WE THE PEOPLE is a story of the descendents of famous folk heroes of old who band together to protect the people of their city who are unable to protect themselves. The evil, corrupt mayor has decided to clean up the streets by kidnapping and containing all of the vagrants his secret police can get their hands on. What Mayor Allred hadn’t counted on were the distant progeny of Sinbad, Robin Hood and Zorro challenging his agenda and standing up for what is right.

Praise must be given to a book that opens with a dirty joke and a big explosion, and the fun continues as one of the main characters, the one who cannot keep his motor mouth shut, is introduced. Though Xavier, later to be known as Z, is a laugh riot, it soon becomes clear this is not a book of solid substance but one of quick quips and flashy action. We are introduced to the main characters and given enough background information to make them interesting, as well as a scene or two to give them the motivation to don a mask, but the character exploration ends there.

WE THE PEOPLE can be massively cheesy and is certainly pushing the boundaries on ridiculous, it is also packed with a light-hearted, "laughing with you" kind of hilarity making this book impossible to resist. Z's lines were consistently comical, though by far the best line in the book belonged to Talia aka Robyn, who when fed up with the bickering of her male companions shouted: "We get it! You both have big, virile tools capable of slaying the mightiest of vaginas!" You don't get golden lines like that in every comic book.

There is nothing negative to say about Eisma's artwork. Consistently beautiful from start to finish, his pencils are one of the best parts about this book. Crisp, clear faces coupled with appropriately proportionate smoking bodies make for attractive and appealing main characters, and the action sequences and background detail compliment the rest of the story perfectly.

If you’re looking for a deep, meaningful comic then check out the list of potential Eisner winners, but if you're looking for a swashbuckling, laugh-out-loud, young adult adventure story then WE THE PEOPLE is the book to pick up. The abundance of amusing one-liners and the visceral sense of purpose these young heroes are infused with are easily entertaining, and the striking artwork makes it effortless to get caught up in the explosive escapades. Do not look for anything subtle or serious here, just look for a good time and WE THE PEOPLE will provide.

Avril Brown