The Road to Perdition

Rating:
Summary: As good as the movie (or even better)
Review: I saw ROAD TO PERDITION and loved every minute of it! Everting was great the music, the drama, the action..... So I decided to read the graphic novel and I was blown away! The book was so great I read it in a 30 minutes! What makes it even more interesting is at the end, Max says most of it was based on a true story! Wow! Buy it, it's a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Drawings do not compare to the best
Review: I would just like to point out that if you compare the drawings in Road to Perdition, the backgrounds of which are often ripped straight from photos and in which the main character looks sometimes like a different person frame to frame (and in one image looks like a young Bob Dylan), you realize quickly that this comic cannot compare to cream of the crop artwork in comics such as RUSE: ENTER THE DETECTIVE, which is so facile and versatile and so often done straight from the imagination with such an excellent sense of composition and drama, it takes the wind right out of you. Nor can Perdition's drawings compare to masters such as WILL EISNER whose Spirit comics have more character and personality in a single frame than all of Perdition does put together.

Perdition is an honest, decent attempt and a servicable piece of work, but it is no more than that. It doesn't matter how long it took the guy to draw it. The proof is in the pudding and that's all there is to that. So if we're going to start taking comics seriously and selling them right beside novels in bookstores, let's take a good honest look at what's what, and not start making a big deal out of this rather cliche'd, simplistic, story with merely adequate drawings, just because some studio head decided to make it into a movie.

Rating:
Summary: Graphic Novel Noir
Review: I'd like to preface this review by stating that I don't often read "graphic novels." I guess that the reason is that I've felt that one stops reading comic books at some point and goes on to more serious literature. That assumption is wrong and I've been mistaken. Road to Perdition is much more than a comic book and it may even reach the level of literature.

Road to Perdition is, quite simply put, a morality tale. It is also the story of a boy's relationship with his father whom he both fears and desperately wants to look up to.

Road to Perdition feels like one of those old 1940's gangster movies more than anything. The scenario is quite familiar to any fan of the genre. Gang members do something horrible to one of the gang's family and a war of revenge begins in which all sides lose.. The twist here is that the story is told through the eyes of the avenger's young son.

While anyone used to this type of novel knows the eventual outcome, and I won't give it away here. The novel does have some unique points:the way the story is told, the moral issues and hero worship angle between a boy and his father and some rather striking illustrations by Piers Rayner. There are problems also. The format does not lead to great character development. I never really felt that all the relationships were fleshed out completely.Sometimes the pictures on the page take away from one's ability to picture the action in one's own mind.

On the whole Road to Perdition is not really a great ride but it can be a pretty good one and a reason to take the genre of graphic novels more seriously.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Collins book
Review: I've been reading Collins for quite some time, both his comic book work and his novels, but I missed this when it first came out. I picked up the new edition just a few days ago, and read it today. First, the artwork is amazing. I don't think I'd seen Rayner's work before; it's very detailed and realistic, without sacrificing effective storytelling. The story, of course, is influenced by Lone Wolf and Cub, and touches on some of the same themes as that work. Well, if you like Collins you'll like this. If you like good crime fiction, you'll like this. If you like Lone Wolf and Cub, you'll like this. (I could go on, but you get the idea.)

Rating:
Summary: A hard road for Michael O'Sullivan and Son
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great story, Fantastic artwork
Review: Like many others, I was unfamiliar with the graphic novel until the impending release of the Tom Hanks/Paul Newman film. With those two powerhouse actors involved, I knew that the book had to have some exemplary merits. Boy, was I right!

While the events in the story unfold in their logical progression, the tale involves the reader in the life of Michael O'Sullivan as he seeks revenge on his former employer, the Looney family. Along the way, our protagonist butts heads with the likes of Frank Nitti, Al Capone, and legendary G-man Eliott Ness. This inclusion adds a realism that greatly enhances the storyline.

And the artwork is awesome! Rayner's highly-detailed black & white illustrations allow one to actually feel as if they are trudging the streets of 1930's Chicago, or hear the rat-a-tat-tat of the Tommy guns, as well as cringe to the squeals of the getaway vehicles.

