Save It for Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest

In a series of deeply felt comics essays, Powell (the March series) chronicles his efforts to maintain and pass on progressive political beliefs in a regressive political climate, effectively summing up the conflicts and battle scars of the Trump era for those shocked by his election. As the parent of two young daughters (presented here as anthropomorphized creatures, a fox-puppy-unicorn combo), Powell strives to teach them the value and importance of activism in the face of systemic racism, the threat of white supremacy, and the devastation wrought by Covid-19: “We all march now or else we’ll have no choice but to march later.” In “Promises” he recalls the pain of explaining to his daughter the election of Trump over Hillary Clinton, while in the powerful “About Face” he unpacks how various symbols—including the death head from the Punisher comic book series—have been coopted by right-wing militias as icons of intimidation. “Tornado Children,” meanwhile, captures the slow-motion grief of the Covid pandemic. Powell perfectly sums up his mission: “It is we, together, who will determine what kind of society our kids grow into, by what we each choose to do, or not do.” This sincere volume carries off parenting inspiration with gravitas. Agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management. (Apr.)