It’s the week of July 4th, and so on this episode of The Comics Alternative the Two Guys with PhDs pay homage to the stars and stripes…in comics! Yes, that’s right dear patriotic listener: this week Andy and Derek are focusing only on American-themed comics, new as well as not-so-new. They begin by looking at new recent books where the American project stands front and center. First, they discuss Manifest Destiny, Vol. 1: Flora and Fauna, by Chris Dingess, Matthew Roberts, and Owen Gieni (Image Comics). Both of the guys are bowled over by this first collection and see the series as a great example of American gothic. Next, they turn their attention to the new work by Ilan Stavans and Lalo Alcaraz, A Most Imperfect Union: A Contrarian History of the United States (Basic Books). While the guys applaud the creators’ intentions of creating an alternative or oppositional history, they’re not convinced that the book lives up to its title. In short, they’re hard pressed to find much that is contrary in this contrarian history. But then, after discussing these two new titles, they highlight several of their favorite American-centered comics from years gone by (and some others that are more recent). And what a varied list it is. Andy mentions the following:Strange Fruit, Vol. 1: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History, by Joel Christan Gill (Fulcrum Publishing); American Flagg!, by Howard Chaykin (Image Comics); Saga of the Swamp Thing, by Alan Moore and Stephen Bessetti (DC Comics); Shade the Changing Man, by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo (Vertigo/DC Comics). And Derek briefly discusses several other American-themed titles: Lewis and Clark, by Nick Bertozzi (First Second); The Big Lie, by Rick Veitch and Gary Erskine (Image Comics); R. Crumb’s America, by Robert Crumb (Last Gasp); Uncle Sam, by Steve Darnall and Alex Ross (Vertigo/DC Comics). They could have go on and on with other, similar titles, but there’s only so much you can pack into a single week’s show. So fire up the grill, light up those fireworks, and pledge your allegiance to The Comics Alternative on its special Independence Day episode!