I remember hearing about Road to Perdition back in middle school. The movie had just come out with rave reviews. I knew it was based off a graphic novel, but I never really bothered much with it. It wasn’t until last week when I was browsing the graphic novel section at the library when I thought about Road to Perdition again. It looked interesting, so I checked it out pretty much on a whim. Even though it isn’t the kind of thing I usualy read, I’m glad I read this.
I couldn’t find a decent picture of the cover of the graphic novel
Road to perdition involves a 1930’s mob killer named Michael O’Sullivan. In addition, Michael has a family that doesn’t know what he does for a living. For awhile, Michael was able to keep the two lives separate. Eventually, his professional and personal lives collide, and Michael’s wife and one of his sons pay the price. In order to protect his remaining son and also out of revenge, Michael wages a one-man war against those responsible for the betrayal.
This story is fantastic not so much for the plot, but the characters that drive the plot. We see Michael through the eyes of his remaining son, and from that perspective, Michael is a engrossing character. Watching as Michael struggles with the demands of his Catholic beliefs, his work, his family and his sense of duty and revenge is fascinating. Amid the violence and betrayals, Max Allan Collins manages to say something remarkably poignant about fatherhood and every father’s duty to his family. There is great beauty in that.
The art is phenomenal. I normally like to have color in my graphic novels, but I honestly believe that would have been a disservice in this case. There is a lot conveyed in just black in white. The art also injects the novel with a sense of realism, transporting you back to the 1930’s. I do have a slight nitpick, however. Sometimes the characters aren’t illustrated as consistently. As a result, there are a few panels where it’s hard to see which character is who. It’s nothing major, but I did notice it a couple times.
There is also something to be said about the author’s portrayal of religion. While the hypocrisy of these gangsters, especially when it comes to their religious beliefs, is highlighted, the novel never veers into shitting-all-over-Catholicism territory. Absent are the worn out cliches of pedophile priests, religious fanatics or superstitious fundamentalists. Catholicism and its adherents are far more complicated than that, and the novel is all the better for shying away from religious cliches. I give Max Allan Collins a standing ovation for that.
Ultimately, Road to Perdition is a deeply moving graphic novel with great art and fantastic main characters. I highly recommend it.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
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