The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-first Century

Martha Washington #Omnibus

by Frank Miller, Dave Gibbons (Illustrator), Robin Smith (Colorist)

Just in time for the Fourth of July! A masterpiece nearly twenty years in the making, this archival volume contains the complete life story of Martha Washington, the twenty-first century freedom fighter created by comic-book megastars Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), now in a more affordable softcover edition.

Our story begins in the squalid corridors of a maximum-security housing project, where a young girl will rise from the war-torn streets of Chicago to battle injustice in a world insane with corruption. Her fight will take her far, from the frontlines of the second American Civil War, to the cold, unforgiving reaches of space. She will be called a hero, a traitor, and nearly everything in-between, but all along the way, her courage, her integrity, and her unwavering commitment to that most valuable of rights -- liberty -- will inspire a movement that will never surrender.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction, Comic Book, War, Dystopia

600 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2009

About the author

Frank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collects all of the Martha Washington appearances from 1990 well into the 2000's. Part social commentary, part satire, part science fiction, all fantastic. This is Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons at their pinnacle. It's every bit as good as Sin City or Watchmen. I read the issues as they appeared over the years and it's great to have them all collected with commentary from Gibbons. Gibbons was one of the first artists to experiment with computerized coloring and his pages are still beautiful today.

Martha Washington was born in Caprini Green, the projects of Chicago, her only way out to join PAX (the army) and is sent off to the Hamburger Wars in Brazil. Fast Food companies have militarized and are trying to destroy the rain forests. Martha quickly proves herself to be an exceptional warrior and rises through the ranks. The series is littered with crazy characters such as the President's brain and a surgeon general who thinks a lock of morals is a disease and talks in clipped, partial sentences. In later books, she fights against several different factions in the 2nd American Civil War and finds the origin of mankind when she heads to space.

One of my all time favorite books. Not to be missed.

Received an advance copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly don't know where to begin with this review because there is simply so much going on in this book which contains all of the collected stories of Martha Washington first published in 1990.
This comic starts at the beginning with the birth of Martha in 1995 to a poor family in the Cabrini Green Housing Projects. The projects are characterized as nothing more than a prison and so, here begins Frank Miller's none too subtle very critical social commentary. He makes a very bold analysis of poverty, politics, environmental issues, and classism. Yes all of that and you don't have to probe too deeply to hear the messages here, they are as vibrant and in your face as Martha is.
Despite dire circumstances in which, among other things, Martha must learn at a very early age to navigate the dangerous streets of Cabrini Green, we see that she is an intelligent girl and a computer whiz. She could have a bright future, and she does, but not without great pains along the way. The Life and Times of Martha Washington is by no means a happy go lucky collection of stories. While there are a few laughs along the way, there really are quite a few more tears. This is a dark tale, but certainly not a hopeless one.
I love what Frank Miller did with Martha because through her so many stereotypes and misconceptions are thrown out of the window about women, and also about women of color. Martha is one of the few women (can we call Martha a superhero?) in comics that aren't hypersexualized, dressed in titillating body hugging gear with over-sized body part on prominent display. Nor is she the lurid object of men's fantasies. Martha is a soldier, she is a loyal friend, she is a fighter and a warrior, she has integrity and intelligence, she is appreciated and hated, she is a woman who is loved and desired. She is so very much, and a wonderful role model if ever we want to find one in a comic. More importantly though, Martha is easy to relate to because she wasn't born with superpowers. She is a normal woman, who under extraordinary odds, manages to maintain her sense of self-worth and her desire to succeed.
And she is a black. What a trail blazer!
Some of the circumstances we find Martha in are a little over the top, but this is a comic with a shameless blending of SF&F along with action adventure... so practically anything goes.
This collection ends with Martha's death on, of all days, her 100th birthday. I totally appreciate being able to close out her miraculous life by seeing her death, sad as it may be, but I don't like that what came right before was Martha at about 20 years old. We watched Martha accomplish so much between the ages of 14-20. She was still so young when we leave her off before the last one shot that completed this collection. We are told that she went on to have a husband and three sons and that she went on to do more, but that leaves about eighty years of life practically unaccounted for and, perhaps I'm greedy, but I wanted more of her.
Initially I was a little turned off by the art. I can't really put my finger on it except to say that it was so bright and crisp and I generally prefer a more subtle art style with more muted coloring. But, I soon grew to truly appreciate the style as well as the fact that the art itself seemed to mature right along with Martha. It is truly beautiful to look at.
I plan to read this collection again at some point in time, because I don't doubt that there is so much that I missed in this deeply nuanced collection of stories, deeper meanings, grander messages. I don't want to miss any of them.
I am such a fan of Martha Washington and I only learned about her on a whim through a Twitter friend's recommendation to me. I can't believe that I had this book on a shelf for a year before actually reading it!

