Action Presidents #1 Review

rating: 2.5

This year, comic book creators Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey finally release the spiritual successor to their much beloved Action Philosophers with Action Presidents! It's one of my most shameful comic book secrets that I have never read Action Philosophers, despite Van Lente being one of my favourite writers, but I was keen nonetheless to dive into Action Presidents and see how Van Lente and Dunlavey would make the life of George Washington a fun comic. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. At first I was hesitant to write this review, because Van Lente truly is one of my favourite writers and I wouldn't want him to think anything otherwise. Additionally, he very kindly sent a review copy of Action Presidents to me via E-Mail, something that I very much appreciated as I gazed sadly into my empty wallet. However, I have to be honest: Action Presidents #1 just doesn't stack up to the other work that Van Lente is doing in the industry right now. Action Presidents #1 is in many ways a history lesson from Van Lente and Dunlavey, outlining the life of George Washington - the first President of the United States - in a surprisingly detailed and accurate way. Van Lente certainly has put a lot of effort into researching his subject matter, however it ends up leaving Action Presidents with a more than slight resemblance to a history textbook. The thing that makes this issue hard to review is that what I just said could be good, or could be bad depending on your point of view. If you need to find out about George Washington for a History assignment, or just because you have a genuine interest in him then this may be right up your alley. But those looking for an entertaining comic, I may advise to go elsewhere. Action Presidents goes into so much detail about the facts of Washington's accomplishments and experiences, that it leaves little room for the humour that makes Van Lente's work so popular amongst fans. While Ryan Dunlavey's illustrations are often where the jokes truly lie - and I admit they did make me chuckle a few times during this issue - the good jokes are simply too few and far between to say that Action Presidents is a fun read. However, that's not to say there is nothing to like about Action Presidents #1. As I have already said, the very informative nature of the book may be great for those who need or want to know more about George Washington. Meanwhile, Ryan Dunlavey's artwork is very nicely drawn in his trademark style, and does offer a few fun moments. However, there is no way I could recommend Action Presidents to everyone, as even I - someone with a strong interest in History - found myself struggling to enjoy this issue at times due to its textbook-like writing. And so to conclude, I cannot decide for you whether Action Presidents is good or bad, it purely depends on how strong your interest in the subject matter is. It is a shame however, that such a talented creative team couldn't make this book more universally entertaining.