Action Presidents Return in Color!

Action Presidents: Theodore Roosevelt!

I love non-fiction comics, particularly those that manage to both educate and entertain. I thought Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s Action Presidents! books were an excellent example of that when I reviewed them in 2018.

Next month, there will be even more of their humorous history to enjoy. The two existing books, covering George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, will be reissued in color, and two new Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, will join the series.

I was sent an advance copy of the reissued George Washington book, and the color really does make it better, as well as an easier read for the 8-12-year-old age group these books are aimed at. Dunlavey draws funny background detail, and that can be harder to pick out in black-and-white. (I’m assuming Dunlavey did his own coloring, since there is no one else credited.) The color also makes it clear that there are people of color in these stories, an important factor covered in the history Van Lente and Dunlavey are telling. Aside from the obvious elements in the Lincoln book, they don’t gloss over Washington’s slave-holding.

Action Presidents: Theodore Roosevelt!

Other than that, there don’t seem to be any major content changes in the books, other than the lack of an About the Authors page, for some reason, and the addition of page numbers (nice!).

I’m so glad to see this series continue! So far they’ve been great reads for kids and adults. They can also be ordered from your local comic shop with the following Diamond codes:

  • George Washington – APR20 1877 (HC), APR20 1877 (PB)
  • Abraham Lincoln – APR20 1879 (HC), APR20 1878 (PB)
  • Theodore Roosevelt – APR20 1881 (HC), APR20 1880 (PB)
  • John F. Kennedy – APR20 1883 (HC), APR20 1882 (PB)

Action Presidents: John F. Kennedy!



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