If the movie is 1/2 as good as the book, IT IS AN HONORABLE AND NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENT!

Rating:
Summary: Weak translation -- Collins deserves better
Review: Looking over some of the glowing reviews for this novelization, I have to wonder if these people read the same book I did -- or if they were swayed by the incredible movie or the even better graphic novel. As a novelization, though, I found this pretty weak.

Max Allan Collins is a great crime writer, and his original "Road to Perdition" is one of the best graphic novels I've ever read, but this novelization of the movie based on his graphic novel really lacks teeth. I understand Collins turned in a draft nearly twice as long as this book and the publisher forced him to trim it -- if that is the case, it shows. The book feels tremendously abbreviated, with important scenes and dialogue condensed at every turn. The emotion isn't quite there.

Collins intends to write two more novels to complete what he envisioned as a trilogy to begin with. If he does that, I hope he can convince the publisher to release the unabridged version of this book first to really do the story justice.

Rating:
Summary: much better than the film
Review: Max Allan Collins has earned his reputation as an incredibly prolific writer. If you've read a novelization of a film in the past five years, chances are good that he wrote it. He was the writer behind the daily Dick Tracy comic strip for fifteen years. He wrote mystery novels and screenplays based on his own characters. And of course he's written a few comics here and there as well.

But perhaps the work he is best known for, and the work that stands out as the most meaningful, is a graphic novel he produced in 1998 with Richard Piers Rayner entitled Road to Perdition. Set during the Great Depression and based in historical fact, it is the story of gangster Michael O'Sullivan, better known as the "Angel of Death." While O'Sullivan is out on a hit one day, his son secretly tags along and witnesses the murder. From there both Michael and his son must go on the run from mob boss John Looney, who wants to make sure the boy never gets a chance to tell people what he knows.

Now if you've never heard of Road to Perdition before, you must not get out much, because a year ago it was turned into a film by the director of American Beauty, Sam Mendes. It was the last film that the great cinematographer Conrad L. Hall worked on before he passed away. Released by Spielberg's production company Dreamworks. Starred Tom Hanks and Paul Newman.

That so many brilliant people read this graphic novel and saw some spark in it worth devoting their time to adapting it into a film should be recommendation enough. The film itself does an adequate job of capturing some of that spark, but of course it could never really do the book justice.

There are several brilliant themes at work in the graphic novel, some of which carry over into the film but others of which do not. The key relationship in both the film and the novel is that between Michael and his son, and both works spend a great deal of time exploring the nature of the father/son dynamic. We watch these two bond while on the road, actions juxtaposed with John Looney's protection of his own son Connor. But the film centers on this theme at the expense of all others, leaving concepts in the novel such as the theme of loyalty and betrayal and the differences between revenge and retribution relatively unexplored.

Religion and ethnicity also play major roles in the novel, but both elements of the story are somehow lost in the translation. Their background as Irish immigrants plays a large part in shaping who they are, for it paints them as outsiders who have nowhere else to turn but to each other. The novel also characterizes the "Angel of Death" as both devout Catholic and cold-blooded killer, and through the son's narration, we are able to explore where the line between good and evil should be drawn.

And by cold-blooded killer, I do mean exactly that. The novel's violence, toned down for the film to protect Hanks' image, is graphic in every sense of the word. Road to Perdition is a bloody work with a very high body count, but at the same time it is beautiful. Collins has stated that the films of John Woo were an influence on some of the action sequences, and you can see how well the novel recreated the cinematic qualities of Woo's gun battles, how he is able to make flying bullets seem like a ballet.

In the months since the film's release, I have loaned Road to Perdition out to various people and everyone who read it, including non-comics readers, found it incredibly gripping, a real page turner. My own father, who usually is very reluctant to read, couldn't put it down. It is a very good tool for convincing people that comics aren't just kid's stuff, since it deals with both mature situations and mature themes. In fact, I taught it in a class I recently offered on comics. Not only did it lend itself very easily to discussion, it was also the one book that almost all of my students chose to keep at the end of the semester, rather than try to sell back to the bookstore. And if that's not a high enough recommendation, then I don't know what is.

