"Adventure, Romance, War. 1776 is back."
Beatrice "Bea" Whaley seems to have it all; the seventeen year old high school senior is beautiful, wealthy and the star performer of the drama club. And with her uncle’s connections to Broadway theater, the future looks bright ahead of her. Little does she know that her future might actually be brighter behind her.
Bea begins having vivid dreams about a brave and handsome soldier named Alan Warren—a member of an elite group known as Knowlton’s Rangers that served during the Revolutionary War. Prone to keeping her head in the clouds, Bea welcomes her nightly adventures in 1776; filled with danger and romance they give her much to muse about the next day. But it is not long before Beatrice questions whether her dreams are simply dreams or something more. Each night they pick up exactly where the last one ended. And the senses—the smell of musket shots and cannons, the screams of soldiers in agony, and that kiss—are all far more real than any dream she can remember.
Bea begins to research Colonial America only to discover that her dreams recount actual historical events that she knew nothing about! She grows increasingly detached from her friends and family as she tries desperately to figure out what is happening to her...
You can go read it here on the official site
Provides examples of:
- A Day in the Limelight: The short stories are usually written as these, with two of the three revolving around Nathan and Freddy, respectively.
- Arcadia: 18th century Roxbury, MA definitely fits the bill.
- Aerith and Bob: Bea's Uncle Hercules and her mother Sarah.
- Alternate Self: The comic features both 21st century and 18th century versions of several characters, most notably the main character Beatrice.
- Always Save the Girl: Played straight with Alan Warren wanting to send Bea Whaley back to Boston.
- Anyone Can Die: In the 18th - century at least. With war and less - than -stellar medical care, anyone can, you know, die.
- Author Guest Spot: Sometimes, the author and her friends/family appear in the background.
- Betty and Veronica: Bea finds herself trying choose between 21st century Ben and 18th century Alan, with Alan as the Veronica and Ben as the Betty. However, the twist is, that Ben is the "safe" one, but family-loving, apple farmer, puritan Alan probably has more Betty characteristics than Ben, so which is Betty and which is Veronica depends on your interpretation and the situation Bea is in. It is also worth noting that even in the 18th century segments of the comic there is still a Betty and Veronica dynamic with Alan (Betty) and a young Alexander Hamilton (Veronica). Although, it's pretty obvious which one Bea loves best/chooses.
- Bilingual Bonus: In the beginning of Issue #12, Benjamin Tallmadge says to Nathan Hale in Latin, "Poena absentiae non excusandae probatio collegii dies quinque et admonitio publica est. Decem pro furciferis Linoniae."Translation
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: With Alan as the blond, Bea the brunette, and Alexander the redhead.
- Bolivian Army Ending: Part One ends with Nathan Hale's death and the main cast being elpless to stop it.
- Boy Meets Girl: We start the comic with the last stage of the trope; Bea and Alan meet at a market in Boston.
- Break Out the Museum Piece: Played with with Nathan's spontoon.
- Butt-Monkey: Poor Nathan. He gets beat up when trying to apologize to Alan, has to escort Bea back to Boston, his Colonel doesn't think he's competent enough, and he's never even been in a single battle.
- Child Soldiers: Freddy could be considered one of these, although he's a teenager.
- Colonel Badass: Col. Knowlton, obviously. Being the leader of Knowlton's Rangers, the first organized intelligence organization in the U.S. Army certainly helps.
- Cultured Warrior: Played straight with Nathan, considering he graduated from Yale with honors and was a school teacher before he enlisted as an officer.
- Dashed Plotline: In Issue #14,the story is interspersed with vignettes of Alan's life.
- Dressing as the Enemy: Alan does this in the first issue to rescue Bea.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: Well, the comic does focus on Knowlton's Rangers.
- Escape Convenient Boat: Alan and Bea use this when escaping from the ship holding Bea captive in issue #1.
- Even the Guys Want Him: In the fandom, some of the male characters are subject to this, especially Nathan.
- Epigraph: Each comic has a quote with the title that goes with the comic's theme.
- Fever Dream Episode: Issue #14 switches between Alan's fever dreams and memories and what's happening in the real world.
- First Guy Wins: The first male we meet/see is Alan, whom the reader finds out is Bea's 18th - century boyfriend.
- First Kiss: Beatrice's and Alan's first kiss is actually in the first pages of the comic; Ben and Bea's kiss doesn't come until issue #7.
- Foreshadowing:
- Some of the comments Nathan has made can be read as this, especially if you've read up on your American history.
- Nathan Hale couldn't keep a secret to save his life. Ouch.
- Form-Fitting Wardrobe: The clothes in the 18th - century basically are this.
- Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Alan as The Realist, Alexander as The Cynic, Nathan as The Optimist, and Beatrice as The Conflicted.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble:
- Alan: Phlegmatic Type II
- Alexander: Choleric
- Beatrice: Phlegmatic
- Nathan: Melancholic
- Genius Book Club: Nathan is often seen reading the play Cato which also acts as a
Genius Bonus for those who know that his historical counterpart's famous quote is sometimes attributed as being based on a part of the play.
- Genre Roulette: The comic jumps from historical fiction to YA lit in a matter of pages.
- Genre Savvy: There are moments when the characters display this.
- The Glomp: In first strip of issue #9, Bea jump-hugs Uncle Hercules this way.
- Held Gaze: Between Alexander and Beatrice no less during an argument.
- Hero of Another Story: In Act 1, is that tried and true tale of the loss of innocence, and the drift from boyhood into manhood for Freddy.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Nathan Hale and Ben Tallmadge.
- Historical Domain Character:
- There's Nathan Hale, Col. Knowlton, John Adams, Gen. Howe, Betsy Loring,Hercules Mulligan, Alexander Hamilton, Gen. Washington... and probably plenty more coming soon.
- Paul Revere makes an dialog-only cameo in the 'Identifying Dr. Warren by Dental Records' flashback (which really happened like that), he's the one that made the teeth.
- Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act: Bea makes one attempt to change history and gets the wrong Warren. The mess it creates causes her to swear off trying to mess with the past in her dreams.
- Hollywood New England: Since the parts take place in modern - day Boston, MA, it's possible that the characters in that period talk with an accent. Also with Nathan, Alan, and 18th - century Bea.
- Idiot Ball: At the end of issue #10, Alexander offers to take Beatrice to safety to Washington's headquarters, but Beatrice stays put with Alan and Nathan. Alan is supposed to take Beatrice to Washington for interrogation about what happened when she was with Howe - and Alexander could easily have taken her to Washington himself!
- Identical Grandson: 21st - century Bea and 18th - century Bea look exactly the same.
- Informed Attribute: The reader is often told how skilled an actress Beatrice is.
- Jail Bait Wait: Alan waits for Bea to be of proper age before he can court her.
- Just a Kid: Freddy Knowlton gets told this a lot, even though he's in one of the most elite fighting forces in the U.S. Continental Army!
- Kissing Cousins:
- In a behind-the-scenes interview with Lora Innes, the comics creator, says that 18th-century Bea's parents want her to marry her cousin, John Mulligan.
- It's also weird because 21st-century Bea also has a cousin named John Mulligan....
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: When Bea is dreaming and in her 18th - century self, she seems to have forgotten nearly everything about her life; Alan is trying to help her regain those memories. However, as the plot progresses, Bea is starting to remember bits and pieces of her 18th - century life.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Well, it was the style back then!
- Love at First Sight: Bea goes through this when she first see Alan at the market.
- Love Triangle: Played with, since Bea has boyfriends in both time eras. Also it looks as if Alexander Hamilton has an unrequited love/crush on Bea.
- Meet Cute: Although Alexander and Beatrice technically already knew each other, they still met cute in issue nine. Granted, they aren't in a relationship yet, it's still worth noting.
- Mental Time Travel: Beatrice goes back in time to the American Revolution when she fall asleep.
- Multiple Demographic Appeal: It has elements of a high-school drama, American Revolutionary action, romance arcs, and gorgeously-drawn characters.
- Muggle and Magical Love Triangle: Bea is caught between Alan, the dashing revolutionary war soldier she meets in her dreams, and Ben, the football captain at her high school and her long time crush.
- The Muse: In issue #11, Bea's voice teacher invokes this as the reason why Beatrice sang particularly well.
- No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine: Apparently this was what Bea went through with while staying with General Howe.
- Official Couple: Alan/Bea, obviously.
- One-Steve Limit: There are two Benjamins in the series: one in the 21st century, the other in the 18th century.
- Reunion Kiss: Beatrice and Alan have one within the first pages of the comic.
- Sick Episode: The entirety of issue #14, with Alan as the sick one.
- Shirtless Scene: In issue #4 Nathan gets one, although it's just him in his bed.
- Shout-Out: In issue #7's Creator Cameo, the author draws herself holding a copy of a Fruits Basket manga.
- Shown Their Work: The author/illustrator has studied a lot for this comic to be as accurate as possible.
- Story Arc: Currently twofold: 18th - century deals with the Battle of Harlem Heights/Long Island and the modern day deals with Bea and Ben's relationship.
- Squad Nickname: Knowlton's Rangers are also called Congress's Own.
- Web Comic Time: Issues where it takes place in one day feel like months, especially since it only updates on Fridays.
- Where da White Women At?: Ben Cato and Beatrice are in a relationship.
- Wig, Dress, Accent: In issue #9, Alan, Alex, Bea and Nathan go in cognito.
- Wife Husbandry: Alan does this with Bea, which of course is rather squicky to say the least. Also a Values Dissonance with the readers. To us, it looks weird, but back then, it was perfectly normal.
- Young Future Famous People: A young Alexander Hamilton is featured in the comic.
- You Need to Get Laid: Alan gets told this by Col. Knowlton, and is even given furlough papers so he can go and marry Beatrice.
