On the Road to Perdition: Sanctuary [Paperback]

Max Allan Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003 | Series: On the Road to Perdition (Book 2)

In the best-selling graphic novel, The Road to Perdition, by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, readers were introduced to Michael O'Sullivan, the legendary Tri-Cities "Angel of Death" - and his son, Michael Jr. The inspiration for 2002's smash-hit film, both versions of the story captured readers' and viewers' hearts and minds. Now comes a tale from the road, as Michael and his son seek vengeance for the death of Michael's wife and younger son, by robbing banks along the way and disrupting the cash that fuels organised crime. When Michael Jr. contracts a life-threatening illness, the duo are forced to seek refuge. But their oasis of calm is set to be short-lived, as bounty hunters despatched by the Capones are closing in...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The premise of this period crime drama derives from the Japanese manga hit Lone Wolf & Cub. The wandering Samurai of that series who travels with his young son here is depicted as Michael O'Sullivan, a Capone-era enforcer with a conscience. The Irish Catholic O'Sullivan is on the run from other gangs with his son Michael, who witnessed one of O'Sullivan's killings for the Irish Mafia's Looney gang. It's just the two of them, as O'Sullivan's wife and younger son have been killed. The story picks up after O'Sullivan has a falling-out with his mob boss. Father and son weave around the Midwest, waiting until it's safe to deposit Michael with relatives in Perdition, Kans. In the meantime, O'Sullivan sets about robbing the banks that are storing Al Capone's money and killing off local kingpins, giving Capone an incentive to reconsider his position of protecting Looney's bloodthirsty son, Conner. This book fleshes out the O'Sullivans' cross-country adventures (which were briefly shown in the film Road to Perdition), while exploring the nature of the father and son relationship. While Collins's adventure spinoff doesn't add significant plot to the story, the flashbacks, vignettes and gunfights give fans of period comics and gangster fiction more of what they crave: a rampage of shootouts and heists replete with Tommy guns and fedoras. Whereas the artwork is typical of classical American illustration, the format is more akin to that of successful manga paperbacks: fewer, smaller panels per page, rendered in stark b&w. Lieber's art delivers an effective pastiche of pulp illustrations of the period.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The hit movie The Road to Perdition was adapted from a 1998 graphic novel by Collins, author of the Nate Heller mysteries, who now reprises Road's characters in shorter comics-format stories (graphic novellas?). The new stories come from the period after the murder of hitman Michael O'Sullivan's wife and younger son, when the "Angel of Death" and his older boy, narrator of the film and these stories, take to the road, committing bank robberies to strike back at the Capone gang, who had stashed money in out-of-the-way small-town banks. Capone's right-hand man, Frank Nitti, hires bounty hunters to track down and eliminate the O'Sullivans, who are hiding out with a farm family while Michael Jr. recovers from scarlet fever. Artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, working here with Josef Rubinstein, is best known for larger-than-life superheroes but does credibly by this more down-to-earth material, though a touch of the movie's noirish mood and overblown grandeur might have enhanced it. Fans of the movie or its graphic-novel source should enjoy seeing more of the O'Sullivans. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401201733
• ISBN-13: 978-1401201739
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #894,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers > DC Comics
  • #60 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Mystery

More About the Author

Max Allan Collins is a New York Times bestselling author of original mysteries, a Shamus award winner and an experienced author of movie adaptions and tie-in novels. His graphic novel ROAD TO PERDITION was made into a major motion picture by Tom Hank's production company, Playtone.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb graphic novel with enough historical accuracy to make it a slightly plausible scenario, December 1, 2010

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: On the Road to Perdition: Detour (Paperback)

The history of the crime gangs during prohibition have been the material used for many movies, magazine articles, television shows and books. In this case that same material is used to describe the actions of a father and son team that operate slightly on the good side of the crime fence. Told in comic form, the story is a gripping one with just enough historical truth to make it at least slightly plausible.

Michael O'Sullivan was a lieutenant in the ruling machine of Kansas City headed by Boss Pendergast when there was a hit by crazy man Connor Looney against his family. Looney had intended to kill Michael but he killed his wife and oldest son instead. Looney is the only son of another crime boss so he is under powerful protection against retribution, even though he violated the "avoid the family" taboo.

This event causes O'Sullivan to take his remaining son and embark on a path that earns him the nickname "The Angel of Death." O'Sullivan engages in a running battle with the Chicago and Kansas City mobs, with some bounty hunters included. It is a world of shifting loyalties and an unusual code of honor between men that kill as part of their business plan.

The story is very engaging as you follow O'Sullivan in his quest for vengeance and justice, he is basically an honorable man enmeshed in a ruthless and brutal situation. This is listed as the third book of three and I am now on a hunt for the other two.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat interesting but unnessecary, May 5, 2003

By 

joshua (nc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Road to Perdition: Oasis (Paperback)

If your a fan of the filmed adaptation of Max Allan Collins' "Road To Perdition" but haven't read the graphic novel upon which the movie is based, I suggest you pick up a copy today. The story is masterfully told by Collins and features gritty, brutally realistic artwork by the great Richard Piers Rayner that effectively captures the essence of the 1930's. "On The Road To Perdition: Oasis" is the first of three new graphic novellas written by Collins that are intended to serve as a continuation of his original story and also written presumably to cash in on the popularity of the movie adaptation. Rather than serve as sequels to the story presented in both the original graphic novel and the film, the new "On The Road To Perdition" series instead features three untold tales of adventures that Michael O'Sullivan and his son had as they made their treacherous journey to Perdition, Kansas. For fans of the original, "Oasis" is a somewhat interesting affair but pales in comparison to the original story. Collins seems to be on autopilot with this one, scripting a story that feels rushed. Fans of the original graphic novel will also be disappointed to learn that Richard Piers Rayner does not return to do the artwork for this story and his presence is sorely missed. On the upside, Collins introduces three new endearing characters not previously seen in the original story and the relationship between Michael and his son is explored further with results that are quite touching. The subplot involving the three bounty hunters feels a tad redundant if your familiar with Jude Law's character in the movie (who does not appear in the original graphic novel) but it does add an interesting element to the story. All in all, this is one is for diehard fans of the original graphic novel only. It's far from terrible, but Collins should have left well enough alone.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Graphic SF Reader, September 3, 2007

By 

Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Road to Perdition: Sanctuary (Paperback)

Michael Sullivan is a gangster that they call the Angel of Death. Having crossed Al Capone and Frank Nitti, he is on the run, taking with him his son Michael.

Having escaped capture so far, Nitti hires two bounty hunters to do the job. They track the two Michaels down, but two past relationships influence the outcomes.