Blu Rivers Revolution
is a webcomic about a young woman named Blu Rivers and her friends trying to survive the insanity of a incomprehensibly complex and multi-front new American Civil War, and is written and illustrated by Hiro (formerly McLinskey) & Corn.
Starting at first in a private Catholic prison university school, the girls are soon drafted into their local State Militia as the conflict worsens for the United State. The setting features heavy tonal whiplash to resemble real civil conflicts; militia soldiers will be telling jokes one second, and then have to deal with inhuman cruelty the next. Most of BRR's Americans aren't professional soldiers, and are just trying to keep living as a nation falls apart under their feet.
While there are many sides in the ongoing civil war, the comic mainly features the fractured United State, a massively corrupt and unstable republic controlled by corporate interests. Because of the United State's inability to control rapidly rising poverty rates or even protect its own citizens, there is massive unrest, resulting in innumerable resistance groups. These rebels also happen to be as ruthless, if not worse than the regime they fight against. As the conflict has worn on with no clear winner for about a decade, rebel groups more often than not have also turned to drug trafficking to make ends meet. Even "free" independent territories are in constant political flux, as new warlords take power nearly every day.
The series is known for its frequent use of Mood Whiplash, retro throwback art style experimentation, and its references to obscure history, political theories & media (the creator is supposedly inspired by the Team Fortress 2 webcomics and The Venture Bros.).
This webcomic provides examples of:
- Alternate History: The point of divergence is vague, but it's established that the US and China went to war over Taiwan sometime in the 90's. The catastrophe destabilized the USA to the point that it resulted in a popular military coup known as the Day of Freedom.
- Black-and-Gray Morality: While many people are shown to be good at heart, the factions they fight for tend to dip into sadistic war crimes in between "liberating" towns and regions.
- Fallen States of America: Even aside from the occasional terrorist bombing or military gas attack, the standard of living for most Americans has fallen dramatically. At one point, Sister Lucja even states that she came to volunteer in America due to its new status as a developing nation.
- Americans within the United State have resigned themselves to living in a "free" republic whose leadership violently coups itself every few months.
- Hyperinflation and broken supply lines have also resulted in many staple American foods becoming a luxury. A single red apple is revealed to cost at least $30, while more affordable bug burgers have replaced beef for many.
- Americans within the United State have resigned themselves to living in a "free" republic whose leadership violently coups itself every few months.
- The Political Officer: Inspector Omen, combined with Big Brother Is Watching
- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: Due to the civil war lasting for so many years, many once idealistic rebels have turned to banditry, drug trafficking, and targeted slaughter of civilians.
- In "The Past of Estella Bright", an undefined rebel group captured her town and the local State Militia garrison surrendered, of which her dad was a Militiaman. He's killed with the rest of them in a senseless massacre by the rebels.
- In "The Past of Estella Bright"
- Mood Whiplash: Used frequently within the series.
- After Estella's dad is killed, a regretful young rebel gives her an orphan care package looted from the United State which contains, among other things, a Wendys coupon for one free drink.
- Right after Blu's uncle Rich is killed in an indiscriminate terrorist bombing, the comic sarcastically asks the reader to decide what political ideology the terrorist was from a list (including the flag of the United State itself). The point being that in many tragic events, people are eager to find out how it will politically destroy their enemy's PR rather than focusing on how to help the victim themselves.
