Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Book Review: Prez vol #1


Book: Prez volume #1: Corndog-in-Chief (issues #1-6) by Mark Russell

Illustrations by Ben Caldwell (#1-3 and #5-6) and Dominike Stanton (#4)
Ink by Mark Morales (#1-6) with Sean Parsons (#2 and #4)
Color by Jeremy Lawson
Letters by Travis Lanham (#1-3 and #5-6) and Marilyn Patrizio (#4)

Edition: Single Print Issues

Description:

America’s first teenaged president is on the job in this contemporary twist on a DC classic!

Oregon teen Beth Ross has just been elected President of the United States of America. Age restrictions were abolished when corporations gained the right to run for office and voting booths have been replaced by Twitter, making just about anyone eligible for the nation’s top job, including the viral-video-famous Corndog Girl!

Now the eyes of the nation are on Beth. But in a world so out of control that the poor are willing to shoot themselves on TV for a chance at a better life, will even the new president have the power needed to overthrow the nation’s true leaders—Boss Smiley and his corporate shadow government?



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

These six issues of Prez were a joy to read, it's brilliant and has a great story. Unfortunately the miniseries was supposed to have 12 issues but was cut short when it was cancelled.

Set in 2039, the future although more technically advanced doesn't seem to have gotten any better. As the old saying goes, the more things change the more they stay the same. With another presidential election underway unsuspecting 19 year old Beth Ross found herself thrown into the race. She had no idea she was even a candidate. With several slimy politicians working in the background trying to get the other candidates elected, Beth was seen as a nonissue.

She was dealing with more pressing issues anyway with her father in the hospital stricken with a case of the cat flu. Yes, don't laugh, the cat flu is a seriously deadly condition that was plaguing the country. Sadly she lost her father but in a not so unexpected twist, she won the election which quickly threw her life into a tailspin.

Beth was not supposed to win and one politician in particular seemed to be making it his job to undermine if not try his best to get rid of her. She may not have had any political experience but Beth is bright and smart but most importantly she's kind and compassionate. She looks at the issues in a different way which doesn't always sit with the career politicians especially since she can not be bribed. Her prior job may have been in fast food but someone's job doesn't dictate their intelligence nor their ability to take on a task. 

This was smart, funny and thought-provoking, can you imagine suddenly becoming President without even going out for the job. All that responsibility immediately placed upon you but Beth did a great job handling it. Beth Ross is a great character and a great President, she's quick-witted and totally cool.

It's hard to understand why some books get cancelled because I would have loved to read more Prez, it was a fun read.

No comments: