Max Alan Collins
The Road to Perdition (1998)
Author: Max Alan Collins
Genre: Graphic Novel (Crime and Criminals/Historical)
Plot Summary:
The Road to Perdition, written by Max Alan Collins and illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner, intrigues right from the beginning as the narrator gives glimpses of the hard life in Rock Island, Illinois in the 1930’s. The depression and industrialization are quickly portrayed to create the grim time period in which the novel takes place. After this brief history lesson, Michael O’Sullivan Jr., the narrator and son to the head enforcer of the Irish Mob, takes the reader into the world of 1930’s Irish organized crime. The boy’s father, Michael O’Sullivan, is the “Archangel of Death” for the John Looney and his mob. The boy finds out about his father’s mysterious business by hiding in his father’s car and witnessing his father’s attempt at guarding the Looney’s liquor bootlegging turf, turn into a bloodbath as one of the Looneys and his father are forced to blast away the infringing crooks. His father and the brutal Connor Looney find him hiding as a witness to the carnage. An uneasy understanding is reached between father and son as the young Sullivan vows silence. The Looney family, however, threatened by the fact that the murders were witnessed, betray O’Sullivan and he and his family are sold out to be murdered. Both Michael O’Sullivan and Junior survive but the mother and brother to Junior are murdered by Looney hit men. This sparks off the long agonizing road to revenge against the Looney mob, taken on by O’Sullivan and his son. O’Sullivan’s vengeance is relentless and his Christian religious beliefs do little to slow his slaughter of the mob and his pursuit of Connor Looney who ordered the hit on his family. All the while, the young boy stands witness to his father’s acts and, often times, aids him by driving the get-away car or warning him before disaster strikes.
Geographical Setting: Rock Island, Illinois
Time Period: The Great Depression
Series: Book 1 in the Road to Peridition series
Appeal Characteristics:
This is a wonderful revenge story and I once heard a wise man say that there are no bad revenge stories. There is lots of action and the dialogue is gripping, as is the fate of the father/son renegades. Also, would appeal to historical fiction-lovers as this graphic novel excellently portrays time and place. This book has fast pace action that does not quit until the last page is turned. The dialogue between characters and the narrative segues offered by O’Sullivan Junior keep the story swiftly moving. The artwork very effectively reflects the time period and mood: grimy, gray, and intense. The movie does not come close to giving this work justice….read the graphic novel.
Read-alikes: If you liked this and would enjoy reading more about Mike O'Sullivan and his son, read the On the Road to Perdition series also by Max Allan Collins. Perhaps Collins' writing style was particularly appealing in which case, try Air Force One. Like Road to Perdition, Air Force One was made into a major motion picture. If the artwork of the novel was of interest, try some of Richard Piers Rayner's other artistic endeavors in D.C. and Marvel comics like Swamp Thing or Dr. Who. Want to read more about gangsters and the men who continually tried to put them behind bars, then read The Untouchables by Elliot Ness and Oscar Fraley. And if the reader still hasn't had their fill of mobster related history and want to learn more about the quintessential man of crime, read Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone by John Kobler.
Red Flags: There is some ultra-violence, so the squeamish beware. No sex, no offensive language, at least that I can recall.
On The Road To Perdition: Sanctuary (2003)
Author: Max Allan Collins
Genre: Graphic Novel (Crime/Caper)
Plot Summary:
Micheal O’Sullivan, aka “Angel Of Death”, is on the run from Al Capone and his own Irish mob. This trime he is not alone, he has his young son acting as his accomplish any many a bank robbery. On their tails are two bounty hunters nicknamed the “Two Jacks”, Jack Grizzard and Jack Fallon. What the Two Jacks don’t know is that they’re being tailed also. The “Two Jacks” finally corner Michel and his boy in a catholic church, but while they are deciding what to do Vernon Dolittle shows up with his posse to take his revenge on the Two Jacks for killing his brothers. In a series a quick events the Two Jacks are saved by Micheal O’Sullivan, and Micheal and his son are free to go to be hunted by the Two Jacks another day.
Geographical Setting: Midwest (Illinios and Oklahoma)
Time Period: 1931
Series: second book in the Road To Perdition series
Appeal Characteristics:
Crime is a big deal in this series and could be said to be an appeal characteristic. Also the Graphic Novel element with a fast paced plot and illustration would be another. The Reason that I picked it up was that the movie “Road to Perdition”, which I haven’t seen but am very curious about, was based on the novel. Another appeal characteristic is the idea that a father passes to son, not only his past and present, but his way of life.
Read-alikes: The first readalike that I chose was discovered on the No Flying-No Tights web site, and is entitled Steve Canyon by Milton Caniff. The Steve Canyon books are set roughly in the same time as On the Road to Perdition: Sanctuary, the 1940’s and 1930’s respectively. Both books have elements of mob involvement, in both stories the mob being after both Michael O’Sullivan and Steve Canyon. Both are packed with violence and action, while being very fast paced. The second read alike that I chose for On the Road to Perdition: Sanctuary was the rest of the books in the series. As this particular book is number 2 in a series of three the other books follow the exploits and misadventures of Michael O’Sullivan and his young son, Michael Jr. In the series On The Road To Perdition, written by Max Allan Collins each book is a continuation of the one before. The next readalike is entitled Road to Purgatory. In this tale a grown Michael O’Sulivan, Jr. returns to Chicago to renew his feud with the Capone gang, almost losing his life as he joins with Frank Nitti. Another book by Max Collins that would be a great follow up read is entitled Two for the Money. The plot of this story concerns a professional thief named Nolan who must make an agreement of truce with the whole entire Chicago mafia. The truce involves pulling off one last heist, but when the job goes wrong Nolan finds himself neck deep in trouble. Readers might also consider Vince Locke’s A History of Violence. Because Tom McKenna kills two wanted killers who walk into his diner, he instantly becomes a huge celebrity. Due to this celebrity status he got noticed by a group of men that he thought he had escaped years before. Just as Michael O’Sullivan had to leave all behind, Tom must leave his family and face his past--a past that may take his life. The final read alike is by legendary graphic novelist Frank Miller. Sin City is set in a big town in the 1930’s or 40”s and contains many of the elements of Max Allan Collins’ series, such as high levels of violence crime and the mob.
Red Flags: crime, strong language, violence, and a high level of bloodshed
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