Liberator

I finally got around to reading Liberator, and it was fantastic! If you haven't heard about it, it's an animal rights themed comic, centered around two activists working to free animals through direct action. In case you're not familiar with the term "direct action", it's the less legal side of animal rights activism. Anyway, I really love the whole feel of the comic, the characters and the artwork were amazing and the stories were quite compelling. It also managed to cover the issues (briefly) without sounding educational, or straying from the story line.

My favorite thing about it though was the way they indirectly (and sometimes directly) made the connection between activists and superheros. This isn't exactly a new concept, there is the whole "vegan superpower" thing from Scott Pilgrim, then there are the tee shirts that talk about vegans saving the world. But I think this is the first time that the idea has been treated seriously. After I read this, I started to think how much these people really are like superheros; especially my favorite kind, which are the ones who are not so much dependent on special powers as they are on dedication and skill. The only reason the general public doesn't think of activists that way is because they see such a huge (and false) distinction between the lives of humans and the lives of non-human animals. Anyone who did these sorts of things in order to free humans from slavery and torture would, without a doubt, be treated as a hero.

Anyway, you should really, really read this. If you're already into animal rights, you will love it! And if you're not, it will give you some great insight into the mindset of activists while still being entertaining.

Buy volume 1 here.