Calexit

Calexit #1-3

by Matt Pizzolo, Amancay Nahuelpan (Artist), Tyler Boss (Artist)

What if a fascist, autocratic President took over the United States? And what if that President lost California, the sixth largest economy on Earth, by nearly 2-to-1...a margin of almost 3 1/2 million votes? What if the day after that President took power, the largest mass demonstration in history occurred, and the state with the largest turnout was California. And then, the following week, two of the largest international airports in the world, California’s LAX and SFO, were blockaded by protesters?

What if California refused to be ruled?

From the creators of YOUNG TERRORISTS, Matteo Pizzolo (GODKILLER) and Amancay Nahuelpan (CLANDESTINO), comes this tale of resisting oppression, punching Nazis, protecting each other, kicking ass, and demanding liberty for all.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Politics, Science Fiction, Fiction, Dystopia, Graphic Novels Comics

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2018

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story where parts of California have tried to secede from the union over Trump declaring all immigrants illegal. Homeland Security has been occupying L.A. for a year now and treating Californians worse than terrorists. This is certainly very adult material and for those not easily offended. The story here isn't bad, but it's not self contained and feels very unfinished. It just stops mid-story after the 4th issue and then there's another fifty pages of interviews with people the author finds interesting so that was really frustrating. From what I can see, this has stalled out with no more issues since 2018.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

America elects a fascist president, who passes an executive order to deport all immigrants. California proclaims itself a sanctuary state and refuses to enforce the order. Things fall apart from there, and we end up with Homeland Security invading the state, which has descended into civil war with rural regions warring against the major metropolitan centers.

And that's just the background to our story, in which Homeland forces are in pursuit of Zora, a leader in the Mulholland Resistance. She's attempting to escape from Occupied LA with the help of Jamil, a courier/smuggler worried about what assisting her will do to his reputation for neutrality …

So, yes, there are definitely politics in this story. Surprise. That said, I found it quite engaging, and I’m normally leery of political titles--Brian Woods’ books, for instance, often put me to sleep. This has some interesting characters, and an intriguingly ripped-from-the-headlines setting.

Interestingly, Pizzolo started creating this title back in 2016, long before the outcome of the presidential election. Much of this material was in the air, if not necessarily the public’s perception at the time. That said, they definitely ran with the similarities to real people and events.

About one third of this book is supplemental materials, much of them interviews--both about the book itself, and a series Pizzolo titled, “Conversations With People I Find Interesting.” While I would have preferred more comics, I can't deny that I found the supplements fascinating. Overall, I found this book to be more interesting than I expected. Recommended!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calexit, by Matt Pizzolo, is an interesting graphic novel about a United States fractured by Donald Trump's (implied maybe? although it shows a picture of him) presidency, years after he takes dictatorial power. California has fractured into various militant factions, some looking to separate with other Pacific cities, some White Supremacists backing Trump, and some deeply libertarian and looking to protect their own homes, all fighting or allying with Homeland Security, a branch of the US government that controls some of California and is looking to crush rebellion against the US. The story follows an expert courier named Jamal, neutral on paper but being used by all sides. He gets caught up with the rebellion and Homeland, and is just trying to keep alive in the process.

A really interesting book about a United States fractured and broken, it also has the interesting distinction of being an important piece of discourse for Californian separation. An interesting read, in a dystopia that is fresh and relatively realistic in some respects - albeit in an exaggerated way. A good read, and hopefully one that spawns a sequel or two.

