Chris Sanagan and Jason Lapidus‘ Group of 7 series released their 6th issue a while back and today a trade paperback collecting the first six issues has been made available to order! Group of 7: A Most Secret Tale.
During the First World War Canadian soldiers, fighting as the Canadian Expeditionary Force, distinguished themselves at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This was the first time that, as a young nation, Canadian troops fought together and many see this particular battle as a “pivotal event in the emergence of Canadian national identity.” But what are the untold, secret stories of this historic event? Writer Chris Sanagan and artist Jason Lapidus explore this in Group of 7: A Most Secret Tale.
As Chris puts it … “While the battle rages topside, Canadian physician John McCrae leads a secret mission underneath the Ridge against a mysterious enemy with monstrous intentions. To succeed, he’ll need a group of unique soldiers. A group of legendary heroes. A Group of 7.”
So, who are the members of the Group of 7? None other than historical figures John McCrae, A.Y. Jackson, Francis Pegahmagabow, Lester Pearson, Frederick Banting, Norman Bethune, and Conn Smythe. With a team that consists of a future Prime Minister (Canada’s equivalent to a US President), a hockey legend, and the Doctor that discovered insulin, amongst others, this fictional account promises to be full of intrigue and adventure.
I was hooked on this series right from the first issue.
The art in Group of 7: A Most Secret Tale is black and white and for the collected edition, artist Jason Lapidus adds additional grey tones which creates even more depth to the linework with excellent ink washing and a real prowess to creating images without colour. Word balloons and lettering has gone digital since the single issues came out, increasing readability and overall polish to a quality independent book.
On top of being entertaining, the lads have built a fantastic educational component for the book. Chris and Jason have developed a classroom seminar which they toured into various schools and discussed panel-by-panel breakdowns of all the references and historical sources in the book. Interested educators can head to https://groupof7comics.ca where they can still access some great teaching resources.
Pick-up Group of 7: A Most Secret Tale or the single issues if you prefer online at https://groupof7comics.ca/
Issue: Group of 7: A Most Secret Tale | Publisher: self-published
Writer: Chris Sanagan | Artist: Jason Lapidus
Letters: Jason Lapidus | Editor: Chris Sanagan
Price: $25cad – collecting issues 1-6
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