The Sons of Liberty (Sons of Liberty Series #1)

by Alexander Lagos, Joseph Lagos, Steve Walker (Illustrator), Oren Kramek (Illustrator)

Overview

Forget everything you thought you knew about America's early days-history packs a punch in this full-color, two-fisted, edge-of-your-seat adventure!

 

Graphic novels are a revolution in literature, and The Sons of Liberty is a graphic novel like no other. Visual and visceral, fusing historical fiction and superhero action, this is a tale with broad appeal-for younger readers who enjoy an exciting war story, for teenagers asking hard questions about American history, for adult fans of comic books, for anyone seeking stories of African American interest, and for reluctant readers young and old.

 

In Colonial America, Graham and Brody are slaves on the run-until they gain extraordinary powers. At first they keep a low profile. But their mentor has another idea-one that involves the African martial art dambe . . . and masks.

 

With its vile villains, electrifying action, and riveting suspense, The Sons of Liberty casts new light on the faces and events of pre-Revolution America, including Ben Franklin and the French and Indian War. American history has rarely been this compelling-and it's never looked this good.

 
For more information and exclusive content, visit www.thesonsoflibertybook.com

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780449812662
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	06/27/2012
Series:	Sons of Liberty Series , #1
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	1,022,887
File size:	65 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Alexander Lagos is the coauthor (with his brother Joseph) of the graphic novel series The Sons of Liberty. Married with children, he works as a woodcarver in Houston, Texas.

Joseph Lagos is the coauthor (with his brother Alexander) of the graphic novel series The Sons of Liberty. Married with children, he works as a woodcarver in Houston, Texas.

Steve Walker is a freelance comics artist who teaches sequential art at the Art Students League in Manhattan. He attends several comic conventions a year, where he sells commissioned drawings of superheroes. Walker is one of the illustrators of the graphic novel series The Sons of Liberty. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Oren Kramek is a freelance graphic artist and one of the illustrators of the graphic novel series The Sons of Liberty. He was born in Israel and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

Colonial America in the wake of the Revolution is completely reimagined in this action-filled and sometimes violent graphic novel, which uses history as a backdrop for a fantastic superhero adventure. Slaves Brody and Graham flee their plantation, later meeting up with the likes of historical figures Benjamin Franklin and abolitionist Benjamin Lay. Brody and Graham develop what seem to be supernatural fighting powers and learn about an African form of combat called dambe from Lay. As seen on the cover, they appear almost like gruff superheroes of the 18th century, unafraid of all the bayonets pointing at them. Anyone wanting a real account of history would find little from reading this, but more lenient readers should appreciate the fast pace and creativity. The art is often exaggerated, with some characters shown with pointed nails, and light cast on faces to make them look somewhat evil. Real violence is shown in a few instances, such as when a man has part of his scalp torn away by a Hessian. Definitely aimed at older elementary school students and up. Ages 10-up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

While historical fantasy mashups with zombies and vampires have recently dominated comics playlists, this series builds a compelling, socially relevant swashbuckler out of other material. In pre-Revolutionary America, runaway slaves Graham and Brody head north toward abolitionist Benjamin Lay but get pressed into service as lab rats for the electrical experiments of Benjamin Franklin's wild-eyed son, William. Somehow they end up with superpowers instead of epitaphs, willing and able to ruin their former slave master and support the colonists' rebellion against the British. There's something terribly satisfying in seeing slaves turn on their oppressors with such zest and scare the britches off the Redcoats in the process. George Washington's ownership of slaves has not been widely publicized until recently, and this story expands knowledge of how long slavery persisted in North America before the Civil War. VERDICT A YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens, The Sons of Liberty has wide audience potential and will appeal to many fantasy/superhero fans across ages. The glowing painted art is well designed and suits the story. An online educator's guide explains the historical context. Volume 2 comes in July.—M.C.

Library Journal

Gr 5 Up—Colonial America isn't your usual locale for superheroes, but such is the case here. Graham and Brody are runaway slaves, fleeing a cruel master and his slave hunter. Before they left, they were instructed to find the abolitionist Benjamin Lay, but first they encounter none other than Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately, his son, William, has been using his father's discoveries in electricity to play Dr. Frankenstein and subjects the two boys to electrical experiments. After they recover, they find out that they have gained an inexplicable and ill-defined set of superpowers. Under the tutelage of the Yodalike Benjamin Lay, the boys learn about their heritage, their abilities, and the African martial art dambe, of which Lay is a master. While this unique story certainly has possibilities, its flaws far outweigh its successes. Not only does the plot verge on the nonsensical, but it also meanders, changing direction and tone, and characters come and go without resolution. The colorful computer-aided artwork is at times dramatic, but it is also often clumsy and lacking any real emotional import. Other problems include the font chosen for Benjamin Franklin's writing, which is illegible at times. Poor execution makes this a secondary purchase at best.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

In this distinctly different take on the American Revolution, electrical experiments by Ben Franklin's crazed son turn two young runaway slaves into human batteries capable for brief periods of amazing feats of speed, strength and intellect. Fortunately Graham and Brody come under the tutelage of (historical) abolitionist Quaker Benjamin Lay, whose misshapen body hides not only a fiery dedication to doing good but (not so historical) superb skill in Dambe, an African martial art. Having absorbed both the morals and the fighting techniques, along with a quick education, the boys hie off to Philadelphia to build new lives-packing cool masks that show off the way their eyes glow when they rev up for action. They go on to successfully take on a brutal slave hunter and his pack of ravening trained dogs, but when Lay is murdered an aborted attempt at revenge leaves them sad and confused. How will they fare against Franklin's son and other enemies? Stay tuned. Printed on coated paper and framed in solid black, the deeply shadowed graphic panels explode with melodrama (and, occasionally, blood) from start to finish. Not a source of accurate history, but it's hard to put down. (Graphic historical fantasy. 12-14)

Kirkus Reviews