The Loxleys and the War of 1812 (Tpb)
Publisher: Renegade Arts Entertainment
Writer: Alan Grant
Artist: Claude St. Aubin
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
When you see a cover that grabs your attention, you have to read it. When you finish you decide whether it was worth it or not, or you can be blown away at what you’ve read. If you love history and stories based off of it, then you’ll love this book. It depicts the war of 1812 through the perspective of one family, the Loxleys. The pain and the agony of missing family that you love while they’re away at war. The cruelty of the American forces as they pillage the small towns on their way to Canada. The peaceful nature of the families that turns quickly to one of national pride, and also that of a protective parent. Some will lose limbs, and some their lives, but rest assured, when it’s all over, the name Loxley will be remembered by many!
Alright, let me start off by saying that this book was really cool! Even if you’re not a history buff you’ll find this book very engaging. The meat of the story involves a young Canadian boy who is befriended by a native American boy, and the two become best friends over some time. That fills quite a bit of story, but also the family’s struggle to survive while the men are gone off to war. The book presented an angle about that struggle that I’ve never really thought about before personally. Much of war is typically about the soldiers and not the people they leave behind, and the problems that arise for them. The story itself is around one hundred and eleven pages long, and after that, there’s a historical summary by Mark Zuehlke. That summary goes way more in depth about these famous battles, such as Tippecanoe.
From an artistic standpoint, this book is nothing short of marvelous. From gritty battle scenes, to heartfelt moments between the Loxley family, there’s a very broad range of work. The best scenes were definitely the battle scenes, though. The weapons, the forests, even something as simple as a river looked outstanding and very realistic. The Native Americans were spot on with their rugged but caring faces. They have the look of predator and prey at the same time. The colors and letters were very good, too, with a brightness (but not too bright) and really down to Earth style.
With a price tag of $20, you can’t go wrong with this book. It’s a hardcover with a ton of extras in it, like some great sketches in the back, the historical summary, and so on. Check out the Renegade Arts Entertainment site by clicking here! This book is on the shelves now, so give it a try! Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
