Confederate States of America, Vol. 1
Southern Cross; Annuit Coeptis
Script by Dorvall
Art by Philip Renne
Colors by Philip Renne
Letters by Philip Renne, Emily Bain
Cover by Philip Renne
Translated from French by Madeleine Velguth
Sekwana Comics
Release Date: December 16, 2013
Cover Price: $22.95

Written by the mononymous Dorvall and illustrated by Philip Renne, Confederate States of America is likely planned to be the preeminent source of the greatest What If..? story in American history. What if the South had won?

The scene opens up to a graphic that most historians believe would be the eventual outcome. The USA minus the south surrounded by the South and Canada colored by the British flag. There was no quicker way to gut punch this reader than to see that map. I commend them for the shock value of the map placement but on the other hand, I was already ticked off before I got to page two.

This volume is NOT for the casual reader. It is for Civil War buffs or history fans. There is no way to really appreciate the efforts made without knowing how it is different from the history that was. That being said”¦

When I got to page two I was immediately taken in by the illustrations Philip Renne provided. It seems he spared no medium in crafting the look and feel on this time period drama. Each page seems crafted to help carry the emotion of the overlapping dialogue.

The Dorvall has penned a painstaking recollection of the events following the Battle of Gettysburg”¦or as he believed they would have followed had the Battle been won by the South. Dorvall hinges his alternate history on the excellent advice of General James Longstreet. He is the Southern gentleman who advised Robert E. Lee to flank the Northern battle lines and fake the attack in the center. In history, General Lee did not take his advice. Philip Renne places a ghostly figure whispering at General Lee’s shoulder and just like that, history moves forward. (if you feel that paragraph was a little dry, this volume might replace your Ambien).

What comes after is all conjecture but I can tell it has been thoroughly researched. You would HAVE to be a true Civil War buff to notice some of the historical references mentioned or changed through out this opening volume.

Dorvall clearly has an honest passion about the subject. He was detailed in his research about the political climate at the time and has a well-educated understanding of the people involved. That is not to say that I believe Dorvall was accurate in his depictions but he clearly did his homework and penned a lengthy opening salvo into what I’m sure is going to be a painful disintegration of America. But thanks to Philip Renne it will be morbidly colored and convey all the anguish of the events unfolding.

Yeah! Can’t wait for Volume 2, A Country Divided.