One of the few safe-for-work scans from Cruel and Unusual:

Written by Jamie Delano and Tom Peyer, pencils by John McCrea, inks by Andrew Chiu; Cruel and Unusual isn't just another one of Vertigo's best limited series; it's one I read every year or so and am vaguely worried every time that a lot of it is going to come true. Of course, I probably worry about that when I read the Filth, 2020 Visions, the unfun parts of Transmetropolitan...

Set in a not-too-distant future, each issue is introduced by Marion Meach, a conniving, glad-handling hustler so sleazy Larry Flint would be ashamed for him. Marion should be on top of the world: his cable network the Salvation Channel is raking it in with trashy bible movies like "Jesus in America" above: "The Greatest Story ever Retold for our times." By throwing money at the Florida gubernatorial election, he got Benny Guevara elected and should have him in his pocket. And Marion just got a sweetheart deal to run a private jail for the state. And there his troubles begin.

Salvation Channel producer Bobbie Flint is on the outs with the network she helped blow up: forced to apologize and resign after an abortion, Bobbie is forced to take a new position, not quite the one the leering Meach wants her in, but close: new warden of the Paradiso Bay State Penitentiary. As Bobbie is hazed by the automated intake system, it quickly becomes obvious that the prison's a brutal, overcrowded, and corrupt nightmare; staffed by a skeleton crew of drug addicts and sadists. She wants the prison shut down, while Marion wants it to turn a profit again.

Bobbie gets the idea to do both:

Setting up pay-per-view events, phone sex banks of female inmates, and the over-the-top ringleader persona of Warden Whiplash, Bobbie's plan to expose the mistreatment of the inmates and the prison's corruption backfires: the expected outrage is virtually nonexistent, while the profits start rolling in for Marion. Even a live execution of an obviously insane woman only makes America roar for more. Meanwhile, Bobbie's estranged and troubled daughter gets herself in trouble following her mom's example...

Somehow, I don't think Cruel and Unusual has ever been collected in trade. Even in Texas. (A brief bit in the fourth issue features a knockoff Texas show that promises to "show 'em how it's done!") It's vulgar, violent, ethically questionable across the board, and still far funnier than it should be. While some may think it goes to far; I'm just glad prison hasn't gone that far yet. 'Yet' being the key modifier there...really, Arizona?

Really should do an all-Vertigo week one of these days...