American Century: Scars and Stripes

by David Tischman, Howard Chaykin, Aamna Qureshi

It's 1950, and Harry Block, a fighter jock who distinguished himself in the skies over Europe in World War II, is recalled to active duty in Korea. Harry decides to bail on the president's offer, his career, and his keeping up-with-the-Joneses suburban life. He hijacks a plane, reinvents himself as Harry Kraft, and sets out to live an extraordinary new life of action and adventure, set against the tumultuous halfway point of the American Century...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563897911
• ISBN13: 9781563897917
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Vertigo
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.7" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Chaykin spins an interesting '50s yarn

Howard Chaykin has a healthy comics pedigree, working on such titles as: Star Wars, the Shadow, and (probably his greatest work) American Flagg. His style fits the era perfectly. The content of the stoy is adult-oriented and non-superhero, providing a fine alternative to the spandex crowd. I followed the book when it originally came out. Chaykin places the main character in proximity to relevant people and places of the time, somewhat like authors Gore Vidal or John Jakes would. It would play well as a television mini-series. I recommend it to a fan of Chaykin's work or a comic book reader interested in an under-utilized period of American history.

Gives the best of Chaykin --

-- and some of the worst. So let's start positive. What's best is his figures, and his fascination with 1940s style. OK, this is early `50s, but close enough. The style lets men look good, and lets women look better - curves were OK back then. More of the good comes from his narrative pace, but especially his framing. Somehow, every panel comes across as important, nothing is there just to fill a hole in the page. And any strip with a DC3 in it has some personal nostalgia for me. The story is the kind that Chaykin does well, something bordering on film noir style, but with more daylight. Everyone has a layer of grime on them the just won't wash off. And the time of the story had its ugly points, too. Rosa Parks hadn't made her famous bus ride yet, and if someone was anti-semitic, "he didn't mean anything by it." Even if his art is as good as ever, maybe better than some of his older, more angular look, the story wallows in the dark side. There are a few put-upon, likeable characters. There was the black secretary back when they weren't called blacks, and the hooker with a heart of gold, not that her heart was ever part of the deal. Everyone else, Our Hero included, just makes you glad to be someone else. It's good, but Chaykin has done better. //wiredweird

A fine start...

Scars & Stripes contains issues 1 through 4 (the first story arc) from the Vertigo title, American Century. The first issue alone is worth the price of the book, as it sets up Harry's wandering ways. Imagine a character similiar to Indiana Jones that leans more towards an anti-hero. That is Harry. Love the artwork from Marc Lamning! 'Pulp' definitely is the best way to describe this series. The future for this title is bright. Definitely for adults.