Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls
At 23, Robert Smalls commandeered a Civil War steamship and carried his family and the families of several other people out of Charleston Harbor to freedom. Then he served five terms in public office.
The graphic novel, the comics, and the collection. Written by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Rob Edwards. NPR Books We Love 2025. Ships nationwide.
2025
Nominee
Best Seller
First Printing
What Is in the DEFIANT Collection?
Everything the project has made, in one place. The 128-page full-color graphic novel in hardcover, paperback, and a limited leather edition. The four original comic issues, individually and as complete sets including San Diego Comic-Con virgin cover editions. Enamel pins, silk screened tees, and poster prints drawn from the book's artwork.
If you are starting from zero, start with the graphic novel. It carries the whole story plus bonus content including creator statements, behind-the-scenes artwork, and historical notes. Everything else in this collection is built around it.
Who Was Robert Smalls of Beaufort, SC?
Robert Smalls was born into bondage in Beaufort, South Carolina on April 5, 1839. He died in the same Beaufort house 75 years later, a house he had bought with his own money after being held in it as a boy.
On May 13, 1862, Smalls commandeered the steamship Planter in Charleston Harbor under cover of darkness. He put on the captain's hat, gave the correct hand signals and whistle codes at five checkpoints, and carried his family and the families of several other people out of the harbor to freedom. He was 23 years old.
His voyage helped persuade Abraham Lincoln to allow Black soldiers into the Union Army. After the war he bought the Beaufort house where he had been held, started a newspaper, founded a railroad company, helped write South Carolina's Reconstruction constitution, and championed the first free and compulsory public school system in the country. He served five terms in public office. Joseph Rainey served longer, and we say so, because the real record is remarkable enough without inflating it.
Why Did This Book Get Made?
Most Americans were never taught this. That is the problem DEFIANT exists to solve. Smalls belongs in the same sentence as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, and for most of the last century he has been a footnote instead.
DEFIANT did not start in a boardroom. It started as a meme in the Legion M fan community. Members saw Smalls' story, said it should be a movie, and Legion M listened. The Kickstarter raised $154,293 from 1,812 backers and funded in under 30 minutes against a $10,000 goal. The first print run of more than 5,000 copies sold out in under a month. A feature film is now in active development.
Who Made DEFIANT?
DEFIANT was written by Rob Edwards, the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter behind The Princess and the Frog and Captain America: Brave New World. Cover art is by Nikolas Draper-Ivey, who created the cover for Kendrick Lamar's Black Panther: The Album. Interior art comes from Ray-Anthony Height, Sean Damien Hill, and Alex Paterson, veterans of Marvel and DC.
Bill Duke is executive producer. Marvin "Krondon" Jones III is co-executive producer. Michael Boulware Moore, Robert Smalls' great-great-grandson and founding CEO of the International African American Museum in Charleston, served as family advisor, and Dr. Myisha Eatmon advised on the history.
Published by Stranger Comics and Legion M Entertainment. Legion M is the world's first fan-owned entertainment company, founded in 2016 and now powered by more than 50,000 investors and 300,000 members.
How Do You Order From This Collection?
Pick your edition, choose a size where one applies, and add it to the cart. Checkout takes a card, PayPal, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, and code DEFIANT20 takes 20 percent off everything in the Defiant collection, including the hardcover, the paperback, and the comics. Orders ship nationwide across the United States at standard shipping rates.
Ordering more than 10 books? Email chris@legionm.com for direct pricing. Educators and librarians can also request a copy through the educator program. DEFIANT is used in Civil War, Reconstruction, and Black History Month curriculum and is recommended for readers 12 and up.
What Has DEFIANT Won?
NPR Books We Love 2025, selected from more than 380 staff-picked titles. NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Literary Work: Graphic Novel. Amazon Best Seller in three categories. Featured in Christian Science Monitor, Publishers Weekly, and Military.com. Featured at San Diego Comic-Con in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