[Sylvia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read some of this (couldn't read all 3 issues) for a class I'm auditing called "Hot off the Press". Students give presentations on books,plays, music,and films they think will gain in popularity. Ordinarily I wouldn't comment unless I had read the entire book, but I found myself developing a lot of criticisms based on the classroom discussion. Some of the areas of confusion were about the intended readership. If it's for those who want to organize against Trump, I don't see how this series will inspire them. The three main characters are 'bad'. The ruthless villain, Father Rossi, who looks simian, but is possibly meant to look like Steve Jobs, Zora (Mexican) a one legged lesbian resistance fighter who gets off on revenge killings and Jamil, an opportunist who may eventually take the side of the fighters. They are caught up in a war (secession) with the feds over the mass deportation of undocumented peoples (called illegal in the text). Pizzolo says he wants people to engage in grassroots activism and includes interviews with activists in the back of the issue. I don't think the typical reader will be interested because, so far, the series isn't about anything. As others have pointed out it's basically Star Wars--Princess Leia (Zora)and cynical Hans Solo (Jamil) with Livermore as their mechanical sidekick. The writer, Pizzolo, portrays himself as an Everyman and indulges in self deprecation. This style of communication is disingenuous and not attractive to the serious minded. It reeks of faux activism using people of color as a backdrop. Undocumented communities are and have been a pawn of both political parties for years and it annoys me to see them, yet again, used as a device. They have no voice in this series. For now, I'm out. If, by some miracle, it develops a sharp edged, political story line, I might reengage. Post Script--Just found out one of the people interviewed in the back of the issue was Bill Ayers. He was in the Weathermen and advocated the bombing of public buildings. But we are supposed to believe that Zora is wrongheaded and that the graphic displays of blood and violence aren't why people are reading this? Again, this mixed up non-entity of a comic book aggravates me to no end. (I realize Ayers has renounced his past, but that is still what draws people to him--not his current professor gig.)

[Mery ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

This is basically a left-wing fantasy novel where California has to fight for its independence from an authoritarian federal government. A wild romp through California's worst-case scenario.

The humor I find in this is that these "rebels" have to use weapons like "assault rifles" to fight which are heavily restricted by the current California state government as opposed to being encouraged to be more freely available to citizens by the current federal government.

[Tomislav · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unexpectedly, this book contains more substance in its “backmatter” than in the graphic novel itself. The graphic novel is a reprint of issues #1-3 of CALEXIT comics, which have yet to be continued. It is a truly gruesome story that translates Syrian atrocities into a Los Angeles near-future setting. Unfortunately, the narrative ends abruptly with the mere establishment of two main characters, that ought to go on and have a story.

The backmatter is a collection of interviews with a variety of individuals who discuss their experiences of progressive activism and resistance in the era of Trump. I read this in the period of time after Trump lost re-election in 2020 and before inauguration of Biden in 2021. We are in another interstitial time that will inevitably reshape history’s view of the period. Things are so polarized at the moment, that it is difficult to discern the longer trends – so I probably need to clarify that when I say I liked some of this material, it is not the same as saying I agreed with the interviewees. I liked them because they were informative and thought-provoking.

Overall, though, the book seems like a hastily pasted together mishmash, the fictional portion without a good story. For fans of graphical writing, I would sooner recommend Joe Sacco’s Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia, 1992-1995 for its portrayal of the consequences of modern civil war – and it happens to be real.

[Questingforaquest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another one of those books that deserves five-stars but isn't getting that last one only because I'm stingy with them, but can't find anything wrong with the book! Very well-written characters, good use of the medium, and so prescient that I hesitate to use the word "satire"...it feels too nerve-inducingly real. Glad I put this in my pull-list, I can't wait for the monthly issues!

[Jeremy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't want to obsess over the star rating system, but I would like to give this book zero stars. Read the pull quote on the back of the book from Vulture's Abraham Riesman ("Calexit may sound a bit on the nose...") then believe the opposite of everything he says.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up based on the cover alone.

I was expecting something hilariously bad, but it's mostly just regular bad. This feels like an opener for a series that never happened. There was potential here, but it's got that painful feel of being written by people who don't really get it as well as they think they get it. Like it feels silly but it's clearly taking itself seriously. (And again, it's not so bad it's good, it's more just boring and uncomfortable.)

Also reading a book about occupied California at this exact moment in time feels like it's in poor taste. Obviously the timing isn't the fault of the creators because this is 5 years old, but I have a thing about fiction that takes dark real world things and places them in present day California. (Looking at you, Internment.) I think the message is like, "What if this happened here? Let's think about that for a second" but it comes across as LARPing as oppressed. Like, "Man, imagine being a badass resistance fighter in this alternate history/potential future scenario." And it's like please don't. Like if that's the story you want to write, make it MORE fictional. This occupies this space of "too real but not real enough" and it just feels disrespectful to people really going through it.