[Φώτης Καραμπεσίνης · Rating 4 out of 5]

Οι Miller και Gibbons είναι υπεύθυνοι για κάποια αριστουργηματικά κόμικς, και το 20ετές αυτό πρότζεκτ προσφέρει εγγυημένη αναγνωστική απόλαυση.
Είναι προφανές πως σε έναν μεγάλο τόμο 600 περίπου σελίδων, θα υπάρχουν εξαιρετικές, μέτριες και αδιάφορες στιγμές. Πιστεύω πως τα πρώτα τεύχη είναι σαφώς τα καλύτερα, με εμφανείς αναφορές στην αισθητική του "Watchmen".
Στη συνέχεια τα πράγματα γίνονται πιο ουδέτερα και ενίοτε αδιάφορα, αλλά ως σύνολο ο τόμος αυτός αξίζει τα χρήματα και τον χρόνο που θα του διαθέσετε.

[Jason Bootle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this book thinking it was a graphical adaptation of an unknown black American woman only to discover it was the creation of Frank Millar and Dave Gibbons. This was one hell of a ride through the birth, life and death of Martha Washington, an inspirational, determined black woman fighting for justice and liberty, who emerged and fought her way out of oppression.

There's some great social commentary on race, power, environment, politics, war, technology. Some of the story lines border on the outrageous but it's a great romp and what comics can do so well – suspend reality and explore ideas.

Despite the couple of cringeworthy dialogue moments and her love interest story arch in the space series, the whole book was a delight and pleasure to read through.

Equally enjoyable was Dave Gibbon's prologues to each of the series giving insight into Frank and his artistic and personal states and where their thinking was heading. There is also a great collection of working drawings and promotional material at the end of the book.

I haven't come across any strong, positive black comic characters in my graphic novel reading thus far. That combined with the pacy stories, wonderful artwork and vision of the future, this collection was a very nice surprise to see and very, very enjoyable.

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really couldn't get into the dark worldview presented by Frank Miller in this series, and the Ayn Rand influence turned me off as well. However, there are a few good anti-war messages.

[Nnedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. Miller and Gibbons got it right. Washington is believable, exciting, fleshed out and amazing. She feels authentic. I do wonder about her family. Her mother and her brother were very undeveloped. I also hated the very first page. The way Martha's mother is drawn makes her look like a man. Knowing these two artists and the way they can drawn white women, I knew this wasn't a problem of skill. So that bugged me a LOT. And why is she giving birth naked? WTF? And the one place that should be exposed is covered. Seemed...problematic. And why is she so muscular?? And the baby comes out in a weird way. I almost put the book down after that first page. THANK GOODNESS I DIDN'T! Martha, her story, the politics (LOVE the politics), the way she's drawn (she's beautiful but proportioned,strong yet feminine, not asexual, loved the hairstyles (see! black hair CAN be drawn! that's an excuse that some have giving me for Storm's annoying straight hair. that black hair is too hard too draw...such b.s. Storm doesn't look black to me, not her hair not anything else about her. She doesn't impress me. She could have amazing but she isn't. She should have been like the Yoruba deity Oya) and Martha's backside is not the focus(something that happens to black female characters in comics way too much). This is one of the best comic series I've ever read and I'm glad someone pointed it out to me. Finally, something by Frank Miller that I can say I love love love. Well, there's 300 but that had so many racial problems that I can't say I loved it (though I loved it, lol). I HIGHLY recommend this series. Excellent!

[Nicolas Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite enjoyable. It's nice to see Frank Miller's writing in a context that isn't as dark as Sin City or as gory as 300. I think what makes it work is the heavy emphasis on action, combined with an occasionally goofy sense of humor. The various behind-the-scenes bits worked in between the chapter/series breaks were interesting. I also liked some of the amusing references and crossovers; I spotted a mention of the Silver Surfer, and Big Boy made an appearance (I'd only watched the short-lived animated series).

Most of the story arcs were enjoyable, if a bit over the top in their emphasis on extreme political views. I was a little sad to see that Ayn Rand was a big influence, on account of the community of übermensch going off to create a better world, but it worked in the allegory I think. My biggest disappointment was with the last issue, the way they wrapped up her story, leaving a big gap. I would loved to have seen more of the Martha character, but I guess at this point they've moved on to other projects.

Also big points to putting together all of the series in one big volume, in an appropriate chronological order, with edits as needed. Really wish other comic book titles would take that to heart. I know they're supposed to be episodic, but I much prefer to consume the stories in bulk, to see the characters evolve and the plot move forward, without having to wait for the next issue.

