Maybe this wasn’t the best time to read a book of political cartoons. The cover art is based off a cartoon that has taken off as a meme. The collection is well put together with thoughts about the art underneath some bout not all the panels. But reading it in more small doses was just a steady stream of too much negativity. This is better to be read in small chunks.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
( )

We Should Improve Society Somewhat: A collection of Comics by Matt Bors is a collection of his comics that stretch from the latter part of Obama's term through Trump's debacle of a term.

First, good political satire isn't supposed to be generating belly laughs. The only kind that can do so is usually the weakest form, namely the insult. The ones currently just making fun of Trump without making any reference to anything elicits laughs from some of those who are smart enough to despise Trump, but it makes no actual statement about what is wrong beyond having an imbecile in the White House. Bors points out hypocrisy and/or contradictions within stances within a group. He also is coming from a particular position, not from a particular party. He criticized Obama for his mistakes and miscues just as he does for Trump. It isn't Bors' fault Trump has as many moronic moments in a normal week as Obama (and his entire administration) had in 8 years. So a critique because the book isn't funny enough means that the person either supports Trump's cruel regime or they like a very base level of political satire, or both.

To say it is dated is a way of saying I am a privileged little twit and I don't want to keep rehashing that a moron in office expands my already too large sense of entitlement. This stuff is still going on in mid-2020, so this isn't dated, it is pointing out from comics just a couple years old that Trump is still fooling the people and destroying the country. Oh, but it is too dated or doesn't make you laugh enough. I see. Take your hood off.

For those who appreciate political satire that makes a statement beyond simply choosing a side, you may enjoy this collection. This is not meant to be a collection of new material that speaks to today specifically, but that goes without saying, especially in these times of new unethical and illegal actions daily from the White House. This is a collection that highlights some of Bors' recent comics. He contextualizes many of them by mentioning what event he is responding to or what right wing hypocrisy he is emphasizing.

I highly recommend this collection unless you prefer more base humor or you are anti-democracy (as in, you support Trumpenfuehrer).

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )