On the Road to Perdition: Detour [Paperback]

Max Allan Collins (Illustrator), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Author), Steve Lieber (Author)

Book Description

Series: On the Road to Perdition | Publication Date: July 1, 2004

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

This compelling volume is the first in a new series of three graphic novellas that build on the successful 1930s-era Road to Perdition graphic novel and film. Together, they chronicle a six-month period unexplored in the original story. Once again, the protagonist is Michael O'Sullivan, a hit man in John Looney's Irish mob. When O'Sullivan's son and namesake, Michael, witnesses his father's on-the-job activities, Looney's son responds by slaughtering O'Sullivan's family (save for O'Sullivan and his son). O'Sullivan swears revenge, and he and young Michael set off on a cross-country journey, robbing banks of their mob "blood money" and pitting them against the forces of the Looney mob and those of Al Capone. Their journey to Perdition, where young Michael's aunt and uncle live, is fraught with tragedy, violence and death. Veteran author Collins has returned to graphic novels to continue this tale, and he's clearly comfortable with this material and era. In this volume, readers learn how the O'Sullivans rob banks and how their time together allows them to grow closer. Their bank jobs are hindered when young Michael gets scarlet fever and O'Sullivan must avoid the mob hit men and find someplace for his son to recover. Will Michael's illness slow them down enough to allow their pursuers to stop them both permanently? Although Garcia-Lopez and Rubinstein's highly detailed b&w art isn't as meticulous as that of original series artist Richard Piers Rayner's, it still has a realistic cinematic style and winning characterizations.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Booklist

With Detour, Collins completes a graphic trilogy that expands upon The Road to Perdition (1998), the basis of the hit movie. Hitman Michael O'Sullivan, the "Angel of Death," continues putting the squeeze on the Capone gang by robbing banks across the Midwest in which it has stashed its loot. The heists are designed to force the Capones to turn over mad-dog killer Connor Looney, who brutally murdered O'Sullivan's wife and younger son, and who is out to kill O'Sullivan and his older boy, the narrator of the film and this story. Fast-paced action leads to a suspenseful confrontation in Kansas City's red-light district between O'Sullivan and the pair of bounty hunters Capone's right-hand man Frank Nitti has dispatched to eliminate the O'Sullivans. As best demonstrated in his prose-only PI series featuring Nate Heller, Collins is a past master of period crime stories, and if superhero mainstay artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez isn't nearly as successful with the Depression-era setting as director Sam Mendes was in the Perdition movie, at least he conveys the story clearly. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401201741
• ISBN-13: 978-1401201746
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,016,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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.