged the portland sky. I was so far away and impotent in the face of all of this. They were not there, bless the gods, but some other friends worked in the Mandalay as security, I have friends working two hotels over dealing cards. My parents live one mile down the street next to Las Vegas Blvd. This night shattered me because it was the idea of home being blown apart by bullets.
Someone did that, and I am forever changed by it.
The book itself is good. Really good. It is a selection of events, memories, collections of ideas about the Las Vegas experience, and what it was to be there. Maybe I am biased because my sense of home and safety got blow apart by a motherfucker with a gun. So I might be viewing this story a little differently than other folks. But that is ok. Books and reading can be a very personal experience based on your moments from your past and visions of your future. For me, this story felt both homey; these are my people, and painful because of the topic. In terms of content, the book sways between illustrated accounts of the victim's experiences during the shooting and calls to action for gun control. If these are two things affect you and you feel passionate about they can be very triggering. This book is not attempting to make a two-sided argument regarding guns, so don't expect that. This book is for the victims and the violence has already happened, and this book talks about the aftermath.
Graphically it is beautiful. Each page is a new writer, style, opinion, and idea of what home is. It is a kaleidoscope of colors, darkness, light, and talent. I think people should read this to connect, even for the moment, with what happens after significant gun violence. Even if you are pro-gun, you can read appreciate this book as a collection of art pieces. Some of the images are that good.
Maybe it can help change the violent madness we walk as a society, maybe it can't. But taken as a whole this is a very stirring work to read and maybe, just maybe, a little healing for those who have been directly affected by the violence. I wholeheartedly and sadly recommend it
As Author Michael Bendis wrote on the second page of this story, we all feel silent rage, and he felt like he did not have anything new to bring to the table. I don't believe that. I think that each of us, including Michael, in our own ways, are whacked out and off-kilter. It is as if we citizens of the United States are treading water and a giant dark wave wants to crush us. Violence once thought to be the thing of movies and TV, is all about us. But, we as a society are sold the idea that the violence is happening somewhere else, not here. Not at a country music concert. Suspicious theories, no better than the "whisper game" from childhood, tell us our news. The news that is vetted and manipulated to want to tear us along party lines not since seen since the civil war. Those Blues and Those Reds.
The thought that this book even exists makes me want to tear at my hair and bruise my fists on the walls. I want to take my sweet five-year-old child and hide her away in a bunker, teach her training, martial arts, and never to have her leave home without body armor. I wish I were kidding. But violence killed a class of adorable five years old kids that just wanted to talk about barney and Winnie the pooh. They are the personification of innocence. It is insane.
Are you still with me here? I promise to get to the bits about the book and why it is so damn important to me.
I AM LAS VEGAS NATIVE.
I didn't just live there like so many Cali transplants coming for cheaper homes. I grew up and ran through the deserts of lizards, jackrabbits, and Joshua Trees. Trees that look like a spikey alien reaching for the heavens only to feel a loss at being anchored to the burning sand. I was there when strip signs fell, water-filled up hotels, hotels raised to the sky as glittering monstrosities, and came crashing down reduced to nothing - nothing but ghosts. Vegas courses through my blood as much as blood cells do. Vegas is a glittery and dirty myth for some, but for me, Vegas will always be a four-letter word - home. I got married in Liberace's house - I am as Vegas as they come.
I think because of my personal connection to the subject matter, the entire experience reading it was more heartbreaking. This book broke me in places that I didn't know had places. I currently live in Portland, but I remember learning about the shooting and frantically calling MY ENTIRE FAMILY. "Please don't be there. Please don't be there" I begged the portland sky. I was so far away and impotent in the face of all of this. They were not there, bless the gods, but some other friends worked in the Mandalay as security, I have friends working two hotels over dealing cards. My parents live one mile down the street next to Las Vegas Blvd. This night shattered me because it was the idea of home being blown apart by bullets.
Someone did that, and I am forever changed by it.
The book itself is good. Really good. It is a selection of events, memories, collections of ideas about the Las Vegas experience, and what it was to be there. Maybe I am biased because my sense of home and safety got blow apart by a motherfucker with a gun. So I might be viewing this story a little differently than other folks. But that is ok. Books and reading can be a very personal experience based on your moments from your past and visions of your future. For me, this story felt both homey; these are my people, and painful because of the topic. In terms of content, the book sways between illustrated accounts of the victim's experiences during the shooting and calls to action for gun control. If these are two things affect you and you feel passionate about they can be very triggering. This book is not attempting to make a two-sided argument regarding guns, so don't expect that. This book is for the victims and the violence has already happened, and this book talks about the aftermath.
