Return to Perdition

Road to Perdition #5

by Max Allan Collins

A new chapter in the saga of the O'Sullivan crime family from the acclaimed movie ROAD TO PERDITION.The time is America in the early 1970's and our third generation hero, Michael Satariano, Jr. is a Vietnam vet recently returned to the States. He doesn't know that his father's real name was Michael O'Sullivan, and is unaware of the confl ict between his dad, his grandfather and John Looney - the criminal godfather of Rock Island, Illinois. But when he's recruited by the Mob as a hit-man, he's going to learn the hard way that you can never outrun (or outgun) your past.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Crime, Historical Fiction, American, Mystery, Thriller

Hardcover

First published August 30, 2011

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Sud666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a truism that sequels rarely measure up to the original. Sadly, this follow up to the excellent Road to Perdition lives up to that sad truth.

Return feels forced. The story with its various plot lines do not add to the story, unlike in the original where every scene added to the full story. A US Marine named Mike Satariano returns from Laos to find out he's been declared KIA. So he starts to work for the FBI to assassinate key Mob figures for the government. He was told his parents were killed by the mob. This leads to him working his way through various mob figures and we see him fall in love. This twisted story ends with him reuniting with his father-who is in the witness protection program. Turns out he (Mike Satariano) is the grandson of Mike O'Sullivan the Angel of Death. The priest is the son from the story.

The addition of the son seems very forced. This story would have been fine if the author hadn't seen fit to make a huge stretch and try to tie it into his original story. From ruining the cool ending to his first story-where the son does the OPPOSITE of his father and becomes a priest, it cheapens the son's cathartic choice by changing the story to say..well he became a priest after fathering a child and seeing his wife killed-by the mob. It's a bit too convenient-the author would have been better off leaving this story separate from the original. This feels like a forced story from an author trying to recapture the magic in the bottle that was his excellent Road To Perdition. At best this is an ok story.

[Jemir · Rating 3 out of 5]

The great thing about "Road To Perdition" is that it's a passable, even solid, historical/crime/action graphic novel that tells an engaging, yet sometimes choppy, story. Taken on its own merit I may have given it an extra star. But as a long time follower of the "Perdition" series ...

(for the unintiated the order goes:

1. Road To Perdition
2. On The Road To Perdition (which essentially takes place between the chapters of the Road To Perdition)
3. Road To Purgatory
4. Road To Paradise (two prose novels that take place ater the first book that cover the 40's, 50's and 60's {as opposed to the 20's and 30's covered by the first two entries) dealing with Michael O' Sullivan Jr's military and underworld career as well as his family life ... in addition serving to set up a scene set in the 80's on the last page of Road To Perdition with an adult Sullivan that you think would have been wiped out by things that happened in the last two books but transistions smoothly) ... it kind of doesn't (in my opinion, of course) add enough to the over all mythology and actually (in my mind) leaves questions to things that were answered satisfactorily before that point. But again this is the rating of the "Perdition universe" devotee giving this rating and assesment. I would actually recommend this book to anyone that has never read the books (or are only aware of the road to ... entry) so they can get a solid story (which is focused on Sullivan Jr's previously presumed killed-in-Nam son) and fill in the blanks later (akin to recommending someone see a movie adaptation of something before reading a book so that get a richer experience instead of focusing on what's not there).

A solid entry like this is very much worth the read but mabe not as strong as it could have been (or I may have wanted it to be).

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should point out that I'm aware Collins has written other books in the "Perdition" series but I wasn't aware when I read this one. Perhaps if I had I'd change my thoughts, but going in having only read the first "Road to Perdition", this is my overall feeling.

This is a cool noir, crime thriller set in the 1970s. It's very much like the kind of stories Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips create.

I like that the protagonist starts off as a Vietnam War veteran, a hero who ends up sinking deeper into the criminal underworld. So that's probably not a particularly original concept, but I do like that it turns the original "Road To Perdition" on its head by making the protagonist someone who wouldn't normally be immediately associated with the mob.

The artwork by Terry Beatty reminds me a lot of Sean Phillips' style, gritty and real.

But the thing is this isn't really a sequel to "Road to Perdition". It features some of the same characters, and a similar premise that works well in the same universe but it feels like it was a stand-alone crime book that someone figured would work well as a sequel with some tweaks.

And it is a good story with nice artwork, so I'm not complaining, I just think it would work better without references to the original story, or if they were more fully integrated into this one.