Another note I'd make is that this is another example of recent past depictions of the near future going too far in some tech areas (hard AI, energy weapons, space travel, etc.) and yet mostly missing the cultural impact of the Web and mobile communications. Granted, Martha's world is kinda screwy compared to ours, but I wonder if the authors just didn't picture the changes we have experienced.

Overall quite a fun read.

[Lashawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard of this book during a Black Tribbles podcast. I never heard of it before, but reading it now, I'm blown away by it. It's a Frank Miller/Dave Gibbons collaboration, same dudes that did Sin City and Watchmen. It's not so dark and grim as those graphic novels, but definitely gritty. There's still violence, there's still bloodshed. But it's a fascinating look at an alternative United states, and it's all done through a black woman's viewpoint.

Life and Times starts off with Martha being born with Cabrini Green reimagined as a maximum security housing project. Right off the bat mixing unfamiliar with familiar. People sleeping in rows of bunk beds behind locked bars. Living quarters the size of closets. Dirty sidewalks, and rampant crime. The shift of years of the same president, his continuous reign marching from cautiously cheering crowds to arm guards and tanks with guns.

We follow Martha as she goes from Cabrini Green survivor to mental institute patient, to soldier. Interesting that for all her life, She's not shown with relaxed hair. No black women are. Can't tell if this is deliberate. But We see Martha with an afro, a buzzcut, cornrolls, locs, and no hair at all.

And the other thing we see--Martha has faith in God. This is something that's never shaken from her, even though she is sent to war and sees atrocities and wrongs, her belief in God, and her sense that she was put there for a reason, never shakes.

The way Martha is drawn is interesting. Most of the time, she's drawn unsmiling, a snarl if she's fighting, or just the badass stare. She's drawn as a mature woman, and most of the book, you forget that by the time she joins PAX, she's only a teenager. A good chunk of the story is her as a teenager, and yet she goes through stuff that makes her age quickly into a gritty war veteran.
There's this one picture of her standing in full uniform, bald and confident, with a slight smile. It is the youngest I've ever seen of her. She almost looks...optimistic. Cheerful. Turn the page, and she is shooting a huge gun, muscled arm, gritted teeth, chiseled, torn jeans, a ripped bandanna tied around her head. There's nothing sweet about her now. She's got a job to do, and she does it, not with pleasure, or with hate. It's a job and it needs to be done.

That's how her story is. Martha makes for a good soldier. Rising up the ranks for her is slow, not because she is incompetent, but because mostly her superiors are corrupt. She keeps her mouth shut and she does her job. Unless it interferes with her values. And Martha's values are strong. She protects the Brazilian rainforest from being napalmed and is placed under the corrupt sergeant's contingent, who tries to rid her any way he can, but dang it, she keeps on surviving. She refuses to take blood from an alternate Captain America. And when the people she work for become utterly corrupt, she turns traitor in order to cleanse it, then turns traitor on her allies when they turn corrupt.

Here and there, there are little bits to soften up the hard story. Martha looking down at the Brazilian rainforest and her face going soft. How Martha always treats her mother. How she manages to win over one Valkerie enough for her to become devoted to Martha, developing a crush and always fighting by her side, even though she knows Martha doesn't feel the same way. There's even romance, sort of. She meets up with Wasserstein, the only Navajo left. They have adventures along with an enigmatic psychic named RaggyAnn. Too bad RaggyAnn drops from the story with no explanation. She's an underutelized character.

Miller and Gibbons gives us a United States that fractures, and it's believable. The Pacific NW is governed by the New Calvinist Initiative, California becomes an Evil Wonderland, Colorado and Arizona are ruled by Fat Boy Burgers, in league with the Mexican terriroty. Texas beccomes an entity of its own (that's frightening), while Florida is being taken over by Cuba. The east coast is splinted into a bunch of groups that tear each other apart, and the midwest is...well...still considered the united states. Go figure.

At times, the alternative timeliness seemed too insane. The Nazi Gays, for instance, seemed goofy. There also appeared to be a thing where the Ku Klux Klan was populated by blacks. Going for too unbeleiveable. But the constant warring between the states was intriguing. There's one story where Martha leads her troops over Texas lines into Fat Boy territory to get her and her troops burger and fries, because the sell of red meet is forbidden by the 94th amendment. There's also the breakdown of technology, which turns into a plot point in itself. Fighting suits break down. Transports blow up.