Graphically it is beautiful. Each page is a new writer, style, opinion, and idea of what home is. It is a kaleidoscope of colors, darkness, light, and talent. I think people should read this to connect, even for the moment, with what happens after significant gun violence. Even if you are pro-gun, you can read appreciate this book as a collection of art pieces. Some of the images are that good.
Maybe it can help change the violent madness we walk as a society, maybe it can't. But taken as a whole this is a very stirring work to read and maybe, just maybe, a little healing for those who have been directly affected by the violence. I wholeheartedly and sadly recommend it
November 7, 2019
Four stars, as I do for anything that I feel meets the criteria of "definitely recommended for anyone interested in the genre". That said, this is an extremely focussed anthology, and I wouldn't suggest reading it all in a single sitting; the stories are good and varied, but they're undeniably harsh.
December 16, 2023
Where We Live is a riveting comics anthology to benefit survivors from the horrific shooting in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, that killed 58 people and wounded hundreds more.
As with any anthology, this collection will not suit everyone’s tastes and pair that with a graphic novel format, and there are some illustration styles that will not appeal to everyone. However, this anthology included some big names such as Brian Michael Bendis, Neil Gaiman, Kurt Busiek, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gail Simone, Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie and Mike Mignola and they all brought their A-game.
My Favorites:
Whoa, You’re From Vegas? What’s That Like? by Warren Wucinich
This opening story was a great choice to kick off the anthology- for it showed that Las Vegas isn’t just a tourist mecca, it’s a vibrant city that people live in, hence the title of the book.
All The Possibilities of Paper by W. Haden Blackman & JH Williams III
A powerful essay is shown on a splash page that hits you in the gut, especially if you are a parent and worried about school shootings.
Everything After by Justin Jordan & Tom Fowler
A poignant look at how everyday workers in the city, in this case, a female bus driver, can get sucked into a tragedy.
A Simple Twist of Fate by Jeff Boison & Tyler Boss
An almost wordless story about how careless remarks can be regretted especially when tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Ghost by W. Haden Blackman & Richard Pace
Can one parent’s anguish be enough of a voice for change? What if it’s many?
Biography of a Bullet by Scott Bryan Wilson & Cliff Chiang
This two-page story hit home with the message of bullets having their target’s invisible names written on them. I was already affected by it when I saw the word DeKalb at the bottom- one of the many locations of a mass shooting- which is a nearby town and the location of Northern Illinois University, my alma mater, which was the site of a shooting in 2008. I teared up at this story due to the personal connection.
The Watershed by Gary Spencer Millidge
A ghostly girl starts to speak to a movie hero about the danger of glamorizing guns and how the Second Amendment was written at a very different time and thus shouldn’t be compared to today.
The Deadliest Man by James Robinson, Dean Kotz & Stefano Gaudiano
Two men from different eras, 1781 and 2018, are both hunting in the woods with guns of their time when they inexplicitly meet with deadly results.
Daddy’s Little Girl by Erica Schultz & Liana Kangas
This sad story details how mental illness can tie into gun violence and the role that concerned families might need to take if they suspect the potential for escalating violence.
Stains by Cameron Stewart
A comic artist is shown drawing ultra-violent scenes that are read by many. In the end, his hands are not just stained with ink but blood.
Stopping Power by Alex Paknadel & Chris Wildgoose
When school violence has become a norm, a parent takes extreme precautions to safeguard their child.
Several stories recounted survivor’s stories which gave it added authenticity and weight. There were also many stories about gun control that offered different viewpoints. Many of the stories include statistics and share the many factors that play into gun violence in the US. Many of the comics were powerful and made me tear up, or even better, made me think about the issues beyond that page.
I have read several excellent graphic novel anthologies that benefit different causes- Love is Love to benefit the Orlando Pulse shooting survivors and Puerto Rico Strong to benefit the island after the devastating back-to-back hurricanes in 2017- but this one is the best. Its varied artists and authors came together to create a nuanced anthology about a tragedy that was entirely preventable if only there were tougher gun laws. While this is a strong collection, I hope there is not a need to create this type of graphic novel again. (Actual review 4.5/5)
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/08/0...
As with any anthology, this collection will not suit everyone’s tastes and pair that with a graphic novel format, and there are some illustration styles that will not appeal to everyone. However, this anthology included some big names such as Brian Michael Bendis, Neil Gaiman, Kurt Busiek, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gail Simone, Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie and Mike Mignola and they all brought their A-game.
My Favorites:
Whoa, You’re From Vegas? What’s That Like? by Warren Wucinich
This opening story was a great choice to kick off the anthology- for it showed that Las Vegas isn’t just a tourist mecca, it’s a vibrant city that people live in, hence the title of the book.
All The Possibilities of Paper by W. Haden Blackman & JH Williams III
A powerful essay is shown on a splash page that hits you in the gut, especially if you are a parent and worried about school shootings.
Everything After by Justin Jordan & Tom Fowler
A poignant look at how everyday workers in the city, in this case, a female bus driver, can get sucked into a tragedy.
A Simple Twist of Fate by Jeff Boison & Tyler Boss
An almost wordless story about how careless remarks can be regretted especially when tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Ghost by W. Haden Blackman & Richard Pace
Can one parent’s anguish be enough of a voice for change? What if it’s many?
Biography of a Bullet by Scott Bryan Wilson & Cliff Chiang
This two-page story hit home with the message of bullets having their target’s invisible names written on them. I was already affected by it when I saw the word DeKalb at the bottom- one of the many locations of a mass shooting- which is a nearby town and the location of Northern Illinois University, my alma mater, which was the site of a shooting in 2008. I teared up at this story due to the personal connection.
The Watershed by Gary Spencer Millidge
A ghostly girl starts to speak to a movie hero about the danger of glamorizing guns and how the Second Amendment was written at a very different time and thus shouldn’t be compared to today.
The Deadliest Man by James Robinson, Dean Kotz & Stefano Gaudiano
Two men from different eras, 1781 and 2018, are both hunting in the woods with guns of their time when they inexplicitly meet with deadly results.
Daddy’s Little Girl by Erica Schultz & Liana Kangas
This sad story details how mental illness can tie into gun violence and the role that concerned families might need to take if they suspect the potential for escalating violence.
Stains by Cameron Stewart
A comic artist is shown drawing ultra-violent scenes that are read by many. In the end, his hands are not just stained with ink but blood.
Stopping Power by Alex Paknadel & Chris Wildgoose
When school violence has become a norm, a parent takes extreme precautions to safeguard their child.
Several stories recounted survivor’s stories which gave it added authenticity and weight. There were also many stories about gun control that offered different viewpoints. Many of the stories include statistics and share the many factors that play into gun violence in the US. Many of the comics were powerful and made me tear up, or even better, made me think about the issues beyond that page.
I have read several excellent graphic novel anthologies that benefit different causes- Love is Love to benefit the Orlando Pulse shooting survivors and Puerto Rico Strong to benefit the island after the devastating back-to-back hurricanes in 2017- but this one is the best. Its varied artists and authors came together to create a nuanced anthology about a tragedy that was entirely preventable if only there were tougher gun laws. While this is a strong collection, I hope there is not a need to create this type of graphic novel again. (Actual review 4.5/5)
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/08/0...
May 31, 2018
Beautiful, painful, inspiring, and heart-wrenching. It a thoughtfully curated collection of art, stories, poems, and essays that together create a sense that we are all together in this. I learned, I cried and thankfully I smiled just a little at the human responses to these events that radiated with strength and kindness. It is a book that I truly wish had never needed to be written.
June 16, 2018
First things first: this book is not by Mike Allred. In fact, he only contributes a puzzling one-page 'pin-up.' If there is a name that should be first on the author list of this tribute anthology, it clearly should be that of project organiser and contributor J.H. Williams III.
This book would probably have completely slipped past me had it not been for Gary Spencer Millidge, who kept his fans (myself included) abreast of the beautiful piece he was contributing to this unfortunately necessary collection.
I am so glad to have been able to pick up a copy.
Not only does purchase of this book contribute money toward the victims of October 2017's Las Vegas shooting, but it is a remarkable compendium of comics talent. From heavy-hitters like Williams, Brian Michael Bendis and Neil Gaiman to numerous worthy writers and artists I'd never heard of, this collects unique tales taking various perspectives on the entity that is violence in America. We get allegoric science-fiction, actual witness accounts, personal parallel experiences and plenty more, nearly all told without rancor, irony or maudlin sentimentality.
