We saw Reuben
lamenting low voter turn-out a couple election cycles back, and we've mentioned the
Hard Times trade a few times; but I just liked this cover from a quarter bin: from 1985,
American Flagg! #26, "Mad Dogs & Englishmen, conclusion" Story and art by Howard Chaykin, letters by Ken Bruzenak, colors by Alex Wald.
This was wrapping up a four-parter with Reuben visiting England, part of a goodwill tour promoting a cease-fire in their war with Ireland. Several conspiracies of varying degrees of complexity seem to conflict with each other, ranging from robot replacements to garden-variety xenophobia and racism. Reuben eventually breaks the case, but loses the girl in the end, at least for now, as he gets on a plane back to Chicago...
...where, somewhat unusually, the back-up feature tied-in, and had a surprising name as well! "The People's Choice" Written by Alan Moore, art by Don Lomax. This was chapter six of a serial that would wrap up with the
main story next month, as some kind of unexplained sexual disaster has refugees fleeing Kansas...and the curious later rushing there to see! Amanda "Mandy" Krieger spends most of this chapter trying to rehearse what she was going to say to Reuben when he got back: that this totally wasn't her fault, it isn't even as bad as they're saying, that's taken out of context, everything's fine...how are you?
Loose Collector has an
American Flagg!--and Raul the Cat!--action figure coming; and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted. Trying to pay down my cards, though; and I just got hit for a spendy Mezco One: 12 just now...
Nice homage to Casablanca there. Very much on brand for Chaykin.
ReplyDeleteYou know, it's not so much the breeding in Kansas you have to worry about, but in the deep, incestious south, like Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, etc.
You beat me to it in referencing that American Flagg figure by Loosecollector. Even if I was still collecting, 70$ for a single figure is WAY too rich for my blood, despite all that you get w/ said figure. Although I can't stress just how tempting the Cabbot and Bloodwulf figures are tho. DAMN they look so good! Honestly ALL those figures made by Loosecollector are well-sculpted.