The only story I felt lacking was the last one, simply because it raised a lot of questions for me. It appears Martha lives to be 100. She explored a bunch of worlds. Supposedly she met God. And yet...who is the black dreadlocked woman with the scar? Why does she call Martha 'Gannie?" (A play on raggedy ann, perhaps?) Why did Martha go back to earth? What happened to her husband and sons? Who is the enemy they're fighting against? Why is there a nun when there are no more churches?
Are the dreadlocked woman, and the two other black folks Martha's Grandchildren? I really, really, really wanted to see that story. And that's why I'll only give it four out of five Pax helmets.

And if Siri starts taking the form of a blue skinned woman, we might be in serious trouble.

[Du4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reads a lot better as one big narrative, at least better than it did as a series of strung-together minis back in the 1990s. Gibbons' commentary makes for a real nice explication of what he and Miller were trying to achieve with Martha. Without that commentary, you go into it expecting a certain story based on how GIVE ME LIBERTY was executed, and that's NOT where Martha Washington goes. Also this is a GREAT format for Gibbons' art: huge, intricate, detailed. Lots of fun.

[Christian Lipski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Miller writes and Dave Gibbons draws this story of a woman who rose from a near-future ghetto to become a warrior. Some real wish-fulfillment stuff, and sometimes a little heavy on the politics, but it's rollicking fun, and the art is wonderful.

[Nathanael Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please allow me to preface this by stating that I am a huge fan of everything Frank Miller has ever done with the notable exception of the Sprit film adaptation. That said, I read a lot of graphic novels but never take the time to review them for the same reason I don't sit down and blog about a video game I just beat. "Martha Washington" is as notable an exception to this rule as, I dunno, "The Sims." In short, this comic is epic in the best sense of the word. Why? Simply because black women are grossly underrepresented in super hero. A notable exception to this rule is Storm from the X-Men but I digress...I was impressed that this was created by old white guys. The authorial voice felt authentic, not forced or contrived. In summary: I can't name a comic book out now smart enough to insert a Gordian knot reference, let alone one starring a Cabrini Green hood rat from the South Side of Chicago. Awesome, highly recommended.

[Zedsdead]

This is out of print and cannot be ordered, according to my FLGS. :( Aug/27/2020

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Give Me Liberty Book 1: Homes & Gardens - Beautifully sets up the dystopian (and all but prescient) nightmare in which Martha is born. It follows her into young adulthood as a soldier for PAX, fighting in the remains of the Brazilian Rainforest to preserve what is left. This is Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons at the top of their form. Miller provides the story and narrative, while Gibbons does some of the most creative art of his career. (4/5)

Give Me Liberty Book 2: Travel & Entertainment - On one hand a nice progression of Washington’s story, on the other this is a thinly veiled excuse for a homophobic rant. The “gay nazi” stuff might be a funny bit, but it oozes contempt and ridicule, and reeks of the white-male-cisgender-victim card that Miller will slap down with such venomous force in Holy Terror. I really loved this series when it first came out, but looking back on it now, there’s an insane amount of white male privilege being put on display for a series about a black woman. (2/5)

Give Me Liberty Book 3: Health & Welfare - Martha Washington is our protagonist. But the most prominent voice we’re getting is not hers. In fact, she is nothing but a relentless victim and a tool used by a cisgender-white-male with a vigilante-savior complex. Yes, Martha prevails no matter what forces or obstacles are stacked against her, but she is still nothing more than a tool and a victim. She just moves from one tragedy to another, without agency or goal except that of survival. She is depicted as little more than an animal surviving anyway she can. It has been decades since I read this and I’m really surprised how much my reactions have changed. But then, I recall that I am now living in a world as dystopian as the one depicted. Here’s another lovely observation: the liberal who took over after the fascist president was left in a coma, is depicted nothing more than a well intentioned fool. He is completely incompetent and unable to be an effective president, and it is repeatedly made clear that he is a liberal. Miller seems to be suggesting that these “liberals” make terrible, indecisive leaders. Intentionally? I do not know. I’m reminded of Robert Kirkman’s deeply offensive Marvel Team-Up, Vol. 4: Freedom Ring with it’s attitude that homosexuals don’t have what it takes to be heroes. (2/5)

Give Me Liberty Book 4: Death & Taxes - This makes up for some of the crap in the previous issues. But to be honest, it is still far to easy to see the white-savior victim attitude being layered in here. (3/5)

Happy Birthday Martha Washington - This was published as a special one-shot, released so it was in comic shops on Martha Washington’s Birthday (March 11, 1995). It includes several stories that were originally published separately. Collateral Damage offers a crossover with the character Nixon from Hard Boiled and it definitely displays the sheer idiocy of warfare. Logistics offers the hypocrisy of many laws, but it also muddies the message being made. State of the Art illustrates the kind of intelligence one can expect from the military. And Insubordination is a tribute to Jack Kirby that suffers from the same mixed signaling that many of these stories now have. (3/5)

