The first time I watched Amistad was the very first time I ever saw a slave uprising on film. I’m pretty sure it had been portrayed on television and even on film, prior to Steven Spielberg’s epic movie, but I had never seen one. Many movies shied away from even showing the middle passage, except for Roots, but before then and since then, it rarely has been shown. It’s hard to swallow that humans were ever treated this way, as slavery itself is the act of treating other human beings as property.

The movie showed how a slave rose to defeat his enslavers and fight in a court of law for his right to freedom. It was astounding how this piece of history was scarcely told since it involved a former American president. Insurgence by the oppressed are rarely revisited in fear of inspiration. In the debut issue of Rise: Genesis, the creators seek to show how those enslaved, sometimes will find a way to surge against those who seek to keep them downtrodden.

We’re taken to 1619, where a ship carrying slaves, is caught in a storm which unlatches a few of the cages on board, giving a few of the captives a chance to free themselves. This leads to an uprising on the boat and a battle between crew and slaves. A battle for the survival of each in different ways.

Overall, an excellent debut issue that explores how violence begets violence especially when it comes to human slavery. The story by Steven Cachia is engrossing and emotive. The art by Trevor Richardson is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that reminds readers that loss motivates us in the bleakest of moments.

Story: Steven Cachia Art: Trevor Richardson
Story: 9.7 Art: 9.6 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy