Review: We Stand On Guard

We Stand On Guard by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just imagine a war between America and Canada. Go ahead.

This book is not how that just played out in your head. Sure, the brutality is probably there. This book is much more than that though. Brian K. Vaughan does a nice job crafting the characters and placing them in this future setting. I think he creates interesting backstories for the characters and gives them a reason to fight beyond fighting for fighting's sake. Something I always like about Vaughan's characters is that they act like real people even in the face of fantastic events, which holds true for this book as well. Are they particularly likeable? No and that's okay.

To top it off, the art is amazing. There were multiple moments where I had to stop and just take in what was being shown. Whether it comes from the beauty of the Canadian wilderness, death and destruction, or the implacable American war machine. All of this comes together to create a world that is at once familiar and horrifyingly violent. Don't take this book lightly.

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