The American Way

by John Ridley

Book Overview

Critically acclaimed novelist and screenwriter John Ridley (Three Kings) offers a unique vision of U.S. history in the thrilling graphic novel The American Way The 1960s were a decade of incredible... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1401212565
• ISBN13: 9781401212568
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Wildstorm
• Length: 182 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.7" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

A great read

This book is one that deserves a second read almost as soon as one finishes it the first time. It's not an easy story by no account. Its rude and as far as comic's go a very real overview of America in a long forgotten time.The early 60's is caught exactly as it was with none of the kindness that one expects. The words are crude as I said but the story will make you look at yourself. This is a worthy book that belongs with The Watchman by Moore as required reading for graphic comic readers.

The superheroes were real. The superheroics were not.

It's the early 1960s, and the United States is nervous. Communism is spreading, the Cold War is in full swing, and Russia has put a man in space and missiles in Cuba. On the home front, racial tensions threaten to tear the country apart. It's a time for heroes, and luckily America has some -- a few genuine superpowers mixed with the products of genetic labwork and scientific trickery. But they're far too valuable as public icons to risk in actual combat with dangerous villains, so -- apart from the occasional mugger or street thug -- the Civil Defense Corps engages in violent, newsmaking battles with ... actors. Yes, actors. The government has created villains to provide foils for the CDC, giving the credulous public something to cheer for. After all, there's no reason to worry about Russia when the likes of Phobos, Freya, Ole Miss, Old Glory and Amber Waves are here to protect us. And then things start to go wrong. A hero dies. An inconvenient spouse is murdered. A killer is let loose, but fails to follow his programming. And an accidental unmasking reveals a popular new hero to be "colored" -- and America isn't ready for that shocking truth. Nor, it turns out, are many of the other heroes. "The American Way" is a tense, gripping story set in a volatile time. Following in the gilded footsteps of Alan Moore's classic "The Watchmen," writer John Ridley gives us heroes who suffer the same failings and bigotries as the "normal" people around them. Some will rise above those failings, while others, of course, will surrender to them. Destined to be a classic, "The American Way" is an exciting, sometimes heartbreaking tale. by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

Superheroes Teach Us About Ourselves

John Ridley et. al. have offered an interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking metaphorical vision of what heroes, super or otherwise, can teach us about ourselves. Set in the era of the Cold War, a team of "very familiar heroes" tackle problems "from beyond our world" and, eventually, address those at the core of our humanity. I read this graphic novel and then passed it off to my 15-year-old son and a very interesting discussion ensued. You can't do much better than that with any novel.

american way,great graphic novel

the manager of my comic book store suggested i read this.this book was awesome,it did bring some truths to the forefront about the 1960's.marvel comics can learn from this book it was drawn and written very well.

Government Sponsored Super Team

It is the Cold War and America has a team of super heroes to help protect justice and the American Way. An ad man who lost his job due to bad timing has been recruited to work for the government and handle PR for the super team. It is then that he learns that while the heroes do exist their reputation is false. The minor crime they stop is real but all of the super-villain battles are carefully scripted and acted out. But as tensions build between America and Russia, America is also being subjected to the buildup of racial tensions between blacks and whites. That is when the ad man comes up with the idea of creating a black super hero. He will be masked at first to win the trust of the country and then it will be revealed that he is black. But an accident reveals the secret too soon and racial tension on the team goes through the roof. How can the situation be diffused? Will extreme sanction be required for all the super heroes? Is there any action that will not make matters worse? All these questions and more make up this fascinating story. Set against real-world events this is a gripping tale of a volatile period in America's history. An interesting new spin on the super hero story but with better grounding in reality than most. Definitely one for fans who like some intelligence in their comics. Check it out.