It is no surprise that serving in the military and being deployed in an area of the world where unrest is common will lead to a list of side effects. While the soldier suffers the greatest, his or her family can also change under the weight of it. In American Road Trip, the Avila family hasn’t been the same since one of their own was sent to serve in Iraq, and when he comes home, the troubles are just starting.
Based on the YA novel by Patrick Flores-Scott, the comic adaption is brought to you by Little Corvus, an Eisner-, Ringo- and Ignatz-nominated artist who has worked with Harper Collins, Dark Horse, and other publishers.
The story follows Teodoro, affectionately called “T” by his friends and family. His life has been pretty depressing since his brother Manny was deployed. His parents are a disaster and his sister Xochitl (Xo) has been trying to keep it together. Even though her intentions are good, she’s a bit aggressive about it. When T runs into Wendy, the “girl of his dreams,” he realizes there is more in life he would like to explore. To add even more excitement, Manny is due to return home, but will the reunion be as positive as everyone expects? Iraq has changed him and it’s up to T and Xo to save him.
The dramatic series is revving up to explore a few common issues that many families face, whether or not they have the added stress of a member in an area of upheaval. When the issues run deep and there is no sign of things changing, it takes a tremendous amount of sacrifice to move forward, which is what it seems T will need to do.
American Road Trip currently has four episodes on Webtoons and is set to update every Sunday.