Martha Washington Goes to War - This 5-issue series was inspired by the novel Atlas Shrugged, which is a kind of libertarian manifesto and heralded as a conservative classic. It has certainly been an inspiration for many conservatives in politics today. But as for this chapter in Martha Washington’s life? When it originally came out, I loved it. I adored the take-down-the-authoritarian-government attitude. And was just as caught up with the adventurous life of the titular character as I was the end of the dystopian regime that the US had become. But now, I’m seeing this for the weird Starship Troopers kind of presentation it is. That might take some explaining. When Robert A. Heinlein wrote the book Starship Troopers he was not apparently trying to be sarcastic or satirical. It argued that he probably thought he was offering what he saw as a good system for dealing with threats to society. It is debatable as to how much of that is true. Because the book reads like a campy ridicule of the very notions of military effectiveness that it seems to want to personify. This dichotomy is more blatant in the film adaptation (1997) of the book. There it is pretty obvious that the director is laying into the high camp and farcical aspects of this philosophy. But, and this is the big failure of the film (or is it the greatest success?), many fans of the film come away thinking the film is a actually a tribute and glorification of the military, war, and violence in general. The perspective that violence will solve all of society’s problems (this becomes increasingly the message in the numerous sequels (7, I believe). One can also see this kind of weird misinterpretation of messaging when listening to fans of the TV show The Boys, as there are an enormous number of viewers who firmly believe that Homelander is the misunderstood hero of the series. This is the same kind of realization I’ve now come to about Martha Washington. A series and a character I had loved dearly when it was originally coming out, but I now see how much her character lacks agency and autonomy. How much she is merely a tool to be used as a delivery system for the author’s conservative, libertarian beliefs. (2/5)

Martha Washington Stranded in Space - Crossover - Is a story that introduces Martha Washington to The Big Guy. Fun. Cute. Not much else going on here. Basically just a set up for the next story. (3/5) Attack of the Flesh-Eating Monsters - This short tale originally appeared in the pages of Dark Horse Presents. It a silly little tale, and the inspiration for the title of this issue. It it is also a premise that has been done so much that it’s almost a cliche. In fact, Dave Gibbons had previous drawn a story with a similar premise, Watchmen. (2/5)

Martha Washington Saves the World - While I was re-reading this, I did not remember much of any of it. But as I got to the end, it did coalesce into some kind of semi recognizable memory. Instead of reading it as individual issues as they were published, I’d probably read it all in one sitting and I probably did it late at night as well. In any case, this was typical Miller/Gibbons stuff. Our protagonist has little agency and is just desperately trying to do whatever it takes to stay alive. And then we get this whole subplot of ancient aliens being responsible for the very existence of humans. Okay. This is all very 2001: A Space Odyssey, Chariots of The Gods, and Jack Kirby’s The Eternals Omnibus. And it’s all rather tedious and uninteresting. It’s also very deus ex machina. So, yeah, clearly I am not really any longer a fan of this series. Which is very sad considering how much I enjoyed this character and series when I was younger. (2/5)

Martha Washington Dies - While is a fitting coda for Martha Washington, it is still very … lacking. It is really nothing more than an epilogue, so the previous arc, Martha Washington Saves the World, becomes the climax, retroactively. And that makes this story a bit of a disappointment. (3/5)

As a bonus to this mammoth edition, there are bunch of pages featuring sketch art, production art, and promotional art. Nice stuff.

[Nate]

One of my favorite Frank Miller books. It collects all the Martha Washington appearances from 1990 to 2007, ordered chronologically with commentary by Dave Gibbons. Martha Washington was born in the Cabrini Green housing projects of Chicago in 1995. We see her join the PAX Peace Force, fight in the Hamburger Wars in Brazil and the second American Civil War. She even goes to space in later stories. This book has a heavy satirical element, but at the center, always, is the amazing character of Martha: determined, resilient, compassionate, and a shining force for good in an increasingly crazy world.

Even though the issues were published irregularly and in different formats (miniseries, one-shots, backup shorts), the story reads terrifically as one package. Gibbons' art is great for the most part, but some of the panels with digital coloring and collage experiments look awkward. That aside, Martha Washington is an excellent read, a true underrated gem.

