The Free Speech Handbook by Ian Rosenberg with art by Mike Cavallaro was a mixed review. The history was sometimes informative, but the wording could be confusing and hard to follow. Often I found my mind drifting to other things, so this comic reads just like a boring old history book. On the other hand, the art was fun; I especially liked the First Amendment dressed up in a cape with muscles to match Chris Hemsworth’s!

But I’m not sure this book would be one I would read in leisure. And I doubt anyone would see this on the shelf and think “I want to read that just for FUN!” Maybe this book will be popular for kids learning about the First Amendment in school, but I can guarantee that they would moan and groan about the book. Because, let’s be honest, it’s just like any other textbook, save the fact that it is a comic.

That was probably the only part I can say was fun; the art was easy enough to understand and could be humorous at times. I mean, this book was obviously aimed at the younger generation, so with the art I give it an A+, mostly for being engaging and easy to decipher. But the writing was confusing and ultimately boring. Even so, I did find certain parts of the text interesting and informative.

So what is the overall score? To be honest, I don’t know. Some sections I would give an F, but others I would find it in myself to give a B or even a little higher. But it is ultimately up to the type of reader; I am not a history junkie, but for other people this could be like a drug and totally float their boat. If you like history and want to know more about your First Amendments, I recommend you read this. Otherwise, steer clear. I felt this wasn’t worth the time.