I got sucked into it pretty easily, but then all of a sudden there are moments where I'm reminded of the first book and it feels very shoe-horned in. I don't think the first book had any un-answered questions, it worked as a nice, self contained story.

And the thing is, I enjoyed it despite all that. I think it's a well written crime/mystery book that isn't helped by the connection to "Road to Perdition" but it's not really hampered by it either.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return to Perdition is a graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins and art by Terry Beatty.

The fifth and final installment in the Road to Perdition saga (two graphic novels, two prose novels, and now a third graphic novel) brings the O'Sullivan story to a close. Michael Satariano's (Michael O'Sullivan Jr) son was taken prisoner in the final days of the Vietnam War. While his family thinks that he has been killed in action, Michael Jr. is saved and lied to by the American government that his family has been murdered by members of the Chicago mob. The Justice Department sets up Michael Jr. to assassinate mob connections around the country and allow him to seek revenge.

The foundation of this third graphic novel are set up in the second prose novel (Return to Paradise) so if you have only read the other graphic novels, you will be very confused. This is the weakest link in the O'Sullivan family's story but brings the story to a conclusion. Overall, I really enjoyed the series. It is framed strangely jumping from graphic novels to prose novels back to graphic novel, but the prose novels allowed for a lot of character growth. If you are crime fan, and especially like gangster or mob stories, you should give this series a read.

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting end to an incredible series

Vertigo titles are great, and the Perdition series finds a way to be a little bit better.

And this end is no exception.

It combines the intensity of a Punisher Max series with the ups and downs of the best crime books you read.

Just incredible - I highly recommend it !

[Shannon Mawhiney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Color me immensely disappointed. Though I really enjoyed the first two, this fifth installment of the Road to Perdition graphic novel series felt unedited and possibly rushed (similar to the first one, but much worse; Michael's girlfriend calls him by her uncle's name at one point for goodness sake, and it's not the character's mistake). There was nothing very unique about the story, though I was surprised by something near the end and probably shouldn't have been, and I did appreciate that fact. Some parts were rushed through in only a few frames when they should have been much more detailed, and other parts dragged on. I admit I got bored but did finish it, since it isn't terribly long. Some sections appeared to be an excuse to draw naked women, which can be fine if there's a good story to go with it; but when there's not, it comes across as a 13-year-old's pornographic fantasy. Having this one take place in the '70s would have been fine too, even though I really liked the Prohibition-era setting of the first two; but all this felt like was a watered-down version of a '70s gangster film.

The artwork wasn't badly done, and I did appreciate the part that surprised me, so I at least gave it two stars. This book doesn't lessen my love for the second book of the series or the movie based on the first, but I have no desire to go back and read numbers 3 and 4 (Road to Purgatory and Road to Paradise).

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book as the blurb says draws to close the series and it certainly does - but to me in not the manner i was expecting. The strings of the various story lines take a long time to draw together in fact a lot longer than i was expecting and in other aspects rather disappointingly quick. the artwork is a different style and in some ways it works better since we are talking a new generation. So generally a good story but I do not feel it is a particularly strong finish to the series as it could be especially considering the end of the first book and how well that ended

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This better than some of the other "graphic novels" in this series, in that it tells a largely original story, rather than just rehashing events that have already happened in previous books. But it's kind of clunky and doesn't really flow very well as a story. Michael Satariano, Jr., the grandson of the character played by Tom Hanks in the movie, is newly-returned from Vietnam and given the task of killing a number of mafiosos by a sketchy CIA agent. When he's finished, he'll be put into the newly-created witness protection program. Or will he? The art isn't any great shakes, but gets it done.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this third Perdition book, though some of it felt a bit rushed or undercooked (there's allusions to some story about other characters that I assume may be in the novels or...? I wasn't sure and it made me feel lost at a few times.) Still, it's highly entertaining, if maybe a touch more generic than the first one. I did really appreciate how things felt very full-circle towards the end, because until then it didn't quite feel like it belonged in the Perdition series.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Return to Perdition

Michael O'Sullivan's grandson is recruited by the CIA as a hit man to kill everyone connected to the murder of his family. When he falls in love with the niece of his latest target, his handler takes matters into his own hands to ensure that certain events remain a secret forever.

The artwork is clean and crisp and the story works well, with a pleasing conclusion to the 'Perdition' saga.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

The conclusion to an over-rated series is a very standard fare; superior art and more novelistic detail than some similar graphic novels, even with the reduced page size here, don't disguise the fact this is too far removed from the actual Perdition feel to appeal to fans, and not really able to offer anything new. It's a good narrative, but it's all been done before.