Re-read 2024: Yeah, I love this book. It's political, philosophical, satirical, dark, action-packed, and often strange. But there’s hope and compassion amid the craziness, plus a good-hearted, brave protagonist you genuinely want to see triumph over it all. Miller's storytelling is unique and almost improvisational. There are loads of ideas here; sometimes it feels like he's tripping over himself to include everything that spills out of his brain. It’s exhilarating to read, especially the first series, Give Me Liberty. Parts of the saga feel like something from 2000 AD (no surprise given that Dave Gibbons draws it), other parts like 90s Image comics. Martha Washington Goes to War is probably my least favorite of the three main series, because of its 90s Image-ness, but it’s still imaginative and fun. Martha Washington Saves the World is my favorite part. I love how the story progresses, and the ending is just perfect (though I would have liked to see some of that space exploration).

[Aguilar Elliot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frank Miller writes a damn good batman, but his attempt at a strong militant black woman just doesn't hit with the same impact. I never got the sense I was reading the words of a female revolutionary freedom fighter. It felt like Miller was writing whatever the hell he wanted to write without really trying to portray a strong black woman's personality. Aside from that the plot has some kinda cool kinda absurd concepts like how a fast food burger company wages war to gain control of America. Ridiculous but fun. Also I like how he includes a Native American alongside a black woman playing critical roles in liberating an America gone berserk. It's interesting seeing those who have been historically oppressed by American policies have a major hand in redeeming it. Overall, I appreciated the creativity, and the inclusiveness, but the character development was way too weak for me to say it was a good story.

[Austin Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite art but I dug the story. Martha Washington is a likable character and there are plenty of ridiculous characters for her to fight in the second american civil war like the Aryan Thrust. She also goes to the fight hamburger fast food companies in the Amazon rainforest. Some silly ideas but written in a serious manner. It was pretty easy to blow through 600 pages of this and I liked having the character's complete 100 year life from 1995 to 2095 put into one book. I dug it.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

some fun art from gibbons, but overall an uneven series. over-written by miller, whose narration is ever-present and unneeded. good, creative plots are alternated with standard sci-fi chopsocky. strangely "clean" too, for a series where millions die ... more blood would've been better. ah well. it's just a poppy trifle that i read to pass the time.

[Alexandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread the Martha Washington’s saga, conceived by the screenwriter Frank Miller and the illustrator Dave Gibbons in 1990, with extensions in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007. I read her first four incarnations as soon as they were published, but the last one remained unknown to me until a few weeks ago. Truth be told, probably for the lack of a systematic reading back in the 1990s, I only had some memory of the original version. So, it looked like I was reading the saga for the first time.

Washington inhabited a dystopian future, highly technological, but extremely degraded socio-politically speaking. Most of her adventures focused on the period 2011-2018. In other words, what was the future in the 1990s ended up becoming an alternative past for the modern reader, with a profusion of breathtaking robots and starships.

Her first incarnation begins with she fighting in the Amazon, in order to save it from large multinationals dedicated to the commercialization of beef, and ends with she fighting the 2nd US Civil War in the early 2010s. The Manichean character of the political plot (who is evil is very, very evil, with no room for any ambiguity) remains very strong. Environmental and public health issues are present, as well as dilemmas related to the clash between the tutelage and the self-determination (enlightened or not, in both cases) of the social body.

The racial issue, of course, is present, but it is not the central axis of the story, unlike, I believe, what would happen if the saga had been written nowadays – indeed, I believe that the very name “Martha Washington” would not be tolerated today. The core remains the overcoming of many challenges by a singular individual, a theme dear to the hero myth (in this case, heroine). I believe it is an important aspect of Miller’s work, since he pointed out, as he had already done in Ronin (1983-84), that there was a wide narrative spectrum to be explored beyond the conventional canons of the comics universe, markedly Caucasian and masculine.

There was the possibility of a “win-win” game, adding the new to the consolidated. It seems to me, however, that a “zero-sum” game prevailed, where innovation comes at the expense of rewriting or deconstructing what was once considered a classic. Well, Martha Washington proves it didn't have to be that way.

[Rolando Marono · Rating 4 out of 5]

El año pasado leí Give me Liberty porque Panini México lo trajo y los nombres de Frank Miller y Dave Gibbons pesaban mucho. Ese año pude ir a la SDCC y al encontrarme con que Gibbons iba a firmar y yo no iba preparado, adquirí ésta edición con la historia completa de Martha Washington. Apenas pude disfrutar esta historia de principio a fin. Lo primero que hay que mencionar es que es una muy buena edición. Cada historia que se incluye tiene una carta de introducción por parte de Dave Gibbons explicando las dificultades, el trabajo con Miller, y lo que esa parte de la historia simbolizaba para ellos. En la parte de atrás tiene muchos sketches y pin ups especiales con otros personajes de Dark Horse.
Este libro tiene las siguientes historias:
-Give me Liberty (Dame libertad).
-The birthday of Martha Washington (El cumpleaños de Martha Washington).
-Martha Washington goes to war (Martha Washington va a la guerra).
-Martha Washington stranded in the space (Martha Washington perdida en el espacio).
-Martha Washington saves the world (Martha Washington salva el mundo).
-Martha Washington death (La muerte de Martha Washington).

