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mogojojo1013's review
4.0
This is pretty intense, with a lot of violence, swearing, and sex scenes. However, it was very good and super poignant. It takes place in a not too distant future, where illegal immigrants are all hunted down and forced out of the country. California declares itself a sanctuary state, and declares itself separate from the United States. This creates anarchy and chaos within California between those that still consider themselves part of the United States, and those that side with the rebellion. California fractures into different militant groups and drugs, prostitution, and violence are commonplace.
ryan_oneil's review
4.0
This was an enjoyable start to the story. It does start at what might be considered the middle of the story though, since California has already seceded and Homeland Security is already well into conducting operations to bring the state back to the fold. I would've been interested in the start of the story -- hopefully we'll see that play out at some point instead of just getting the expositionally version of what happened.
The easy comparison to make is to Brian Wood's amazing DMZ series, which is set about 15 years ago and in New York City (I can't recommend the series enough, by the way). But, I think DMZ and Calexit are both of their time. I don't think DMZ could be written now and be the same and Calexit obviously couldn't have been written 15 years ago and have been the same. Calexit is very much a book of the now. It reflects a lot of the debates occurring currently but especially immigration.
The easy comparison to make is to Brian Wood's amazing DMZ series, which is set about 15 years ago and in New York City (I can't recommend the series enough, by the way). But, I think DMZ and Calexit are both of their time. I don't think DMZ could be written now and be the same and Calexit obviously couldn't have been written 15 years ago and have been the same. Calexit is very much a book of the now. It reflects a lot of the debates occurring currently but especially immigration.
amber_lea84's review
2.0
I picked this up based on the cover alone.
I was expecting something hilariously bad, but it's mostly just regular bad. This feels like an opener for a series that never happened. There was potential here, but it's got that painful feel of being written by people who don't really get it as well as they think they get it. Like it feels silly but it's clearly taking itself seriously. (And again, it's not so bad it's good, it's more just boring and uncomfortable.)
Also reading a book about occupied California at this exact moment in time feels like it's in poor taste. Obviously the timing isn't the fault of the creators because this is 5 years old, but I have a thing about fiction that takes dark real world things and places them in present day California. (Looking at you, Internment.) I think the message is like, "What if this happened here? Let's think about that for a second" but it comes across as LARPing as oppressed. Like, "Man, imagine being a badass resistance fighter in this alternate history/potential future scenario." And it's like please don't. Like if that's the story you want to write, make it MORE fictional. This occupies this space of "too real but not real enough" and it just feels disrespectful to people really going through it.
I also wish there wasn't a character who looks exactly like Steve Bannon walking around with his robe open. I was not digging the characters who were obviously based on real people but who were different enough to make it confusing.
I was expecting something hilariously bad, but it's mostly just regular bad. This feels like an opener for a series that never happened. There was potential here, but it's got that painful feel of being written by people who don't really get it as well as they think they get it. Like it feels silly but it's clearly taking itself seriously. (And again, it's not so bad it's good, it's more just boring and uncomfortable.)
Also reading a book about occupied California at this exact moment in time feels like it's in poor taste. Obviously the timing isn't the fault of the creators because this is 5 years old, but I have a thing about fiction that takes dark real world things and places them in present day California. (Looking at you, Internment.) I think the message is like, "What if this happened here? Let's think about that for a second" but it comes across as LARPing as oppressed. Like, "Man, imagine being a badass resistance fighter in this alternate history/potential future scenario." And it's like please don't. Like if that's the story you want to write, make it MORE fictional. This occupies this space of "too real but not real enough" and it just feels disrespectful to people really going through it.
I also wish there wasn't a character who looks exactly like Steve Bannon walking around with his robe open. I was not digging the characters who were obviously based on real people but who were different enough to make it confusing.
jcschildbach's review
4.0
I really liked the comics portion of this book. There are a number of interviews at the end of the book that are intriguing enough, but largely very similar stories about why different people got into politics...nothing wrong with that, just not a lot that was really 'grabbing' me. Anyway...the story here involves California seceding from the United States as a 'sanctuary state' after a Trump-like president decides to deport all immigrants. The main 'freedom fighter' is Zora, who was adopted from out-of-country, but is still supposed to be deported under the new directive. Jamil, a 'non-political' character, gets caught up in Zora's world, perhaps deliberately because of the machinations of some of the government figures, or perhaps just by chance encounters with the government figures. There's some great writing and artwork here. And I can't wait to see where this goes. Check it out.
crookedtreehouse's review
4.0
In times of political crisis, there are people who revel in speculative fiction and essays based on the current reality, and those who prefer to avoid political reality when reading. I am of the latter group. I have had many anti-Trump "satire" comics and books pass, briefly, before my rolling eyes, but they've all been cheap, easy potshots about the stupidity and ego of the current president, his regime, and his followers. This is different.
A story about California after a very Trumplike president takes power. There are no jokes about Californians or small hands or Twitter. This is the story of how a rebellion survives in a xenophobic American west. The major characters are a powerful rebellion leader, someone The President has tasked with subduing the California rebellion, and a delivery driver trying to remain neutral to keep up his business.
I recommend this to fans of DMZ, and people who prefer their political satire more accurate than funny.
A story about California after a very Trumplike president takes power. There are no jokes about Californians or small hands or Twitter. This is the story of how a rebellion survives in a xenophobic American west. The major characters are a powerful rebellion leader, someone The President has tasked with subduing the California rebellion, and a delivery driver trying to remain neutral to keep up his business.
I recommend this to fans of DMZ, and people who prefer their political satire more accurate than funny.
snchard's review
3.0
Reads like a prologue. Very dense material. The art is great, the story is unsettling in that too-close-to-home way. It will be interesting to read this a few years in the future when the context of the world has changed and we either narrowly avoided the future set out here or walked right into it.
theverbalthing's review
5.0
I picked this book up on a whim at my LCS because the title, the cover art, and the concept intrigued me, especially as someone born and raised in California now living on the opposite coast... I think I need to re-read before I can fully articulate my thoughts for a review, but damn. Damn. Read this.
stormslegacy's review
2.0
Calexit is one of those books that has incredibly great potential. It's got a strong and well-thought out world and premise, I love the back of the book where they break down the factions, the symbols etc. I want to believe it gets better which is why I gave it three stars.
But the story itself has so much misogyny it reeks. All of the background done aside...tthe presumably strong female character comes off as the straw-man “social justice warrior” that kills out of principal without any though whatsoever as to consequences.
I nursed a child, I love seeing breastfeeding in a comic but the circumstances in this one was exploitative and unnecessary. It was cheap and made zero sense even in context except as shorthand for how evil the big bad is or how dark the world is.
I feel the comic is riddled with caricatures and I feel it comes at the expense of genuine characters.
But the story itself has so much misogyny it reeks. All of the background done aside...tthe presumably strong female character comes off as the straw-man “social justice warrior” that kills out of principal without any though whatsoever as to consequences.
I nursed a child, I love seeing breastfeeding in a comic but the circumstances in this one was exploitative and unnecessary. It was cheap and made zero sense even in context except as shorthand for how evil the big bad is or how dark the world is.
I feel the comic is riddled with caricatures and I feel it comes at the expense of genuine characters.