The goal here was not only to do something to help those in need as a result of this commonly horrific event, but to spur a dialogue or at least some thought in the reader about why this horror is so common. I think they've ably accomplished both, and recommend the purchase of a copy of this book to anyone...even if you never read it.
This book would probably have completely slipped past me had it not been for Gary Spencer Millidge, who kept his fans (myself included) abreast of the beautiful piece he was contributing to this unfortunately necessary collection.
I am so glad to have been able to pick up a copy.
Not only does purchase of this book contribute money toward the victims of October 2017's Las Vegas shooting, but it is a remarkable compendium of comics talent. From heavy-hitters like Williams, Brian Michael Bendis and Neil Gaiman to numerous worthy writers and artists I'd never heard of, this collects unique tales taking various perspectives on the entity that is violence in America. We get allegoric science-fiction, actual witness accounts, personal parallel experiences and plenty more, nearly all told without rancor, irony or maudlin sentimentality.
The goal here was not only to do something to help those in need as a result of this commonly horrific event, but to spur a dialogue or at least some thought in the reader about why this horror is so common. I think they've ably accomplished both, and recommend the purchase of a copy of this book to anyone...even if you never read it.
May 31, 2018
A beautiful, heartbreaking collection of short stories about the Las Vegas shooting specifically and America's gun fetish generally. Some of the comic book industry's best writers, artists, colorists, letterers and editors came together to create this breathtaking work, a work I dearly wish wasn't necessary.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from this book are being donated to victims of the Vegas shooting. Again, something I wish wasn't necessary, but this is our sad reality.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from this book are being donated to victims of the Vegas shooting. Again, something I wish wasn't necessary, but this is our sad reality.
May 31, 2020
I bought this as soon as it came out, but it has taken me 2 1/2 years to read it.
Even after all this time I still shook and cried.
I cannot recommend this enough.
For this is truly, Where We Live.
Even after all this time I still shook and cried.
I cannot recommend this enough.
For this is truly, Where We Live.
March 17, 2021
As I'm writing this review, the other tab I have open is to a NYT about a mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia. This book is beautifully put together, but I'm sorry it exists.
August 11, 2024
Definitely one of the better anthologies I’ve read. Very emotional and serious stories told about gun violence and the tragedy of the Las Vegas shooting. This one really gets you to think.
June 30, 2023
It is challenging to want to sit down and spend one's free time reading of an aspect of our troubling reality. If I'm honest, while still kept abreast of our world's tragic unfoldings, for my mental health, I've spent this past two years seeking less dark and more entertaining art forms. I've given myself permanent space from our so often glorified and unsubstantiated traditional 'news' sources, as well as certain severely biased and overtly advertised social media outlets.
I first heard of this anthology when our library put it on order and I saw Neil Gaiman's name attached to it as one of the many contributing writers. That, and the idea behind it (an anthology of fictional and true accounts surrounding the Las Vegas shooting addressing themes of gun violence, gun control, a compassionate and understanding society, mental health and more - with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the victims of the shooting) caused me enough pause and interest to be willing to give these people, their perspectives and stories, no matter how heavy the weight, my time and attention.
I am so glad that I did. While I had moments in reading these stories, where I had to step away and feel that weight, as well as digest each tale properly, when I returned I only wanted to learn of more. I am beyond impressed with the breadth of perspectives in this anthology, and the varied styles of art and telling, adding value to each individual take on such a heavy topic as gun violence. Every angle I could possibly think of was addressed and with such grace and touching story telling.
It's hard to pick but the story I loved most, if telling it would encourage you to read this book, is called 'The Hero Fantasy.' In it is a tale of an unnamed male character who explains to the reader what he would do at the scene of a mass shooting and what a 'hero' he would be. In that process of basking in the glory of being deemed a 'hero' does he begin to question the details of how he would attain said status. Would it be when ten people were dead that he would step in and 'save the day?' No, he thinks, that would be terrible to have ten people dead before he took out the shooter and 'saved the day.' Would it then be five people that would qualify him as a hero? He walks himself through the many scenarios, down to just one person dead and realizes that even one person's death, that allots him the hero status, is still one person's blood on his hands. That is when the story changes to him realizing that the heroes we want to be are are those who prevent any bloodshed from happening, any families from grieving the lives of their loved ones never coming to back. The true heroes are those who make efforts, speak loudly and stand strong in ways that prevent these tragedies from ever occurring in the first place.