La primera historia la considero la mejor de todas. Tiene mucha simbología, plantea un mundo muy interesante donde Estados Unidos está dividido, y las distintas naciones que lo incorporaron se me hicieron muy interesantes. Los trazos de Gibbons resaltan mucho con los colores a mano, de la misma manera y por la misma persona que coloreó Watchmen, por lo cual al menos el primer volumen tiene una estética muy parecida. El resto de los volúmenes están coloreados digitalmente y aunque se ven más modernos, no son tan impactantes como el primero. Es en Give me Liberty en el cual Miller derrocha maestría, incluyendo artículos de revistas para complementar el contexto social del mundo que están construyendo. Aunque es el volumen en el que Martha se siente con menos personalidad. Es un soldado que obedece y hace lo correcto, muy al estilo del capitán américa pero sin tanta personalidad. El final de este volumen se me hizo muy impresionante y bastante fuerte.
En el siguiente volumen The birthday of Martha Washington, es un número corto con historias variadas. Es importante leerlo porque conecta con el siguiente volumen largo, ya que en este podemos ver como las armas y la tecnología de PAX falla y se descompone, lo que es el componente principal de la siguiente historia. La historia de insurrección me gustó muchísimo y creo que es mí momento favorito del personaje. En esta mini historia Martha se encuentra con un súper hombre patriótico e ícono de la armada americana, comparten un momento muy emotivo y tiene que tomar una decisión que nos habla sobre la moral de Martha y hasta donde llega su patriotismo y su obediencia como soldado. Es después de este número que empezamos a ver a Martha mejor construida.
En el tercer volumen y el más lardo de esta colección, Martha retoma los sucesos del primer y segundos volúmenes para tratar de detener la guerra civil que está azotando a estados unidos. Pero mientras ella se vuelve un ejército de una sola mujer, una fuerza especial conocido como los fantasmas, empieza a meterse en su camino. Este volumen está cargado de simbología biblíca, introduciendo referencias muy sutiles a ese libro; esto es algo que veremos también mucho en el quinto volumen. El arte de Gibbons sigue siendo impresionante solo los colores digitales y las texturas digitales no me terminan de agradar. Me parece que este volumen es muy emocionante y podemos conocer más sobre las motivaciones de Martha, la manera en la que toma sus decisiones, cómo decide vivir su amor, y lo que representa Estados Unidos para ella. Es un volumen fuerte porque toca temas sensibles del personaje y en varios momentos la hace tomar decisiones definitivas. El personaje de Venus y muchas de las cosas que suceden en esa comunidad se me hicieron sacadas de las mangas y creo que no lo construyen lo suficiente, de una página para otra ya existe Venus y coordina todo. El desenlace es muy rápido también, sentí que no hubo tiempo para armar bien las consecuencias de la decisión que tomó Martha.
En el cuarto volumen vemos una historia cross over con otro personaje de Miller, Big guy. Y aunque esta historia como tal no se conecta con el resto, introduce elementos que aparecerán en el siguiente volumen y también la conversación que Martha sostiene con Big Guy es importante para entender cuál es el objetivo final de Martha y lo que desearía lograr. La segunda historia que tiene este volumen es muy corta y se conecta perfectamente con el quinto volumen porque el final de esta historia es el principio de Martha Washington salva el mundo. Aunque no tiene mucho sentido que Big guy y Martha se conecten y parece más un capricho por parte de Miller, el autor lo logra conectar impresionantemente con lo que sigue de la historia y eso me pareció sorprendente.
El quinto volumen lo sentí muy apresurado. Es quizá el más ambicioso por los temas que toca pero es el que siento se realizó sin mucho trabajo. Todo sucede muy rápido aquí y el problema es que lo que sucede son cosas muy profundas o con muchas consecuencias y no te dan tiempo para que lo sopeses. El enemigo de este volumen me gustó mucho y me gustó todos los conflictos que introduce en la vida de Martha, aunque la identidad del enemigo era algo que podíamos esperar desde el tercer volumen. Lo que más me gustó de esta parte de la historia es el simbolismo y los temas que toca, el debate sobre el futuro, sobre el origen de la vida, sobre el papel de Dios y la identidad de Dios se me hizo muy interesante y siento que daba para alargarse un poco más sin hacer tediosa la historia. Al final, el status de Martha no me terminó de agradar mucho, siento que aunque las cosas cambiaron más, no hubo consecuencias reales en algunas situaciones que aparecieron en este volumen, para ser más específico, en el aspecto emocional de Martha.
El último volumen me decepcionó porque aunque la carta de Gibbons decía que Miller logró atar todos los nudos y le dio un hermoso final a Martha, creo que después del final del volumen anterior, había muchas preguntas y muchas situaciones dignas de explorar que en este volumen son simplemente ignoradas o pasadas muy a la ligera. La cronología también es un poco confusa. Eso si, el momento exacto de la muerte de Martha y sus últimas palabras se me hicieron maravillosas. Creo que el momento en el que se encuentra y la situación que se está desarrollando es muy simbólica para el personaje que Miller y Gibbons fueron construyendo con mucho detalle y de manera lenta y bien pensada a través de estos 6 volúmenes y casi 600 páginas.
En conclusión esta historia en general tiene una calificación de 4 estrellas. Lo que más me duele es que los distintos países de Estados Unidos que nos muestran en el primer volumen, se quedaron sin explorar y los que más llamativos suenan, se quedan como una mera mención dentro de la historia. Creo que Gibbons y Miller llevaron esta historia a lugares a los que no imaginaba que llegaría como lo es el espacio, y los lugares que pensé que nos mostrarían, se quedarán sólo en el recuerdo. De cualquier manera esta historia me sorprendió mucho y no entiendo como algunas otras historias de Miller son mucho más populares que esta y la historia de Martha, en algunos momentos, es incluso mejor que Sin City, Ronin y The Dark Knight Strikes Again, obviamente.

