Briggs Land Volume 1: State of Grace

My politics and those of the author probably differs quite a bit. That being said, Brian Wood is a hell of a writer. If you put personal politics aside, this is a story about a woman fighting an uphill battle for herself and possibly her family (although some members of the family stand in the way of that.) If you think there are no redeeming values in Grace, regardless of her worldview then you should look deeper. This is a great series and like most of what Wood writes, he has a way of writing from several characters' viewpoints and motivations in a way that grabs your attention. The ONLY reason for not giving it 5 stars is the price of 20 bucks for the kindle version. That's pretty steep.

Brian Wood does a decent job of world building here but I think the pacing was off. The book seemed to stop and start. I also felt the action was limited for what it was. The series could definitely work though. Grace Briggs is an intriguing character and there is a ton of history to unfold. I really enjoyed Mack Chater's art. It fit the story extremely well. Overall, a decent start but lacking adrenaline.

From writer/illustrator Brian Wood ("The Tourist", "Northlanders", "Ultimate Comics: X-Men", "The Couriers", "The Masswive", "Rebels") and artist Mack Chater comes "Briggs Land".And as news was announced at last year's San Diego Comic-Con that creator/writer Brian Wood sold "Briggs Land" to AMC and is writing the pilot, prior to the announcement, the comic book was making an impression on reviewers for its gritty, violent and captivating storyline.With a total of six issues released so far, the first six issues are collected in "Briggs Land - Vol. 1 - State of Grace TPB"."Briggs Land" is nearly a hundred square miles of rural wilderness and also the home of the most secretive anti-government secessionist movement in the United States.The property was founded in the years following the Civil War and was a safe harbor for those looking to live a simple life off the grid.But the property is also home for white extremism, armed militias and domestic terrorism and everything was ruled by Jim Briggs.As Briggs Land represents billions of dollars in fracking leases, real-estate development and public works, the government has always wanted the land.The story begins with Grace Briggs visiting her husband Jim Briggs in prison (where has has stayed and controlled the land from prison for the past 20-years and incarcerated for the planned assassination of the President). Jim tells her that he must do what he says and when he says to meet with him on that day, she must meet him.But immediately, she tells Jim that she is taking control of the family and challenging her husband.On Grace's side is her youngest son Isaac but she hopes to win her two sons over, in order to increase her power of Briggs Land. But will her oldest, Caleb (a white supremacist) support her efforts? Or her other son Noah, known as the Executioner?Meanwhile, observing from afar are two federal agents who are not supposed to be following the Briggs but are doing so anyway.As Grace is looking forward to a meeting with her children, two individuals try to sneak in front of Grace's home. As Isaac tries to leave in the truck, he hears ticking and realizes someone has setup a bomb trying to kill them.Who is responsible for trying to kill them? Her sons?Meanwhile, how far will Caleb go in order to gain control of Hillson Home Value hardware store? And what happens when Grace finds out who is trying to kill her? And did her husband set it up?As for Jim, he knows that if he sells the property to the U.S. government, he can get a quick release from prison but the war for Briggs Land between wife and husband is starting to heat up. For those who live in the area, which of the Briggs will they choose to support?"Briggs Land - Vol. 1 - State of Grace TPB" features the first six issues of the comic book series (August 2016-January 2017) and as the series focuses on character development, showing us the state of Briggs Land and the people that live in the area, it's a captivating story about a family war that pits family and friends against each other. But who really has the upperhand? Wife Grace Briggs who wants to do things right for those who live in Briggs Land unlike her violent husband?A captivating story written by Brian Wood with wonderful artwork from Mack Chater, "Briggs Land - Vol. 1 - State of Grace TPB" is recommended!

The first volume of a series of graphic novels about internecine warfare between members of a right wing separatist cult promises that things are going to get rockier in Briggs Land before they get better. With Big Jim Briggs, the patriarch and iron-fisted ruler of the family, serving a life term in prison, his wife Grace moves to take control of the family and its assorted businesses. This immediately sets of a series of violent encounters as compound members maneuver to seize, maintain, of regain control of the multi-million dollar organization. Add to the mix a rogue federal agent with a mysterious agenda of his own and you have a series that could be a real humdinger.My only concerns are that there are few, if any likable characters. The same can be said about The Sopranos, though, so that is not always a deal-breaker. One unpleasant aspect of the story is that it includes the murder of a dog. I don't fully understand this but many people, myself included, will will be more repulsed by the abuse or killing of a fictional animal more unacceptable than by the abuse or killing of fictional humans.Bottom Line: While it is unclear whether or not the series will deliver all that it promises, text author Brian Wood is no stranger to plots involving separatist militias, having written the popular DMZ series. With that thought in mind, I am definitely looking forward to reading future volumes.*The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

Really good story with interesting plot and well developed characters. Super realistic drawings fit this story perfectly. Highly recommended for people who like crime stories.

Really enjoyed this; cannot wait for the release of the second.

If you enjoy comic books, this is a wonderful good first step into something non conventional. Quick, gritty, and raw... you won’t find much that beats this.

Awesome! Keep going! I want more!