Rating:
Summary: The novelization is better than the movie
Review: My first comment about Max Allan Collins' Road to Perdition novelization is that I admire him for sticking to the changes of David Self's screenplay, despite his being the author of the original graphic novel Road to Perdition. The second thing, and probably more important, is that I enjoyed Collins' novelization more than the movie Road to Perdition as directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty). Collins' tight prose is a very different approach than Mendes' inherently visual style that often focuses on cinematographic set pieces in lieu of powerful storytelling. However, one cannot help picturing Tom Hanks and Paul Newman in their respective roles, especially given Collins' knack for describing the characters as seen on the screen. For example, this description of John Rooney describes Newman far better than the original John Looney:

"The lanky, almost-tall, white-haired, white-mustached paterfamilias had been a rakishly handsome young man. And even now, in his seventies, his powder-blue eyes, prominent cheekbones, and strong chin gave him the sort of distinctive good looks many a lady ... still sighed over."

I've long admired Collins from afar, having not read any of his work prior to Two for the Money. His prolificity astonished me, particularly one I began seeing his name appearing frequently on CSI tie-in novels. I had seen the movie Road to Perdition, as I mentioned, but, not being particularly impressed by the film, had not pursued any further work by the author until Two for the Money was published by Hard Case Crime (a new publisher I greatly admire) and I actually was immersed into the author's literary world. That changed my mind and I decided to give Collins a chance to tell his own version when I found the Road to Perdition novelization at a library sale.

"Angel of Death" Michael Sullivan is the chief enforcer for crime boss John Rooney and they share a father and son-type relationship. When Sullivan's own son Michael, Jr., witnesses a hit done by Sullivan and Rooney's jealous (and possibly crazy) son Connor, Connor decides to protect his interests by having the boy killed. A mistaken identity leaves only the two Michaels alive and Sullivan sets out for revenge, with son in tow, by hitting them where it will hurt the most.

A combination crime thriller, period piece, revenge treatise, and coming-of-age novel, Road to Perdition satisfies on all levels. As young Michael becomes aware of his father's work, he learns the skills needed to do it properly, becoming a man and tightening their relationship in the process. Through this, the reader learns that even a hired killer loves his family. Collins' sensitivity towards family within these lurid surroundings exhibit his incomparable skill at hiding his literary (and historical) sensibility within familiar genre trappings. Max Allan Collins is one author whose works are both fun and good for you.

Rating:
Summary: ADDICTING! THE PAGES TURN BY THEMSELVES!
Review: NOTE: This review is for the GRAPHIC NOVEL version of "Road to Perdition."

I saw the movie, "Road to Perdition" a couple of days ago, and immediately fell in love with it. The movie was fantastic! I enjoyed every minute. As soon as I found out that the movie was inspired by a graphic novel, I knew that it was something that I needed to read right away. Let me tell you something, seeing the movie and reading this book are two different experiences. Sometimes it's not a good thing, but in this case, it IS. A VERY good thing.

The graphic novel contains the same storyline and most of the characters found in the movie. Michael O'Sullivan has two sides. One side of him is a loving and caring father and husband. The other side of him is a hit man for the mob; a soldier known as the "Angel of Death." When his oldest son decides to tag along on one of his father's jobs, he ends up witnessing a violent shoot out. Although he promises not to tell a soul what he had witnessed, other parties aren't as cofident. Long story short: Michael's wife and younger son are brutally murdered by the same people he works for, leaving him wanting vengeance. And he will not rest until he gets it.

The book is written by Max Allan Collins and the drawings are by Richard Rayner. The writing is spectacular, as well as the illustrations.

The book is VERY different from the movie. One of the main differences is that it is a lot more violent and action-packed than the movie. This is because since it is a graphic novel, it tends to be more action packed in order to appeal to more people who love to read comics. Still, it is an outstanding work of art.

This book IS addicting. You will have this read in no time. And then, you will want to read it again. "Road to Perdition" is an absorbing tale of crime, murder, and a father/son relationship that cannot be broken by anyone or anything. If you enjoyed the movie, read the book. If you enjoyed the book, see the movie. Just remember that the two are different experiences. Don't be too shocked by the differences.