USNA II: Book 3
Writers: David Longworth, Harry Kalensky, Allan Stanleigh
Artist: Francine Delgado
Letterer: Christopher Barrett
Publisher: USNA Publishing
A review by Josh Rose
I first discovered USNA back in 2015 at the Calgary Expo; it was my second ever comic-con. I was going through a Canadian comic kick back then; I wanted a more authentic representation than what I was getting from the Big 2. Alpha Flight, Wolverine, and Deadpool are all great Canadian characters (technically), but they’re mostly written by Americans. They lack that Canadian vibe. And then I found USNA: The United States of North America.
What if Canada and the United States amalgamated into one large country? What if corporations and the military ran that country? And what if there was a small rebel group trying to wrestle power back into the hands of the people? USNA II Book 3 is the final chapter to a story about a group of freedom fighters in a totalitarian state of what used to be Canada and America.
USNA is based on a complete screenplay by David Longworth and Allan Stanleigh, which was inspired by American expansionism. USNA II is the sequel to that story. Unlike in We Stand on Guard by Brian K. Vaughan, USNA is about a peaceful amalgamation of Canada and the USA.
Longworth, Stanleigh, and Harry Kalensky have put together a great concept. Book 3 sees the rebels trying to evade the Strategic Home Alliance Defense Organization (SHADO), and try to stop the Central Council from destroying national landmarks and blaming it on the insurgents. In the end, the Central Council ends up destroying itself rather than through any actions by the rebels. To me it felt too easy and a cheap way to finish off a fun series. I suppose this way makes it feel like the succeeding government would last as opposed to a violent coup.
Unfortunately, to truly appreciate USNA II Book 3 you need to read the previous books and they don’t do a great job of introducing characters to new readers. Even if they did, there’s so many characters it’s hard to keep track of them all. It’s not exactly new reader friendly.
I do like the art by Francine Delgado. She does a fantastic job of keeping the story engaging and fun, but there were times I felt that the panel layout was a little confusing. It wasn’t always easy to follow, and sometimes the story would just jump like an important panel was missing. Scene changes done in the middle of the page would’ve been more effective on a new page. Occasionally a character’s hands look disproportionate. Other than that, Delgado does a wonderful job showcasing the action and emotions of the characters.
The Verdict
Check it out! USNA II Book 3 is a fun conclusion to the series. Based on the idea that the USA might try to take over the whole continent, we have a great story about a group of rebels trying to return the power of the government back to the people. Full of intense action and some heartfelt moments (even if you weren’t entirely sure who the character was), USNA would make for a wonderful TV show. Its a wonderful concept and a fun story overall, but I highly recommend checking out USNA before grabbing USNA II Book 3.