[Tom Gase · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good ending to the series (that I know of), but at the same time very predictable throughout. A graphic novel, the drawings are good, the story okay. Still it was nice to enjoy another in the series but I'm hoping it's the last. Getting too far away from Road to Perdition at this point.

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid next generation take on the depression era killing.

[Andrew Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good enough sequel to Road To Perdition.

[Al Capwned · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing like the original Road to Perdition. Feels like a forced "sequel".

[Aaron Guzzwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first graphic novel. Reads like a 90s action movie, nothing too complex.
3.5⭐

[La Revistería Comics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si se observa con atención la portada de Regreso a Perdición, podemos encontrar en ella todas las claves del cómic que nos acerca Panini en su colección Panini Noir. Se trata de una historia sobre la ruptura con el pasado en el mundo del crimen organizado. Quienes conozcan la obra Camino a la perdición, sea en su versión cómic o en la adaptación cinematográfica, identificarán en seguida quiénes son esos personajes de principios del siglo XX que salen en la fotografía. Para quienes no los conozcan, las explicaciones llegarán a medida que avance la lectura de la mano del propietario de ese encendedor de los marines con el que se queman amarras. En cualquiera de los dos casos, la importancia de esta identificación es secundaria, ya que los mecanismos de Regreso a la perdición son de corte clásico y no hay riesgo de perderse.
Siguiendo los pasos de un veterano de la guerra de Vietnam que ha sido reclutado, casi a la fuerza, por el gobierno de Estados Unidos para una operación encubierta en la que podrá obtener venganza sobre quienes han sacado de circulación a su familia, nos adentramos en el mundo de un crimen organizado que evolucionaba ya hacia otro estilo. Ya no son los hampones de la ley seca, sino los herederos de aquellos locos años veinte, mucho tiempo después de que llegara el fin de Al Capone.

Reseña completa en: http://larevisteriacomics.blogspot.co...

[Philip of Macedon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool book. I found this one randomly after having read the first two, which were both excellent. There's a number 3 and 4 out there somewhere, but, not wanting to wait around to get those, and this one appearing to be a stand alone story that didn't require them, I went ahead and read it. And I'm glad I stopped waiting, because the main gist of what happened in the 3rd and 4th installments was filled in here. This is the end of the series, and I suppose a fine capstone to the O'Sullivan family story. Not a particularly special ending, but a good and solid, though simple, plot with enough violence and crime and desperation to keep the pages turning and the story interesting. It's not on par with the first two, and this one's two generations down the line, taking place in the 70s instead of the 30s. Good illustration, though not as noir-like and hardboiled as that of the original. But the setting and mood are developed well, mostly visually, and although it's less graphic in its presentation of violence it's got plenty of character. A great way to kill an hour and a half.

[Periklis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good (open)ending to the Perdition Saga. Great art. The story would feel even better if I hadn't read the terrific Badlands, which tackles the same issues (more or less) in the same cultural background (CIA, Mafia, the JFK assassinations and the Vietnam war).

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had realized this wasn't the direct sequel to Road to Perdition so I was missing a bit of information. Seemed like a standard mafia story but it was still pretty entertaining. I'll go back and read the ones between this one and Road to Perdition at some point.

[Norman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Max Allan Collins writing in graphic and written form. I loved the first two Road to perdition graphic novels. I loved the film. Unfortunately i didn't feel that added much to the myth except to say that what goes around, comes around! Terry Beatty's art gets better and better

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda flat, emotionally.

[Timo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paljon parempi kuin edellinen osa Kadotusta.
Paitti että taide tässä on huonointa mitä olen pitkiin aikoihin nähnyt. Kankeaa ja ainakaan käsiä Terry Beatty ei taida osata piirtää.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing a great tale

[P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh mafia stories. It's so hard for me to care about you.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a spoiler but this is set in the 1970s and is only loosely connected to original. Decent book but I preferred the older setting.

[Josh Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was forced and complete bullshit. Other than that, a quick read and pretty good.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recopilatorio español que traduce la conclusión de la saga Perdition.

[Scott Weatherby · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5.

You can jump into this one blind, but my copy was rated Young Adult; this is NOT a young adult book by any means...

[Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realized after I finished that I had missed the previous books in the series. It still made sense though. Pretty good, nothing mind-blowing.