I also wish there wasn't a character who looks exactly like Steve Bannon walking around with his robe open. I was not digging the characters who were obviously based on real people but who were different enough to make it confusing.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matteo Pizzolo insists throughout the backmatter in Calexit that this comic was conceived of in pre-Trump America, so its eerie prescience is all the more unsettling. Fortunately, Calexit has more going for it than just a terrifying, realistic vision of the future. The characters are well-crafted, if a bit heavy-handed at times. Jamil in particular will almost certainly have a fascinating arc as he tries to navigate the various California tribes without taking a side. The backstory is clearly laid out, although some of the battle lines are hard to imagine - fierce separatists live just a few blocks away from the base of the far-right militia? The plot is fast-moving and the dialogue is riveting. Calexit is an extremely well-told story, even if some pieces haven't quite clicked into place yet. I blame that on the fact that only three issues are available in this first volume - nearly half the book is composed of backmatter interviews with political types that Pizzolo found interesting. I, um, pretty much skipped that stuff, and I suspect most readers will as well.

[Ron Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of it. Trump drives California to secede. But the story was really goofy. I was hoping for something a little more serious and darker.

The truth is a Calexit wouldn't be pretty. It may have a thriving economy but how long would that last without access to water and trade? The Silicon Valley tycoons and Hollywood celebrities would flee in a heartbeat the moment their precious fortunes were endangered, leaving the cities to burn in riots.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cannot even begin to explain Calexit without first stating how steeped the story is in American politics and modern American societal issues. If you wish to avoid these topics or are not fairly up to date on current U.S. political discourse (or lack thereof), you will definitely struggle to enjoy Calexit. Having led with that disclaimer, I can say that Calexit is a meticulously crafted piece of speculative fiction that really showcases the creative team's passions for the story and subject matter; however, the strong focus on deeply woven lore and political machinations leaves a few of the main characters ( specifically resistance leader Zora) a little light on characterization.

Calexit introduces us to a world where the state of California decides to secede from the United States government, fueled largely by outrage regarding the implementation of hard line, fascistic anti-immigration policies. The U.S. government refuses to accept this proposed "Calexit" and deploys national guard forces to attempt a forced reunification, but this burgeoning war only results in a state of constant and perpetual urban warfare (not unlike the U.S.'s involvement in various middle eastern conflicts). California is carved up into a patchwork of Occupied and Resistance held territories, each under the protection of various influential groups both military and political in nature. Writer Matteo Pizzolo clearly has done his homework in regards to this world's history and power structures, as each chapter reveals more and more of the numerous rival networks, governments, militias, and gangs that have all contributed to California's precarious state as both a political entity as well as a society. We have government agents cavorting with white nationalist gangs, resistance fighters ambushing occupied forces (referred to in-story as 'green shirts'), all while freelance couriers' make a living ferrying various deliveries for both sides. The world is fleshed out even further in the graphic novel's supplementary material, with the creative team interviewing and discussing various topics and individuals that have in some way affected or inspired the story.

As I mentioned earlier, the sheer amount of time and effort dedicated to world building does unfortunately leave a few characters feeling underdeveloped. Our initail POV character Jamil is a straight forward enough character that we can fairly easily connect with him and invest in his story, but this only really works because he is portrayed as an easily identifiable 'survivor' character. Jamil acts a a free lance courier for whoever has the cash to pay, and displays a typical pragmatic attitude best summed up as 'no side but my own'. This survivor mindset is displayed multiple times as Jamil's often repeated personal philosophy of 'no weapons or people'; a personal rule that we see doesn't necessarily come from a place of altruism, but instead a practical desire not to make enemies for himself. The biggest victim of light characterization has to be the resistance leader Zora, whom is built up as the battle hardened, singularly focused heart of the California Resistance. Despite the numerous characters who refer to Zora as both a recurring public menace and legitimate military threat, the few times she actually acts in situations that might confirm these assertions she instead comes across as cold, callous, and haphazardly violent. Without mentioning specific spoilers there is a particular plot development that could partially explain these incongruities in characterization, but sadly not enough time is spent addressing Zora's mindset or reaction to them to really justify using them as an in story explanation for any of her following actions or decisions.