This book is a beautiful compilation and yes, while heavy in topic, it deserves your attention because, as that man in that one story realized, these are real people effected by our inaction or action. If we do not become more willing to be uncomfortable by having the conversations that need to be had, more vocal even if marginalized for doing so, and more active in our vote, do we not see this cycle broken and more lives needlessly sacrificed.
Dear reader, I encourage you to take pause and to hear from those who are brave enough to tell their stories and be strong in spine to take a stand yourself.
I first heard of this anthology when our library put it on order and I saw Neil Gaiman's name attached to it as one of the many contributing writers. That, and the idea behind it (an anthology of fictional and true accounts surrounding the Las Vegas shooting addressing themes of gun violence, gun control, a compassionate and understanding society, mental health and more - with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the victims of the shooting) caused me enough pause and interest to be willing to give these people, their perspectives and stories, no matter how heavy the weight, my time and attention.
I am so glad that I did. While I had moments in reading these stories, where I had to step away and feel that weight, as well as digest each tale properly, when I returned I only wanted to learn of more. I am beyond impressed with the breadth of perspectives in this anthology, and the varied styles of art and telling, adding value to each individual take on such a heavy topic as gun violence. Every angle I could possibly think of was addressed and with such grace and touching story telling.
It's hard to pick but the story I loved most, if telling it would encourage you to read this book, is called 'The Hero Fantasy.' In it is a tale of an unnamed male character who explains to the reader what he would do at the scene of a mass shooting and what a 'hero' he would be. In that process of basking in the glory of being deemed a 'hero' does he begin to question the details of how he would attain said status. Would it be when ten people were dead that he would step in and 'save the day?' No, he thinks, that would be terrible to have ten people dead before he took out the shooter and 'saved the day.' Would it then be five people that would qualify him as a hero? He walks himself through the many scenarios, down to just one person dead and realizes that even one person's death, that allots him the hero status, is still one person's blood on his hands. That is when the story changes to him realizing that the heroes we want to be are are those who prevent any bloodshed from happening, any families from grieving the lives of their loved ones never coming to back. The true heroes are those who make efforts, speak loudly and stand strong in ways that prevent these tragedies from ever occurring in the first place.
This book is a beautiful compilation and yes, while heavy in topic, it deserves your attention because, as that man in that one story realized, these are real people effected by our inaction or action. If we do not become more willing to be uncomfortable by having the conversations that need to be had, more vocal even if marginalized for doing so, and more active in our vote, do we not see this cycle broken and more lives needlessly sacrificed.
Dear reader, I encourage you to take pause and to hear from those who are brave enough to tell their stories and be strong in spine to take a stand yourself.
December 21, 2018
This is a massive anthology dedicated to the Las Vegas shooting, with a lot of big name authors and illustrators involved, and guided by J.H. Williams and his wife. Like any anthology, the quality varies, but I was impressed overall with the content here. While it's definitely driven by liberal viewpoints, it offers a lot of nuance - while there are stories that are all about how guns are bad, more dig into what guns mean to Americans and why getting rid of them may not be the best solution. I also appreciated the mix of stories being told by people who were actually at the event juxtaposed with a surprising number of stories from the perspective of the helpers and support people who came together in the aftermath, and stories of people in Vegas just dealing with events. There were two stories that really stood out for me - one in a movie takes the gun-toting protagonist on a journey through shootings with a little girl which does a very good job of encapsulating the entirety of the issue. And another dissects an individual's tendency of 'if I'd have been there, I could have...,' making themselves the hero by puncturing the illusion with a bevy of darts. There's some cynicism here, and some idealism, and some hopelessness, but for each one of those there's an opposite that focuses on hope tempered with pragmatism and thoughtfulness. It's been several days since I read this and I can still vividly picture more than a half-dozen stories in the collection. This is a book that will stay with you, and it goes for a good cause too. As the afterword says, it's a book that we wish didn't have to exist, but should appreciate that it does. Highly recommended.
July 15, 2019
There's so much in compassed in this collection that there is no way to fully describe it. You have to read it for yourself to decide what you get out of it. I did appreciate the combination of eye-witness accounts and fictionalized "what-ifs." For me, it seems that no matter what people think about gun control, whether for or against it, nothing ever changes.
