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This graphic novel tells the story of two slaves who have run away from their ruthless slave master. They come across Benjamin Franklin’s servant who offers to help them. While waiting for help, the boys cross paths with Dr. William Franklin—Benjamin Franklin’s son and a sadistic scientist who experiments on animals.
When Benjamin Franklin hears about the boys from his servant, he searches for the boys, only to discover that they have been left for dead. When Franklin sees the marks on the boys’ bodies, he realizes that his son has been experimenting on them—experiments which have given the boys some unusual powers.
Benjamin Lay, a reformed slave owner and now social outcast, becomes the boys’ mentor and teaches them how to harness their powers and trains them in an ancient African hand-to-hand combat called Dambe. With these powers, the boys set out to right wrongs—but will people understand what they are trying to do or continue to think they are demons?
The story is set in the 1700s and involves historical characters and events such as Benjamin Franklin and slavery; however, it is by no means a graphic novel depicting historical events. The plot is imaginative and enticing, and the protagonists—slaves turned superheroes—are engrossing and well-developed characters, revealing psychological and emotional vulnerabilities in addition to physical and emotional strengths. The irony of being mistreated as slaves but also misunderstood as they attempt to fight social injustice is also very compelling.
The darkness of the story is well conveyed with an often purple and black palette of colors, and the images are evocative and high impact. Though there are some spots where the font is harder to decipher than others (for example, the notes made in Dr. Franklin’s scientific experiment notebooks), the text is well incorporated into the images so that additional information about setting and the position of the dialogue bubbles are easy to follow. The drama and the fast pace of the story are effectively maintained, leaving you wanting more at the cliffhanger ending.
The Sons of Liberty loosely borrows historical themes and figures to create a hard-hitting story that exposes slavery, the power of redemption and justice. Due to violent images and gripping content, recommended for teens ages 14 years and up.
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The Sons of Liberty: Book 1