Prez 1: Corndog-in-chief - Softcover

Mark Russell is an American author, best known for his satirical graphic novel God Is Disappointed In You, an irreverent retelling of the Bible. He is also the writer of PREZ for DC Comics.

Gr 10 Up—The future of the United States is here, and it is a mess. After corporations are granted the right to vote, voting age is abolished. Now, younger citizens cast ballots through Twitter and campaigning occurs via vlogs; the Facebook like functions as political approval ratings; and hospitals advertise products to patients on their sickbeds. The presidential election is a circus, with corporations bribing politicians left and right. It's a recipe for disaster—and 19-year-old Beth Ross, aka YouTube celebrity Corndog Girl, ends up accidentally elected president of the United States. Beth, a levelheaded girl with a punk-rock haircut and a quick wit, establishes an inner cabinet of educated everymen and selects an older, established vice president to guide her. Beth's first course of action? To end the country's global surveillance program and find a cure for the cat flu that's ravaging the population. Both are noble goals, but they put her directly at odds with the corporations. This satire of American culture is outright scathing. It pulls no punches in its sociopolitical commentary. Caldwell uses vivid colors and pointed, occasionally anime-influenced line work, giving it more similarities with The Unbeatable Squirrel-Girl than with the muscular DC comics heroes. VERDICT Recommended for teens who are tired of the superhero craze but can appreciate a no-holds-barred spoof of the world around them.—Matisse Mozer, Santa Monica Public Library, CA