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The American Way #1
The American Way
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 change for America. It was a time of innocence. It was a time of optimism. It was a time of heroes.
In the early '40s, the United States government hatched a plan to create the Civil Defense Corps: a group of "super-heroes" who could fight alien invasions, evil super-powered beings and communism, all in front of an adoring public, courtesy of television. But that dream was far from reality by the `60s, as new C.D.C. Marketing Director Wesley Catham is about to discover. How far will America go to protect its dream of a better tomorrow?
Collects issues #1-8
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2007
4 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
John Ridley
221 books92 followersJohn Ridley IV (born October 1965)[2] is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for 12 Years a Slave, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed anthology series American Crime. His most recent work is the documentary film Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.
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Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 8, 2017
Ugh. What a slog. I've often found that acclaimed novelists, when given the chance to write a comic, have no idea what to do. There's a tendency to get very talky, without much action. And that's largely what's on display here in a sub-Watchmen story of "superheroes" run by a government agency during the 1950s and 60s. Poor characterizations--the heroes don't have a lot of individuality--and a pretty dumb story overall. I kept putting this down and coming back to it days later, but I did finally finish. The artwork is little more than serviceable throughout. Don't know why this warranted a special 10th anniversary reprinting. Don't know why this warranted printing in the first place, actually. There's really very little of note in this entire collection.
August 2, 2010
Superheroes are defined by their villains. But the heroes of The American Way don't have an arch-enemy to kick around. They exist merely to promote U.S. propaganda. An interesting idea? Maybe. And maybe not. Because the story takes place inside the Kennedy White House, we get lots of talk about nuclear war and civil rights. And, of course, the heroes are exploited to suit the government's agenda. In the end all the historic signifiers take a backseat to a bunch of bickering (and bored) superheroes. Where's Mr. Mxyzptlk when you need him?
June 28, 2017
Very interesting read. Nice take on how the government would use the concept of superheroes to control public attitude and opinion. Good art and story. Recommended
July 9, 2020
I liked this, and want to find the sequel! Jeanty does great work on the superhero art and storytelling: his and Ridley's team is kind of a mashup, an alternate history, that works well in comparison with other superhero sagas. I missed historical and geographic specificity in the early 1960s characters, as for instance, Attorney General Robert Kennedy plays a large role, largely off-camera. I loved the narration and dialogue, as in Ridley's other scripting.
Mildly recommended.
Mildly recommended.
January 9, 2022
An interesting super heroic tale set in the early 60s. I read the sequel recently and decided to give this a reread. I’m curious at Ridley’s world building, and kind of wish there was more supplementary info in the book.
April 4, 2012
I very much enjoyed this story of groups of 1960's superheroes being created by the government to fight faux foes based on propagandist enemies. This is done in an effort to bolster American confidence and steer public opinion.
The story hits its stride when a black man is introduced into the program. The thought is that after several years of fighting under a helmet, he'll be revealed as black in order to help along the civil rights movement because he's a known heroic quantity. Only the government minders know his true identity. However, in an early fight, his helmet is smashed and his identity is made known.
In addition to questions from his own team and the public, he also faces the hatred of certain members of the southern branch of the superteams. There is also a conspiracy element that adds suspense, but kind of takes away from the main story, in my opinion.
Ridley's story is well constructed overall (I'll definitely be checking out some of his novels), and Jeanty's art is strong.
The story hits its stride when a black man is introduced into the program. The thought is that after several years of fighting under a helmet, he'll be revealed as black in order to help along the civil rights movement because he's a known heroic quantity. Only the government minders know his true identity. However, in an early fight, his helmet is smashed and his identity is made known.
In addition to questions from his own team and the public, he also faces the hatred of certain members of the southern branch of the superteams. There is also a conspiracy element that adds suspense, but kind of takes away from the main story, in my opinion.
Ridley's story is well constructed overall (I'll definitely be checking out some of his novels), and Jeanty's art is strong.
November 17, 2017
3.5. In the early 1960s, a new JFK hire learns the Civil Defense Corps (think JLA/Avengers) are a government front — the powers are real, the big battles are staged to build public morale. When the patriotic Old Glory is apparently killed by a Commie, the government tries a desperate scheme to shore up the public's esteem, but it goes horribly wrong. There's a lot I like about this but not quite enough to give it a higher rating. For one thing, the hero names are off — East Coast Intellectual is silly and who in the federal government would approve a hero named Southern Cross with fire powers ("southern cross" references KKK cross-burnings). And the ending feels like a cop-out — instead of wrapping up, everything's open for sequels.
November 4, 2017
Recently been reading an odd number of superhero books that take an alt-history look at race relations and the south. They can be interesting but havent quite figured out where I come down on them
March 23, 2018
I picked this up on a whim after I came across news that there would soon be a sequel out for it.
This is a limited series comic book by John Ridley, Oscar-winning writer of ‘12 Years a Slave’. Set in the 60s during JFK’s regime, the story follows former ad salesman Wes Catham, who takes a job offer from his friend, Bobby Kennedy, to manage the Civil Defense Corps. The CDC are government-run superheroes who fight staged battles to give America hope and keep the Russians at bay.
But things go south from Wes’ very first day - the heroic beacon of light, Old Glory, dies in battle and suddenly nothing is the same again. Despite Wes coming up with an excellent plan to soothe race relations in America, things keep taking a turn for the worst. Soon, the heroes seem intent on fighting each other rather than any external enemy - real or imagined.