It should be noted that this narrative is written as an ongoing story that will span multiple graphic novels, and so any issues I take with the pacing of character development should be viewed with that in mind. It may very well be the desire of the creative team to have these character's appear as they do at this point in the story, and they may have done so in order to better serve the overall story. I only state these issues because my perspective as a new reader is effected by these decisions, and may therefore affect how the story is read by others like myself.

Amancay Nahuelpan's art really accentuates the subject matter and tone of the overall story; the designs are artistically distinct while still creating convincingly realistic characters. The selective use of color is also worth noting, as the artwork uses two different color palettes to visually address shifts in tone or subject; the people and day to day events of our sunny, war torn west coast territory often use a muted array of browns, greens and yellows while the moments of antagonism, conflict, or unexpected violence favor a stark yet simplistic mix of reds, blacks, and grey. These color choices and character designs result in visuals that enhance the powerful emotional nature of Calexit's story, while providing a style that makes all the violence and conflict seem unnervingly possible and unsettlingly familiar.

Overall Calexit brings a great amount of creative promise to the table; it is just unfortunate that the delayed exploration of certain characters and their motivations hinder the readers ability to become fully immersed in the hearts and minds of some of the main cast. This is by no means a story killer, and as stated before may very well end up being a justified creative decision to better serve the story in it's entirety. Where Calexit really shines is the loving care the creative time has put into the world building and lore, which combined creates a powerfully convincing dystopic world that despite it's clear differences to our own feels all to familiar and disturbingly possible. If U.S. politics are something you would rather avoid in your reading, than it is more than understandable for you to pass on this graphic novel; the story wears is politicized nature on it's sleeve and does not shy away from the fact that it has a perspective and 'agenda' that it is attempting to portray. Whether or not you agree with the story's political nature or ideas, it cannot be denied that Calexit is a painstakingly crafted work of speculative, dystopic, and political fiction.

[Wallyeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable start to the story. It does start at what might be considered the middle of the story though, since California has already seceded and Homeland Security is already well into conducting operations to bring the state back to the fold. I would've been interested in the start of the story -- hopefully we'll see that play out at some point instead of just getting the expositionally version of what happened.

The easy comparison to make is to Brian Wood's amazing DMZ series, which is set about 15 years ago and in New York City (I can't recommend the series enough, by the way). But, I think DMZ and Calexit are both of their time. I don't think DMZ could be written now and be the same and Calexit obviously couldn't have been written 15 years ago and have been the same. Calexit is very much a book of the now. It reflects a lot of the debates occurring currently but especially immigration.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s an episode of Family Guy where Peter begins working as a hooker in drag to make money for his family. Lois has the kids in the car and goes to get him off the street. Peter gets in still wearing a mini skirt, crop too and makeup. Stewie seeing this turns to Chris and says, ‘It’s eerie isn’t it? It’s like looking into the future.’

That’s what this book is. Give it six months maybe and there’s a good chance this comic book will come to life. Read it. Is before it’s banned.

[Samantha Puc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim at my LCS because the title, the cover art, and the concept intrigued me, especially as someone born and raised in California now living on the opposite coast... I think I need to re-read before I can fully articulate my thoughts for a review, but damn. Damn. Read this.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this graphic novel. Set in a near future when immigrants are outlaws, civil wars explode within California (while it fights US Homeland Security.) Some great lines, good art and several compelling characters make this a win.

Please note, I (like most other reviewers here) did not read all of the COPIOUS additional material. I wish there had been more story and less backstory.

[Emma Gear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Calexit is one of the more explicitly political things I've ever read and I was excited to do so as it seemed right up my alley but... I dunno. It just feels like it's missing something.