Many of the stories in this collection excel at capturing the sense of hopelessness that most Americans feel when it comes to mass shootings- it's bound to happen where you live at some point and nothing will change once it does. Still, despite that, there is a sense of hope and strength depicted that also feels honest and true. Even if the government won't change, whether for good or for worse, people will rally together and support one another to rebuild communities and trust, in the wake of each tragedy.
I suppose this is the new normal. Mass shooting, loss of life, survivor's guilt, no change in legislation, communities rebuilt, the cycle repeats.
I'm glad I read this book and hope the money I spent really did support the victims.
Highly recommended.
Many of the stories in this collection excel at capturing the sense of hopelessness that most Americans feel when it comes to mass shootings- it's bound to happen where you live at some point and nothing will change once it does. Still, despite that, there is a sense of hope and strength depicted that also feels honest and true. Even if the government won't change, whether for good or for worse, people will rally together and support one another to rebuild communities and trust, in the wake of each tragedy.
I suppose this is the new normal. Mass shooting, loss of life, survivor's guilt, no change in legislation, communities rebuilt, the cycle repeats.
I'm glad I read this book and hope the money I spent really did support the victims.
Highly recommended.
August 21, 2018
One thing to remember and note IMMEDIATELY that the writers, artists, people who worked on this book have either dealt with or know someone who has dealt with gun violence. We read from survivors of Las Vegas to other incidents as well. One shouldn't be surprised that there was going to be gun control advocacy. They want to prevent something like this happening, so, of course, they're going to be advocating gun control, mental health awareness, and whatnot. People argue that they're trying to take away guns and what not, but that's not what they're trying to do (shout out to the writers with quoting their sources as evidence - pretty cool!). If you believe that, then maybe you should reconsider why?
This book has works of all sorts. Different types of writing styles and art styles. You may like some, you may not like some. I enjoyed all of it. I don't have a set in stone taste of writing or art. There's a variety because there's different ways to heal, to cope, to show your anger, to convey your sadness, to show your hope, and you should come in with that mentality.
The premise to all of this to help heal just a bit over what has happened in Las Vegas and in other states and cities. It will never bring back what we want to bring back, but it does bring everyone together to heal just a bit and to understand just a bit. While we will never know what it was like on that day (unless you were there of course), we can understand just a glimpse of it and hope it brings some good change.
This book has works of all sorts. Different types of writing styles and art styles. You may like some, you may not like some. I enjoyed all of it. I don't have a set in stone taste of writing or art. There's a variety because there's different ways to heal, to cope, to show your anger, to convey your sadness, to show your hope, and you should come in with that mentality.
The premise to all of this to help heal just a bit over what has happened in Las Vegas and in other states and cities. It will never bring back what we want to bring back, but it does bring everyone together to heal just a bit and to understand just a bit. While we will never know what it was like on that day (unless you were there of course), we can understand just a glimpse of it and hope it brings some good change.
June 14, 2018
I hadn't even heard about what happened in Las Vegas when I walked into work that morning in October and overheard the construction guys using words like "conspiracy" and "false flag." I guess it's a grim commentary on our times that immediately knew there had been another mass shooting.
This comic benefit anthology memorializes the victims of what has become our new normal. As with any anthology, the quality and impact of each short comic varies. There are illustrations that look like rough sketches and those that look like frame-ready art.
My favorite comics in this collection were those that I felt were speaking directly from the heart--from the writers' own experiences--rather than just reeling off statistics or chastising. We all feel helpless in the face of this terrifying and random violence. Really, the only thing people can do is tell their stories and hope someone is listening.
This comic benefit anthology memorializes the victims of what has become our new normal. As with any anthology, the quality and impact of each short comic varies. There are illustrations that look like rough sketches and those that look like frame-ready art.
My favorite comics in this collection were those that I felt were speaking directly from the heart--from the writers' own experiences--rather than just reeling off statistics or chastising. We all feel helpless in the face of this terrifying and random violence. Really, the only thing people can do is tell their stories and hope someone is listening.
August 12, 2018
Comic collection after the Las Vegas shooting – excellent
Here you have a large amount of comics and essays following the Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas. A large amount of writers and artists contribute to this benefit book, all condemning gun practice in the USA and praising those who helped in the hour of need. Obviously the contributions vary a lot and we will all have favourites. There's a lot to like and the presentation is professional, interesting, often heartfelt and eminently worthwhile. It begs the question: when will the US have the guts to do away with the Second Amendment and ban the weapons? I know that this is not an opinion that all will agree with but it seems obvious to me.
