Featuring an African American fugitive from bondage, an undercover woman, and ‘outcasts of all nations,’ an arresting graphic exploration of the resistance and radical vision of 18th-century piratesA tale of mutiny, bloody battle, and social revolution, Under the Banner of King Death novelizes for the first time the real pirates, an itinerant community of outsiders, behind our legends. This graphic novel breaks new ground in our understanding of piracy and pirate culture, giving us more reasons to love the rebellious and stouthearted marauders of the high seas.Set at the pinnacle of the “Golden Age” of Atlantic piracy, this novel follows three unlikely companions, who are sold into servitude on a merchant ship and unwittingly thrust into a voyage of rebellion.They are:
- John Gwin, an African American fugitive from bondage in South Carolina
- Ruben Dekker, a common seaman from Amsterdam
- Mark/Mary Reed, an American woman who defies stereotypes by dressing as a man.
Mutiny ensues against the tyrannical Captain Skinner, who is thrown overboard to make way for democracy aboard The Night Rambler. The crew’s new order provides radical social benefits, all based on real, documented practices of contemporary pirate ships: democratic decision-making, a social security net, health and disability insurance, and equal distribution of spoils taken from prize ships.It’s not long before the London elites enlist a war-hungry captain to take down The Night Rambler and start a war of high society versus high-seas pirates. Adapted from the scholarship and research of historian Marcus Rediker, Under the Banner of King Death will inspire readers with its tale of those on the bottom fighting back and achieving, against all odds, a democratic and egalitarian social order, if only for a short time.
“A concise, sharp tale of a multiethnic crew of disgruntled sailors who mutiny against miserable conditions and transform their ship into a kind of floating socialist republic with elected officers and equal shares of plunder.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A story which will have you yearning for freedom and rum like the hackneyed stereotypes of Jack Sparrow never could.”
—Freedom News (UK)
“Breaks new ground in our understanding of piracy and pirate culture, giving us more reasons to love the rebellious and stouthearted marauders of the high seas.”
—BoingBoing
“An engaging read.”
—Vancouver Sun
“A fascinating history and a sociopolitical explication of the reasons sailors became pirates and how they organized themselves once the brigandry had begun.”
—CounterPunch
- “Pirates: Our stateless heroes,” Fifth Estate, review and write-up
- “The Egalitarian World of Pirates,” Against the Grain (KPFA), interview
- “David Lester and Marcus Rediker, Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic, a Graphic Novel,” New Books Network, interview
- “Our Flag on the High Seas Means Rebellion: Pirate Culture in Pop Culture,” Beacon Broadside, essay comparing Under the Banner of King Death with HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death
- “4 new graphic novels will make you picture the world differently,” Toronto Star, included in graphic novels roundup
- “PIRATES (w/ Marcus Rediker),” SRSLY Wrong, interview
- “Under the Banner of King Death,” History Hack, podcast interview
- “Under the Banner of King Death, Marcus Rediker and David Lester, Part 1,” Armchair Historians, podcast interview
- “20 Canadian comics to check out in the first half of 2023,” CBC Books, included in comics roundup
- “Under the Banner of King Death Tells the Story of What Piracy Was Really Like in the 18th Century,” Graphic Policy, video feature
- “Under the Banner of King Death - Marcus Rediker & David Lester,” The Pirate History Podcast, podcast interview
- “How We Brought the Radical History of Pirates to Life,” History News Network, essay
- “Why We Need Pirates,” YES Magazine, excerpt
- “Under The Banner Of King Death With David Lester And Marcus Rediker,” Ye Olde Crime, podcast interview
- “Progressive Pirates? Who Knew?” The Democratic Left (DSA), book trailer and piece by Paul Buhle
- “Saturday September 17, 2022,” North by Northwest (CBC), interview
- “LGBTQA Previews February 2023 Part 1,” The Gay League, included in list of recommended February 2023 comics