The Road to Perdition (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally published as a single-volume graphic novel in 1998, this is the comics work upon which the Tom Hanks movie is based. It's the story of Michael O'Sullivan, a feared and religiously inclined mob hit man who's brutally betrayed-and the fierce vengeance he wreaks. It's 1930 and O'Sullivan works for the Looneys, an Irish mob family with a stranglehold on the politics and businesses of a small Midwestern city. Curious about his dad's mysterious "job," Michael Jr. stows away in his car to see what he does for a living. He inadvertently witnesses his father and one of the Looneys murder a crooked cop and his partners. Fearing what the kid saw, the Looneys set the O'Sullivans up to be killed. They murder O'Sullivan's wife and younger son, leaving him stunned but determined to have his revenge. The Looneys go into hiding, and O'Sullivan and son set out to find them, encountering the celebrities of gangland Chicago along the way. Collins writes a good gangster yarn based on historical personalities and full of crisp dialogue, violent action and brooding overtones of religious redemption. But O'Sullivan is essentially a superhero in a fedora, and his ability to kill an overwhelming number of adversaries with nary a scratch to show for it is a bit ridiculous. Though Rayner's b&w drawings can be static, they are precisely rendered with strikingly delineated faces. Like movie posters, his drawings capture the action with a combination of slick draftsmanship and the bleak and shadowy forms of cinematic noir. (Oct.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Rock Island, Illinois -- 1929. Michael O'Sullivan is a good father and a family man -- and also the chief enforcer for John Looney, the town's Irish Godfather of crime. As Looney's "Angel of Death," O'Sullivan has done the bidding of Chicago gangsters Al Capone and Frank Nitti as well -- but when a gangland execution spells tragedy for the O'Sullivan family, a grieving father and his adolescent son find themselves on a winding road fo treachery, revenge, and revelation.

Writer Max Allan Collins is a two-time winner of the Private Eye Writers of America's Shamus Award for his Nathan Keller historical thrillers True Detective and Stolen Away. Award-winning artist Richard Piers Raynner spent four years working on the artwork for Road to Perdition, a labor of love that has resulted in some of the most stunningly realistic drawings of 1930s Chicago ever seen on printed page.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743442245
• ISBN-13: 978-0743442244
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #209,027 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good gritty remake of "Lone Wolf and Cub", May 27, 2002

By	A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Road to Perdition (Paperback)

This grim graphic novel might better have been titled, "The Road to Revenge" and the story is clearly influenced by the legendary Japanese graphic series, Lone Wolf and Cub. Set during the Great Depression, its about a mobster hitman and his son (instead of a samurai and his son iin feudal Japan). Michael O'Sullivan is known as "The Angel of Death" in mob circles for his unflinching gaze and unblemished record as a loyal soldier for the Looney Gang, allies of Al Capone. O'Sullivan lives with his wife and two young sons in the "Tri-Cities" area on the Illinois/Iowa border (Rock Island, Moline, and Davenport). One day, one of his sons-who narrates the story as a flashback-sneaks into his father's car and witnesses a hit he performs. The boys knows killing is a sin and wrong, but his father rationalizes it by explaining that a father's duty is to provide for his family, and being a loyal soldier/killer is all he knows how to do. It's the kind of lip-service to honor and duty that suffices as rationalization in the world of comics and Hong Kong action films, but can't really be held up to the light. In any event, the boy's loss of innocence coincides with his father's betrayal by his employers. Set up to be killed, he escapes, only to discover his wife and other son dead. The father and son duo hit the road for revenge. There's plenty of action and gun-in-both-hand shoot-outs worthy of John Woo, as "The Angel of Death" tries to force the Capone Gang to give up the Looneys. Collins' story and Richard Rayner's meticulous art takes the reader deep into the rackets and slimy lawyers behind the Midwestern mob. Good gritty stuff.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hard road for Michael O'Sullivan and Son, July 8, 2002

By	Zack Davisson "All Good Things" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Road to Perdition (Paperback)

In the Christian vernacular, Perdition is the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment. It can also mean the utter loss of the soul, or of final happiness in a future state. Here, Perdition is the name of a small town where sanctuary and salvation lie for a young boy and his father.

This comic is part tragedy/part action-flick/part morality play, with each part blending into a complex whole. Historical figures, such as Frank Nitty, Al Capone and Eliot Ness hold the stage with the semi-fictional O'Sullivan family. It is Chicago in the 1930's, a time as operatic as the English middle ages with Knights and Castles, or the Tokugawa era of Japan where "Road to Perdition's" ancestor "Lone Wolf and Cub" is set. Trench coats and Tommy-guns play the part of swords and armor, with equal splendor and symbolism.

The art is splendidly realistic and well-crafted. The realism of the art allows for non-comic readers to instantly enter the story. The comic is black and white, like the characters within. The format is pocket-book sized and is easily portable. The author includes a nice forward, explaining the stories origins and historical setting.

"Road to Perdition" is a great read. I am not generally a huge fan of historical fiction, or of crime fiction, but this one won me over.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "one great ride" is an understatement., August 1, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Manila , Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Road to Perdition (Paperback)

I love this book! I don't usually read comics but, This thing blew me away! from the cinematic action sequences , the great story , even up to some cliches that still blended well with the theme. If you've never bought a comicbook in your life, Buy this book. If you're tired of the repeatative comic book themes you usually get in the mainstream comics, GET THIS BOOK , and experience something different ,yet feels right at home. Mr. Mickey Spillane's review "one great ride" is an understatement.