We Stand on Guard

One hundred years from now, the United States invades Canada — and a heroic band of Canadian civilians takes up arms to defend their homeland against a technologically superior enemy. God save the Queen? Not anymore.

We Stand on Guard is the six-issue military sci-fi thriller by Brian K. Vaughan and artist Steve Skroce, published by Image Comics in 2015. Vaughan — a Canadian — dreamed up the premise after 9/11, imagining what would happen if the US ever turned its military might on its northern neighbor. It’s part patriotic fantasy, part dark satire, and all high-octane action.

The War for the True North

In 2115, America’s resources are exhausted, and it casts hungry eyes on the vast, untouched wilderness of Canada. The invasion is swift and brutal — and the resistance is a ragtag band of freedom fighters known as the “Two-Four,” named for the hockey stick they’ve turned into a symbol of rebellion. The story follows Amber, a young woman whose family was killed in the invasion, and a veteran resistance leader known only as Tommy, as they fight a desperate guerrilla war against giant American battle robots and a superpower that sees Canada as its personal resource patch.

Vaughan, fresh off the celebrated Saga, was joined by Skroce, a Matrix storyboard artist whose hyper-detailed, kinetic art made every battle sequence feel like a blockbuster. The 40-page first issue launched with a bang and a sold-out print run, and the series became a conversation-starter about nationalism, empire, and the costs of war — all wrapped in the most fun comics packaging of 2015.

We Stand on Guard is collected in a trade paperback and deluxe hardcover from Image Comics. For fans of Saga’s Vaughan, military sci-fi, or just Canadians who enjoy watching the map get flipped upside down, this six-issue burst of adrenaline is essential.