Here you have a large amount of comics and essays following the Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas. A large amount of writers and artists contribute to this benefit book, all condemning gun practice in the USA and praising those who helped in the hour of need. Obviously the contributions vary a lot and we will all have favourites. There's a lot to like and the presentation is professional, interesting, often heartfelt and eminently worthwhile. It begs the question: when will the US have the guts to do away with the Second Amendment and ban the weapons? I know that this is not an opinion that all will agree with but it seems obvious to me.
October 7, 2020
"I wrapped my arms around you when it ripped my heart in two. He didn't take my life, I gave it freely, and if you ever really doubt that you were kissed or that you are truly missed, remember when I showed you. There is no greater love than this."
"You have questions about how this could have happened. How no one had seen some warning. But in a casino the cameras aren't watching you, they're only watching the money. Sad, but true. And to those who wonder why our lawmakers won't act... You already know why? They're only looking at the money too."
"The opposite of violence isn't peace, it's grace, and that's what Vegas showed as soon as the tragedy occurred."
"You have questions about how this could have happened. How no one had seen some warning. But in a casino the cameras aren't watching you, they're only watching the money. Sad, but true. And to those who wonder why our lawmakers won't act... You already know why? They're only looking at the money too."
"The opposite of violence isn't peace, it's grace, and that's what Vegas showed as soon as the tragedy occurred."
July 23, 2020
Vegas is one of those places that is so dependant on tourism that it's hard to imagine it as a place where people actually live. But it is, people do, and the advantage of being a service-driven place is that in a time of horrible, preventable tragedy like the shooting at that concert is that folx showed up for each other in a way that they usually divert to those who come through.
I got here because I was searching Cameron Esposito and it was a welcome diversion.
My dream is that one day, we will wake up and all the guns will be gone.
(Sigh).
I got here because I was searching Cameron Esposito and it was a welcome diversion.
My dream is that one day, we will wake up and all the guns will be gone.
(Sigh).
March 24, 2022
A collection of short comics, stories, and thoughts on violence and guns in America brought on by the Las Vegas shootings. Being a Canadian I have looked on for years wondering why America has the gun problem it has. This graphic novel gave me insight but left me feeling sad as it remains an issue despite the continued mass shootings in the USA.
Particularly thought invoking is the one about the man who had a dream that one of his kids shot the other because they found his handgun. It was striking.
A solid 5 star. This one will stay with me.
Particularly thought invoking is the one about the man who had a dream that one of his kids shot the other because they found his handgun. It was striking.
A solid 5 star. This one will stay with me.
June 20, 2018
A plethora of pain, doubt, uncertainty, anger, and most of all hope in the light of yet another senseless gun tragedy. It encapsulates the complex contradictions of what some may see as a simple cut and dried black and white subject. A beautiful, diverse compendium that I am proud to have obtained. May my few dollars provide some measure of comfort for those affected who must know they are not alone, not now, not ever.
June 25, 2018
it was interesting and informative. However, I felt as though that the message started to repeat it self in alot of story, and the comic book could've been reduce to 120 pages or less. It was captivating to hear about the Last Vegas tradegy from some of the victims themselves, and to get an outsiders. view point of it as well
February 14, 2022
A benefit graphic novel featuring a Who's Who of the comic industry in support of the victims of the 2017 Las Vegas Mandalay bay hotel shooting that left 58 dead. Highlighting the horrific state of gun ownership and the lack of control in the USA and the disgusting refusal to make changes to the long outdated 2nd amendment of the US constitution.
September 24, 2018
Beautifully relatable, cathartic, and overall cool piece of writing. Using the graphic novel medium and the anthological style truly made the important messages and chronicling of events that much more stellar.
September 12, 2019
A powerful chorus of voices for change! Similar to "Puerto Rico Strong", which I read recently and have stocked in my Library along with this title, a showcasing of how accommodating the comic/graphic format can be to a range of viewpoints and stylistic variation.
January 9, 2021
Not at all what I was expecting - but it was “recommended” by someone who’s reviews I trust and enjoy - so I leapt in.
It was powerful, horrifying, and informative.
Then there were some I just didn’t get/understand.
Some were what I think they thought you wanted to hear.
Overall, 8/10.
It was powerful, horrifying, and informative.
Then there were some I just didn’t get/understand.
Some were what I think they thought you wanted to hear.
Overall, 8/10.
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