It’s hard to look at landmark comic book titles from the past decade without running into something from writer Brian Wood.
Whether you get caught up in the war-torn and politically charged world of DMZ, the sword-and-shield take on Norse culture in Northlanders or the post-apocalyptic epic of The Massive, Wood’s work has always been intensely personal — yet easily accessible for any reader willing to go outside of their comfort zone.
That trend continues with his latest book from Dark Horse, titled Rebels — a historical fiction that takes place in 1775, during the early days of the Revolutionary War.
As seen through the eyes of a young rebel named Seth Abbott, along with his wife Mercy, Rebels approaches a history that we’re all familiar with, while showcasing themes that are still applicable in today’s climate.
We spoke to Wood about his inspiration behind Rebels, and what he wants readers to walk away with when it’s all said and done.
Tech Times: You've taken on historical fiction before in Northlanders, so what inspired you to focus on a Revolutionary War setting in Rebels?
Brian Wood: Put simply, whatever topic I was going to take on needed to be something that I could connect with emotionally, and communicate that passion to the reader.
With Northlanders, it was themes that were personal, themes about family and hardship and certain types of landscapes and places in the world.
With Rebels, its more direct and on the surface: I was born and raised in Vermont, the heroes of the Revolutionary War were local heroes, as were the forts, the battle markers, and even the names of streets and schools reflected it. I already had a decent base of knowledge, and doing research on this would be a pleasure.
I also think there is a lot of mass appeal to this history — it's not just the local stuff I grew up on, it's all of our history, our shared mythology. It's never that far out of the pop culture spotlight.
The Revolutionary War is obviously something that every kid in America grows up learning about. Was there a challenge in taking such dense subject matter and making it work as a comic book?
I wouldn't call it a challenge, in the sense that it's something that needs to be decoded or translated. I'm writing Rebels pretty straight — this stuff is already great drama. If there's any trick, it's deciding what angle to take on the material, and how to present it.
Rebels takes an off-the-beaten-path approach, favoring more obscure histories and not bothering with the same stories, people, battles that we all already know about. I also consciously made the decision to tell this as a sort of "PG-13" thing, so it can be placed in school libraries and perhaps even be used in classrooms.
You live in New York, where so much of the war actually took place. Did you visit any iconic locations or landmarks in preparation for your writing?
One of the playgrounds in my neighborhood where I take my kids has The Old Stone House, a recreated farmhouse museum that was central in the Battle Of Brooklyn. If I walk a few blocks in the other direction, there's Green-Wood Cemetery. By the river is the location where Washington evacuated Long Island when retreating from the British. And so on, there are dozens of examples. Just like when I was a kid, I can find reminders all around me.
I did take one deliberate trip, to Washington's HQ in Valley Forge, which was pretty cool.
In books like The Massive and DMZ, you've been very open and honest with where you fall on the political spectrum. How did your own views inform your writing on Rebels? In an essay in the back of Rebels #2, you wrote about how you're a patriot at heart. While that term has taken on a negative connotation in recent years, how important is it to you to show people what being a patriot actually means?
Nothing's really changed, and as politically charged as those past books were, they don't really hold a candle to Rebels in terms of themes of the day. My approach with Rebels, though, has been to be as honest and open as possible and write it as straight as possible, rather that skew things to support a certain message or point of view. I mean, we get that every single day from politicians and pundits who try and use this history to make you buy whatever they're selling. I wanted Rebels to stand as a contrast to all that.
The Revolutionary War is filled with strong females that have been lost to history. How will the role of females during the time play into Rebels?
In so many varied ways, it's hard to answer that simply. But you can sort of see how, in these first couple Rebels [issues], Mercy Abbott's story and her POV is featured, and that's just the start. Even once we move past the Seth and Mercy story, we'll get short stories about Molly Pitcher and others, including Jane Franklin, sister to the famous Ben.
What is the one thing you want readers to take away from Rebels?
To go back to that earlier point, I want this history to be told with a passion and respect that has nothing to do with the cynical politics of the day. I'll tell these stories, the good parts and the bad, because I personally care about it the way I do. I know the rest of the creative team – Andrea Mutti, Jordie Bellaire, and Tula Lotay – feel the same.
Rebels #3 is on sale June 10.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
