Steve Skroce‘s last project begins with Post Americana #1 taking us to a place called the Bubble and it’s a hulking installation built into a Colorado mountain, housing many of the 1%. One of them is to be the new leader of the United States but others have some different ideas. After bombing the inauguration, an escape happens, though short-lived, as they crash into the wastelands, the housing of various raiders and cannibals.

Post Americana #1 is a beautiful book to look at. I’ve been a fan of Steve Skroce for quite some time and really dug the last couple of projects he worked on, like Maestros and We Stand On Guard. Like Maestros, Skroce put in double time on this, doing both the writing and art. Skroce is at the top of his game, delivering page-after-page of highly-detailed artwork. His style is just about my favorite thing to look at.

Dave Stewart definitely adds another level of awesomeness with his colors. They go together well. It helps sell the image of a blade going through someone’s head or various mutated wasteland folks.  And besides the art, Skroce is a pretty good storyteller. If I had to nitpick, I’d say the dialogue is the weakest part of Post Americana #1.

A comic book like Post Americana #1 might draw readers in with its art but it is a pretty good story with an adequate balance of action and humor. If you read Skroce’s previous Image Comics book Maestros, you’ll like this as much, too.

Story: Steve Skroce Art: Steve Skroce Colors: Dave Stewart
Story: 7.0 Art: 10 Overall: 8.5

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics

Post Americana #1 is a new entry in the apocalyptic post-America genre that feels like it’s in vogue right now. Steve Skroce does double duty in a debut issue that left me cheering for the bad guy.

In this world a disaster strikes forcing America’s leaders and their rich supporters to head to an underground bunker. But, the elected officials and heads of the government didn’t make it leaving just the rich to run the show. Now, years later, one person has come forward with a vision of re-uniting the United States.

Skroce delivers an interesting idea and concept. The idea of the rich taking over the nation completely and using it to rebuild in their vision is an interesting one. Unfortunately, what’s presented to start has be cheering them on.

After a daring escape from the bunker by those opposing the current leadership, we’re slowly introduced to what’s outside. What exists is a weird combination of Mad Max and other horrors, not exactly anyone you’d sympathize with. Beyond murder chickens there’s murdering rapists and murdering cannibals. We’re not presented with anyone we should be cheering to take on a stand. What’s hinted at beyond the initial two groups doesn’t sound much better since both seem to kneel to an unknown warlord. Everyone seems to be a bad guy and maybe that’s a point. There’s just a whole lot of bad directions and possibilities.

Skroce’s art is entertaining to look at and there’s a lot of creativity to the world. The style is very unique and stands out along with Dave Stewart‘s colors that make it all pop. There’s a lot of thought to the history of the world. Every character presented tells a story by themselves. It also opens up a lot of questions too as a society with such wonders has fallen into disarray and apparently, no one has used the technology to do much since.

Post Americana #1 delivers a good amount of action and some interesting concepts but as a whole has presented a lot of bad guys and no one to cheer on. Why wouldn’t I want a government to restore order when cannibals are running about? Where is the part of society that’s functioning and I’m supposed to care about? None of it is presented and none of it is really hinted at. For once, I’m hoping the 1% wins.

Story: Steve Skroce Art: Steve Skroce
Color: Dave Stewart Letterer: Fonografiks
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.95 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics