Comic Book Review - Marguerite Vs The Occupation

Rob reviews Marguerite Vs The Occupation... 

'Marguerite grew up in a house on the highest hill in the valley; she loved watching the world go by her window. She could see everything. 

Four years after her family fled the invading Nazi army, France is on the brink of liberation, and 17-year-old Marguerite darts stealthily through the woods she played in as child, eager to witness the moment her long-lost home becomes free once more.

Instead, she finds a German machine gun crew occupying the bombed-out remains of her bedroom, using the very vantage point that once brought her such joy and wonder to keep the advancing Allies at bay!'

Marguerite Vs The Occupation like most independent comics is currently being crowdfunded via Kickstarter. At the time of writing John Luzar's comic has smashed its £1,079 target and has currently raised £3,196 by 161 backers. And from reading the comic it's easy to see why...

The comic is a fun 29-page story that takes place within the final hours of the Nazi occupation of France. Eager to see the Allies retake her home town, Marguerite makes the journey across the French countryside against her mother's wishes. Arriving on the outskirts of the town, Marguerite spots her house which by a miracle is still standing. However in a desperate bid to hold the town the Nazi' have set up an machine gun nest within the homes upper floors. 

Marguerite who's willing to sacrifice her own life to kick the occupation forces out of her childhood home decides to take action. Before she can fully realise her plan, French Resistance forces move into the town which pushes Marguerite into drastic action. As the fighters come under fire from the entrenched Nazi forces, Marguerite rushes into the village to rescue the one surviving member from a certain death. 

John Luzar has created something wonderful with Marguerite Vs The Occupation. It's a fantastic tale that tells the story of a young girl attempting to recover her home no matter how bad it is. Even though its set during the dying days of the Nazi occupation of France, the story has its roots within the modern day too.

In a clever way Luzar notes that he was inspired by the recent American Presidential Elections. Even in the face of an overwhelming loss, Donald Trump wasn't going to leave the White House - his last grasp of power. Lazar has taken this defiancd and used it to show a young woman taking on the once powerful Nazi machine. It's a very interesting tale that shows "They can steal your home from you. Desecrate it. Defile it. Home is never too broken to fight for." Which is exactly what the USA did in ousting Trump from office.

Kasey Quevedo and Laurel Dundee work some amazing illustrations and colours into Luzar's script. Dundee uses plenty of blue shades which sets the night theme well and doesn't oversaturate it with dark tones. Both Marguerite and Edouard are well portrayed and Quevedo brings a lot of great expressions to the two. The landscape of the village is also well represented and has that distinct visual style of bombed buildings and rain which is synonymous with a World War 2 setting.

Marguerite Vs The Occupation is a great one-shot that does exactly what it sets out to do. It's a great adventure of a young woman who sets out to see her town liberated, yet ends up being much more. The creative team have done a wonderful job in bringing it all together. It's a relatable tale that's got a great script and some brilliant art! 

Marguerite Vs The Occupation is currently on Kickstarter. You can check out the page by clicking here.

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev