Very generic crime comic. It might be interesting to see how AMC punches it up for television. ( )

The first volume of a series of graphic novels about internecine warfare between members of a right wing separatist cult promises that things are going to get rockier in Briggs Land before they get better. With Big Jim Briggs, the patriarch and iron-fisted ruler of the family, serving a life term in prison, his wife Grace moves to take control of the family and its assorted businesses. This immediately sets of a series of violent encounters as compound members maneuver to seize, maintain, of regain control of the multi-million dollar organization. Add to the mix a rogue federal agent with a mysterious agenda of his own and you have a series that could be a real humdinger.

My only concerns are that there are few, if any likable characters. The same can be said about The Sopranos, though, so that is not always a deal-breaker. One unpleasant aspect of the story is that it includes the murder of a dog. I don't fully understand this but many people, myself included, will will be more repulsed by the abuse or killing of a fictional animal more unacceptable than by the abuse or killing of fictional humans.

Bottom Line: While it is unclear whether or not the series will deliver all that it promises, text author Brian Wood is no stranger to plots involving separatist militias, having written the popular DMZ series. With that thought in mind, I am definitely looking forward to reading future volumes.

*The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire. ( )