We Stand on Guard is a miniseries with a premise that a lot of people have joked about – what would happen if the US decided to invade Canada? Set in 2124, that’s exactly what has happened, as the US has invaded Canada to control its water supplies. 

The six-part series tells the tale of a small band of Canadian rebels kicking some ass to defend their homeland. There is definitely a David vs. Goliath feel to the story as these low tech, scrambling for weaponry freedom fighters go up against oversized technology from south of the border. It’s a war story, there’s no doubt about that, and it gets pretty gruesome at times (consider that a warning to the squeamish).

Interestingly, the writer, Brian K. Vaughan, made this a bit of a tribute to his adopted home. There are plenty of Canadianisms and a bit of a history lesson, but it never feels like he’s lecturing about the evils of not getting along. It’s not a happy story at all, but it’s well told and shows that Canadians aren’t always as passive and polite as people think. It also has some fantastic art from Steve Skroce that really brings the horrors of battle to life.