Calexit is basically California seceding from the rest of the US so a sort of civil war takes place between fascists and those opposed to them. Antifascists, if you will.

It's a cruel, violent story depicting the skinhead Nazis as utterly callous in their approach of trying to bring order to the state. There's plenty of murder throughout and a lot of it is messy. The book itself mostly focuses on Zora, a hispanic woman who's wanted by the state, Jamil, a courier who's trying not to take sides in this whole conflict, and Father Rossi, a hyper-violent fascist with a secret.

Starting with Rossi, he's one of the problems I kind of had with this. Notably his secret, which isn't elaborated upon nearly enough if you plan on doing a big TO BE CONTINUED styled reveal at the end. In its current state it seems like a twist made purely for the sake of being shocking with not much other thought behind it.

Zora is a very, very violent woman. She hates fascists more than anything, and never lets an opportunity to slip by to kill one. This is normally the kind of thing I'd find borderline endearing in a character, but it also leads her to make a few unrealistic decisions that just kind of gnaw at my suspension of disbelief. Wanting to get rid of the fascist opportunists who want to lay claim to the state is fine, but needlessly endangering those who would be allies to do it just doesn't sit right.

And Jamil is the radical centrist of the group and the one who I actually like the most of the cast. He knows the fascists are dangerous thugs and doesn't want to be on their bad side, so he just takes no sides. Unfortunately an event early on inadvertently forces him to pick and he's kind of forced to team up with Zora. He doesn't like the fascists either of course, but he's still got a life to think about and doesn't want his livelihood as a courier to be affected by placing a target on his head.

The story basically writes itself with those characters but I just don't know. Something about it never really clicked for me. It had all the ingredients to be something great, but it just left me feeling kind of middling. A lot of the politics on display are handled well, and I ultimately think what this book needed was a few more issues before dropping a TO BE CONTINUED at you. Something to develop characters, motivations, and the setting more. As it is it just leaves you wanting until there is more.

[Grant Keegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calexit is a 3-chapter graphic novel that introduces a near-future dystopian world were California secedes from the United States after an executive order declaring the deportation of all undocumented immigrants. As anyone can tell from the premise, it is a highly political book. This is the main reason it piqued my interest, to see how these themes were handled.

There is a lot to think about in the short span of the comic. This is a work that wasn’t afraid to delve into controversial territory, which I honestly admired. Although it did sometimes feel a little too blatant and on-the-nose (The first page has a panel of Donald Trump starting the whole conflict of the story). Although I think this is the whole point of Calexit, and to be honest, we sometimes need more forms of art that have an explicit political message (movies, games, music, comics, etc.).

The main conflict follows two main characters, Jamil and Zora, who embark on a road trip to lead Zora to safety, as she is being hunted down by the United States’ new government. This plot is interceded by a lot of side characters which give the readers exposition about how this world works, I enjoyed them, and it made me think about the things that lead to the political conflicts within the story.

While I thought Jamil was annoying, Zora was a great character that left me with a lot of hopes about where her story lead next, and what I could learn about her past. Unfortunately, this is a story that we will never know what comes next. It was announced by Black Mask that it is highly unlikely that it will be continued, so these three chapters are all we have. It is a shame, this world leaves a lot to speculate, especially with the premise of this universe and all the work that was put into creating a believable situationn that deals with contemporary political topics. Still, I enjoyed this graphic novel, and it makes me want to check out other stories with heavy political commentary.

Final Score: 75/100

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[Brandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In history, no oppression has ever changed until people got really angry and did something." – Lexi Alexander

Conceived prior to Trump winning the election, Calexit is a liberal revolutionist's daydream. After Trump won the election, the graphic novel was already in progress but it was revised to encompass what was going on in the real world.

The book starts during the 2nd term of His Excellency's reign. California has succeeded from the US after the president deemed all immigrants illegal and started having them all departed, and now he wants California back under his control. He's doing it for the good of the people, after all. California is torn between revolutionists, people trying to lead a 'normal' life, neo-nazis, occupying national guard/homeland personnel, rural citizens cutting off water and food to the major cities, and an underground network to move people and goods into and out of the cities and state.