[Dave Maddock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm done with the first two large story arcs and several interspersed one-offs (about 2/3rds through). For reasons I can't yet articulate, Frank Miller's writing leaves me hot & cold (generally speaking, not just in Martha) which is surprising because I tend to agree with his not-so-subtle politics. He borrows heavily from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, particularly in the 2nd storyline, Martha Washington Goes to War.

Gibbons' art is great and exhibits the subtle attention to detail that blew my mind in Watchmen. However, I think Alan Moore's writing gave Gibbons a lot more to work with in that department. In this collection, Gibbons also has commentary between stories which is interesting.

Which brings me to the book itself. It weighs a freakin' ton, but it is bound really well such that I'm 400+ pages in and still none of the art is lost in the fold nor have I creased the binding. The $30 price tag is high, but you get a lot for the money. I don't regret paying full price, but this one is the perfect target for the regular Borders 30% off coupon emails.

[sweet pea · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is epic. and amazing. i wish to hell there were more bad-ass black womyn in comix. there is a lot to digest here, a multitude of missions and a long career. but there are many absurd plotlines to add levity. my Graphic Novel Book Club has been after me to read superhero comics. i wanna make them read this one.

[Thomas Mcmillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I think of comix - this is it. Frank Miller (Dark Knight) and Dave Gibbons ((Watchmen) combine to tell the tale of near-future (now recent past) USA. Dark, funny and filled with action - a tour de force. Also bat-house crazy in Millers love of Ayn Rand. Martha Washington is in the pantheon of superheroes.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always been a fan of Martha, and though it stretches credibility (how many times can things explode next to her without dying). It's always been a fun read. But the books don't stay as good as they go along. Wish they did, but at times it just felt Frank was trying to be done. That he'd gotten bored with the whole thing.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best graphic novel that Frank Miller has written and the artwork by Gibbons is detailed and vibrant. The character of Martha Washington is bold, brave and noble as she travels through a world of nightmares and horrors.

[Rujeko · Rating 5 out of 5]

martha washington is the dystopian future comic book heroine octavia butler would have created, if she had written comic books, and if her own heroines battling dystopian futures were a little less unbeatable than they are. that being said, frank miller did good.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely not Miller's best, but I enjoyed the book well enough. I've been wanting to read Martha for ages. Maybe it was that anticipation that had me expecting too much. I don't know. But there was something about Martha's character that felt somehow--I don't know--less, maybe.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first series, "Give Me Liberty", is the best, but that's to be expected. The rest is sort of okay, with some ill-advised digital color/image experiments marring the otherwise handsome artwork.

[Thilani Samarasinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as dark as most of his other work, which was perhaps why I didn't enjoy it as much but still a pretty good read. Loved the last issue in the series.

[Variaciones Enrojo]

Cofre con todo Martha Washington en edición española.

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens if you take the american sessession war and mix with some starship trooper esque patriotism? Gigantic, tremendous, bloated and troubling. An epic.