Road to Perdition’s appellation is a fitting one; the road, not so much arduous, but long, and slow. By that I mean it’s production; four years in the making, long for a graphic novel of merely four to five panels per page, but by the product on the page, worth the wait. Road to Perdition marks the first installment of the “read all comics project.” Those familiar with the site will know that Kevin Hellions attempted this, but abandoned it shortly after, searching for common themes to the project, and hopefully, to streamline it a bit. Having recently organize my graphic novel collection, I thought I’d take a stab at it. The sequential order begins with two odd categories; size and  type (paperback & hardcover), small to large, paperback to hardcover.

Max Allan Collins is a hard boiled mystery writer, focusing on detectives, mobsters, and historical fiction. Collins sold his first novel while he was finishing up college; Bait Money, being about a bank robber and his young accomplice, is a theme that would carry over the years, echoing back in Road to Perdition. His first introduction to comic work was the infamous Dick Tracy comic strip. When Collin’s published his “Nolan and Jon” series, it caught the attention of an editor at the Chicago Tribune, as the books were laced with comic book references. Collins submitted a sample story and got the job. He wrote the strip for fifteen years, until a new editor took over. He even went on to do one of the most unsuccessful runs on Batman, where fans called for the death of Robin.

Collin’s call for Road to Perdition came shortly after his end on Dick Tracy. It was an act of desperation, but being asked by DC’s Paradox Press editor Andy Helfer to do a three part graphic novel had it’s silver linings. They were looking for a historical fiction gangster type story, and having a mind to write about John and Connor Looney, real life gangsters in the time of the great depression, Collins jumped at the bit to do it. Through minor time shifts, he was able to incorporate the likes of Al Capone, Frank Nitti, and Elliot Ness, central characters to the story. Though the story’s greatest influence is a Japanese manga entitled Lone Wolf and Cub; a great and influential work, first published in the 1970’s, that has spawned six film adaptations, four plays, and a television series. The story of Ogami Itto, samurai, his banishment from Yagyu clan, and the revenge he takes upon them with his son at his side, has spawned 20+ volumes and a beloved following.

Collin’s Itto is Michael O’Sullivan, a survivor of the great war who put his talents to use as a hitman for the Looney family. Ties between the two families can be traced back to Ireland. Before the Italian’s ran a muck as the face of gangster crime families, it was the Irish. Often, the Irish of the past were painted as the criminal stereotypes that hang over the heads of African Americans and Muslims today. O’Sullivan has built a reputation as “The Angel of Death,” the enforcer for the mob, and is known to a great many people, including Capone’s crime family. Mike’s unique, in that, he leads a double life. Each crafted separate from the other, and it’s when those two lives come together that drives this story. He’s portrayed as a man who’s best skills are in killing, violently and beautifully displayed throughout the book. Richard Piers Rayner’s ability to capture those deadly moments are top notch. He doesn’t make it an exercise in gore, but embraces that moment when death arrives. The other side of his duality is that of a family man, compassionate, loving, disciplinarian. He never discusses his work, and when it comes up in conversation, he puts it to bed.

His son, Michael Jr, idolizes his fathers. So much that he stows away one afternoon just to see what his father does. He witnesses a shocking set of murders in a warehouse, almost getting killed himself as Connor Looney, the boss’ son, catches sight of him looking on after the act. This event pushes over a series of dominoes that leads to the murder of the Angel’s wife and son, and the revenge that he seeks to set upon the Looney crime family.

O’Sullivan and son’s six month journey weaves through multiple cities, including a trip to Chicago to levy with Al Capone, to give up Connor Looney who is in hiding. Capone’s reluctance to give Looney up, due to financial matters, leads Michael to use smarter tactics, which includes knocking over mob banks, making it unprofitable for Capone to keep Looney safe. During this time, Michael Jr. becomes more involved as a getaway driver; something his father never wanted for him, but becomes a necessary evil. These events influence Jr’s life decisions, perhaps it was their time spent repenting after every horrible act. It does make for a great ending; the story is told through Jr’s perspective, writing a memoir to set his father’s story straight.

Collin’s writing is complimented, more and more, with each page, and every panel of Rayner’s artwork. It’s realism is stunning, especially in specific panels where Michael Jr is staring out the car window, taking in the city of Chicago. Never has it looked so monumental and from that child’s perspective, all the more wondrous. Those painstaking drawings, every detail is meticulous, soulful, and at times so real that it’s easy to get lost in. It makes those four years all the more easy to bear on retrospect.

Road to Perdition has continued on in numerous sequels, prose and comic alike, including the newly released Return to Perdition. In 2002, it was adapted into a motion picture staring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Jude Law, and became an Academy Award winning film. Perdition‘s mark has certainly been made, the nice feature, that the original work is still stand alone in many ways. I do recommend that you look into its sequels, but the original is also a work to be cherished and loved for the ages. It’s something to revisit over and over, and share with as many as you can. After all, this is a work that survived the end of its publishing company, and still survives on.