The back matter of the book has an interesting section on the flags of each group and the meaning of their symbolism.

The rest of the back matter contains interviews of people the author found interesting, including the person credited with the quote at the beginning of this review. There are a couple of interviews the author did for Entertainment Weekly and The Oregonian. It finishes with some additional artwork.

Additional note: The bear on the cover is wearing a mask. I know it has to do with the revolutionists hiding their faces...but it ties in with current events dealing with the 2020 pandemic. An unintentional tribute to Trump screwing up the pandemic response.

[Darth Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I'm torn. On one hand, yeah, fascists and Nazis are fucked and should, you know, be the bad guys and be dispatched with extreme prejudice. But on the other hand, I felt like like the plot wasn't introduced in the best way in this volume. Also, the main character/badass, felt extremely shoehorned. Not only is she a woman of color, but she's gay, and disabled, and I mean cool, a main character can absolutely be all of those things, but it kinda felt like the author of this, who is both white and male, just had a checklist he was checking to make sure his comic about protesting Trump hit all those things that's exactly the opposite of Trump.

And, as much as I do think it's interesting (and maaaaybe possible) that California would secede, I honestly doubt it'd turn into what the comic portrayed. Because the plot was so paper thin in depth here, I, the reader, am left assuming that the rest of America is just kinda okay with Trump and Homeland Security murdering people? Or that California is the last bastion of freedom or something? I find that *very* hard to believe, that the rest of America would just let this happen. I mean, maybe? But I don't know because, again, what exactly was the plot? All I got was fear. This comic is full of fear. Fear that Trump will succeed in splitting the country. And, I mean, that's fair.

But, shit, man, what I need right now is *hope*. Hope that, if this were to happen, the resistance would be bigger than a few people in California.

[Mouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man! I really want to like this... but I just can’t. It’s a great premise, especially for those not too enthusiastic about our current political situation... *cough *cough *Trump 😉
Unfortunately it all comes off as really kind of goofy. It sort of reminds me of a long winded Kevin Smith movie, but I like Kevin Smith and not this.
It’s got that indie comic feel like this book should be in some bookstore in Berkeley, and it’s labeled as ‘Speculative Politics/Sci-Fi/Adventure’ *Phew... that’s a mouthful.
The main bad guy is just too comic like and seems like a Snidely Whiplash mustache twirling villain.
The main characters don’t have any redeeming qualities and it’s hard to root for them.
As a political commentary it seems this book is made to get people to think about our current situation and even rebel against such, but in doing so it seems to kind of fizzle out. No riots were incited with this book! 😉
The comic ends and then there’s about 40 pages of political commentary, interviews with people and so on... unfortunately by that time the reader is just exhausted.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, but nothing special. I don't find the plot or premise as realistic as they are intended to be, and I think the book it a bit more political than the back of the book makes it seem. But then, how could it not be?

While there isn't anything spectacular here, I have no major complaints except for one scene which highlights the glaring hypocrisy of the book's main villain. This conceivably is meant to either enrage the reader against him, or potentially awaken some kind of latent sympathies for a man who is utterly unsympathetic. Either way, it's a brief two- or three-page vignette and I thought it was cheap and amateurish writing. That said, it's possible that those three pages are the seed for some internal conflict and character growth, in which case it still should have developed more within the single volume in order to not feel cheap, but it would at least be forgivably mediocre writing instead of just bad.

But again, overall this book is solid. My irritation at three pages out of a couple hundred shouldn't stop you from checking it out if you're interested.

[Jonathan Schildbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the comics portion of this book. There are a number of interviews at the end of the book that are intriguing enough, but largely very similar stories about why different people got into politics...nothing wrong with that, just not a lot that was really 'grabbing' me. Anyway...the story here involves California seceding from the United States as a 'sanctuary state' after a Trump-like president decides to deport all immigrants. The main 'freedom fighter' is Zora, who was adopted from out-of-country, but is still supposed to be deported under the new directive. Jamil, a 'non-political' character, gets caught up in Zora's world, perhaps deliberately because of the machinations of some of the government figures, or perhaps just by chance encounters with the government figures. There's some great writing and artwork here. And I can't wait to see where this goes. Check it out.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Calexit is one of those books that has incredibly great potential. It's got a strong and well-thought out world and premise, I love the back of the book where they break down the factions, the symbols etc. I want to believe it gets better which is why I gave it three stars.


