YOUNG TERRORISTS

A radical underground group fights against tyranny in this graphic novel set in the near future.

After a wealthy white businessman is killed in a suicide bombing, his high school daughter, Sera Solomon, is framed as a terrorist; his son’s whereabouts are unknown. Sera is taken to a black site and tortured for information that she doesn’t have—but she’s no helpless victim, having spent a lifetime being physically and mentally toughened up (some would say abused) by her father. Scarred but unbroken from guard-run fight clubs, Sera escapes two years later. The story turns to Cesar, a young man on the run whose parents are illegal immigrants from Guatemala. He’s dedicated himself to the cause of animal liberation by any means necessary but often finds himself beaten, hungry, and naked. Baby, an intimidating black man, appears and muscles Cesar to Detroit, where Sera and her crew, an exotic bunch with big plans, have a secret base. Confused and appalled but low on options, Cesar agrees to join them, especially when he gets a chance to rescue animals from a factory farm. But the real mission turns out to be far bloodier, more shocking, and more complicated than that. Additional material includes Sera’s backstory, an interview with the author, and an image gallery of characters and alternative covers. Pizzolo (Calexit #2, 2018, etc.) delivers a high-octane mix of anger, violence, gore, sex, and rebellion, with a sprinkling of humor, snappy dialogue, and human connection. Cesar, for example, trying to hide out with clothes stolen from a trucker, is discovered and chased: “I’m literally the worst at going underground,” he moans. Ironic commentary is provided by Christopher Johanssen, an Alex Jones–like character whose Infocide online broadcast offers paranoia, his patented survival kit, and, sometimes, the truth. Nahuelpan’s (Calexit #2, 2018, etc.) illustrations depict action and characters boldly, with exciting cinematic scenes and wordless panels. But under the scar tissue and punk haircuts, Cesar, Sera, and her band possess perfect bodies (the women with large, gravity-defying breasts), which seem awfully conventional for terrorists and rebels.

A well-done terrorist tale for those with a taste for in-your-face, rage-fueled, vicious carnage.