This is a collection of the original series that ran for 19 issues in 1999 from Vertigo/DC comics. It is written by Jamie Delano and drawn by Goran Sudzuka and Goran Parlov. It is reprinted in the format of the Marvel Essential series, black and white art in one big edition. I love these editions, the Marvel Essentials publishes a lot of old comics in one volume for a good price. This volume is $15.99. You couldn't buy the individual issues cheaper, even if you could find them at cover price. This is one of those series I missed when it first came out. I'm not sure why. I like Delano's writing, having enjoyed his run on Hellblazer. I'll let Delano explain the book:
A fast-paced, hard-boiled, black-comic, stoned political thriller; a weird Western; an epic family saga touring the underground mythology of America: it is a "road movie" of personal discovery for its protagonist, 100 year old, amnesiac, semi-deranged pulp fiction-writer, Story Johnson, as he returns home from 25 years MIA in Vietnam to see if the "American Spirit" of his bizarred family has maintained in its resistance to the oppression of the "American Dream".
I don't think I could explain it any better. It's also looks at how fiction shapes reality and how reality is shaped by fiction. This is a really good story. The plan was to continue for a lot longer, but DC pulled the plug at issue 19, so Delano started to try to tie up loose ends starting at issue 15. He does a pretty good job finding an ending point for the story, but it's one that could have gone on a lot longer.
The characters in this story are wonderful, over the top, crazy, emotional but in the end very real. One word of caution, this is for adults only. While it's not x rated, there is some nudity and other adult matters.
I just happened to see this book in the bookstore the other day and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did.
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