But the story itself has so much misogyny it reeks. All of the background done  aside...tthe presumably strong female character comes off as the straw-man “social justice warrior” that kills out of principal without any though whatsoever as to consequences.


I nursed a child, I love seeing breastfeeding in a comic but the circumstances in this one was exploitative and unnecessary. It was cheap and made zero sense even in context except as shorthand for how evil the big bad is or how dark the world is.


I feel the comic is riddled with caricatures and I feel it comes at the expense of genuine characters.

[Kyrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A graphic novel showing a future where California has seceded from the United States (well parts of California) and other parts are fighting to get it back, along with a lot of violence between factions trying to defend their own points of view and/or livelihoods (like drug dealing ).
It's not my genre, I'm not into graphic violence, and honestly, I often wasn't sure I knew what was going on or that I really wanted to know what was going on.
Does it represent a faction's point of view? Probably.
Also it's about half straightforward interviews with people about California and the current political climate of the United States. I'm sure it was fascinating for the author, but well, too much for me.

[jedioffsidetrap · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the ideas better than the execution. It used the Trump administration as a jumping off point for an antifa fantasy of the culture wars going hot. California is in civil war between the liberal cities & conservative suburbs/rural areas, and the President (drawn like/talking like Trump) sends in the National Guard to occupy cities, supported by conservative armed groups (one whose leader looks like Steve Brannon). It’s not satire but a gritty, ugly story with an unlikeable caricature of a violent folk hero as the heroine. Don’t care enough to continue. But some nice essays at back, including with political-sportswriter David Zirin.

[Morgan Golias · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty intense, with a lot of violence, swearing, and sex scenes. However, it was very good and super poignant. It takes place in a not too distant future, where illegal immigrants are all hunted down and forced out of the country. California declares itself a sanctuary state, and declares itself separate from the United States. This creates anarchy and chaos within California between those that still consider themselves part of the United States, and those that side with the rebellion. California fractures into different militant groups and drugs, prostitution, and violence are commonplace.

[Rhonda Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read, especially in our current political climate. It was written or published in 2018, when the split between republican and democrat was just becoming a harsh thing, but it is scarily relevant for a lot of 2021's political divisive behaviors. Unfortunately, I can see things getting this bad with the way the pundits and political parties are trying to blame everything on their rivals and refusing to take responsibility for anything. There is fault on both sides The interviews that take up almost half the graphic novel's pages do not touch that, but otherwise, it is a very well done future dystopian novel.

[Aric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timely despite having been conceived prior to the present administration.
The federal government led by a thinly veiled Trump decides to deport all immigrants. The governor of California in response declares California to be a 'sanctuary state' and things go downhill from there.
I am on the fence as to what to rate this book (I originally rated it four stars). It is only a prelude of sorts setting up plot lines but I have not found any of the characters interesting enough to compel me to continue with the series.
The story so far centers around three people. On one side there is a young resistance leader with anger management issues. On the other, an enforcer-type hunting her which the author tries to humanize by introducing the enforcer's immigrant wife and children just before the character goes into a room to weep. Sitting in the middle is a courier and part-time drug dealer who is trying to be neutral to carry on business with both sides.
Good concept but a little lacking in execution.

[Sundial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5. I really enjoyed the art. My primary dislike is that the President is supposed to represent Donald Trump and he unilaterally enforces an anti-immigration policy that some residents of California resist against. My issue with that—in the real world—even post-Trump, we still have homeland security and neo-nazis. Thus I hope the authors are able to see American fascism outside of Donald Trump as an individual.

My other beefs are that the plot felt like it was cut short, which I say because I was enjoying the read.