This was a huge letdown. I LOVE Brian K. Vaughan. I think he's top 5 writers of all time for comics. I actually think he's the best because of Y The last Man/Pride/Runaways/Saga. However this was not up to par.

Not everything will be a hit. I didn't love Papergirls, just thought it good not great. So now we get We Stand on Guard. A story about America coming up and invading Canada for water supply (among other things) This is in the future and the idea of it is both interesting and realistic in a sense. The story itself, the themes, and even some of the art is great (dat ass is the BEST ass in comics) but the rest? Ehhhh

None of the characters stick. Was very disappointed with that. Amber, the main lead, is probably the one to root for. She supposed to be a badass, a revenge story inside her, yet I felt nothing. THe crew she meets are all dull and before you get to know them they all vanish anyway. Nothing hits home. Deaths are meaningless. The storyline is rushed. Everything feels pushed to get it done instead of letting it breath.

The art is sometimes great (like I said, that ass) and the fights can be cool but other times the faces are ugly as can be and the movements feel stiff. So 50/50 bag.

Overall this is honestly a skip. Brain's weakest work so far IMO. You're better off re-reading Runaways for actual characters and passing on this one.