The concept of this book is excellent, but its execution is poor. The revelation that the CDC are little more than actors is a refreshing take on the superhero genre, but the creators are unable to follow through on this. The entire book seems to be conceived for the sole purpose to tear these heroes apart and show them for who they really are, racist bigots. While I’m fine with that, the writing itself didn’t work hard enough to make the reader care about these characters or be innovative enough for us to appreciate the novelty of it all.
Ridley’s narrative structure is representative of all high-brow comic books, full of philosophical musings and melodramatic flare, but it lacks coherence. There are too many characters with very little personality. People like X15, East Coast Intellectual and Hellbent - the names are truly outrageous in this book - only appear for plot purposes. They do little by way of story or characterization.
Also, what is the point of having someone of superior intellect, and another who can see the future, if neither does anything with that power? People get hurt, maimed, worse, and these two superheroes do nothing but speak in rhetoric. Too little too late, methinks.
Also, while we find out the truth behind Wanderer, the alien superhero, the origins of Freya remain a mystery; is she really a Norse goddess or something else? Apparently we don’t need to care, because she’s just a female hero. The trouble with many of the characters is that they come across as Marvel and DC knock offs. Pharos is a Superman-like character, with all the goodness and purity of the original, plus a journalist love interest who is more often the story herself. Sound familiar? Many of the other characters also mirror those who have come before, a strange choice given this was written in 2007, and series like Alan Moore’s Top 10 would have suggested what a range of superhero powers and personalities can be mined from imaginative minds.
For a book about solving race relations, it is very, very white. There is only the one black character and everyone is trying to kill him. Other black people only turn up to be killed or worse. There’s trying too hard and there’s trying to be clever - this one fails at both. It feels like the writer wanted a pat on the back for trying to show up the racists as bad guys, but he never goes far enough to outright condemn them.
Also, Ridley isn’t very good at writing the female characters. Catham’s wife is little more than window dressing to show how much HE is sacrificing and missing out on. The only time we see her interact with anyone is when she’s obviously jealous of a good-looking reporter showing up at her door. Why is she like this?
The superhero women include three and all three of them have the stupidest outfits ever. At least Ole Miss isn’t bursting out of her clothes, which the other two can’t avoid. It’s annoying to come across so much pedantic pondering when the art betrays the true nature of the creators’ thinking.
The art is uninteresting and very familiar. The characters are not only written as carbon copies of each other but many are drawn as such as well. There are times when I honestly couldn’t make out who was talking because all the three men in a panel looked and spoke the same. The heroes suffer the same fate.
I am concerned what the sequel will bring. Hopefully more actual diversity and not just the lip service/ white savior trope this book meted out.
Is this worth a read? If you want to spend an aggravating evening in the midst of condemnable characters and flat writing, sure go ahead.
This is a limited series comic book by John Ridley, Oscar-winning writer of ‘12 Years a Slave’. Set in the 60s during JFK’s regime, the story follows former ad salesman Wes Catham, who takes a job offer from his friend, Bobby Kennedy, to manage the Civil Defense Corps. The CDC are government-run superheroes who fight staged battles to give America hope and keep the Russians at bay.
But things go south from Wes’ very first day - the heroic beacon of light, Old Glory, dies in battle and suddenly nothing is the same again. Despite Wes coming up with an excellent plan to soothe race relations in America, things keep taking a turn for the worst. Soon, the heroes seem intent on fighting each other rather than any external enemy - real or imagined.
The concept of this book is excellent, but its execution is poor. The revelation that the CDC are little more than actors is a refreshing take on the superhero genre, but the creators are unable to follow through on this. The entire book seems to be conceived for the sole purpose to tear these heroes apart and show them for who they really are, racist bigots. While I’m fine with that, the writing itself didn’t work hard enough to make the reader care about these characters or be innovative enough for us to appreciate the novelty of it all.
Ridley’s narrative structure is representative of all high-brow comic books, full of philosophical musings and melodramatic flare, but it lacks coherence. There are too many characters with very little personality. People like X15, East Coast Intellectual and Hellbent - the names are truly outrageous in this book - only appear for plot purposes. They do little by way of story or characterization.
Also, what is the point of having someone of superior intellect, and another who can see the future, if neither does anything with that power? People get hurt, maimed, worse, and these two superheroes do nothing but speak in rhetoric. Too little too late, methinks.
Also, while we find out the truth behind Wanderer, the alien superhero, the origins of Freya remain a mystery; is she really a Norse goddess or something else? Apparently we don’t need to care, because she’s just a female hero. The trouble with many of the characters is that they come across as Marvel and DC knock offs. Pharos is a Superman-like character, with all the goodness and purity of the original, plus a journalist love interest who is more often the story herself. Sound familiar? Many of the other characters also mirror those who have come before, a strange choice given this was written in 2007, and series like Alan Moore’s Top 10 would have suggested what a range of superhero powers and personalities can be mined from imaginative minds.
For a book about solving race relations, it is very, very white. There is only the one black character and everyone is trying to kill him. Other black people only turn up to be killed or worse. There’s trying too hard and there’s trying to be clever - this one fails at both. It feels like the writer wanted a pat on the back for trying to show up the racists as bad guys, but he never goes far enough to outright condemn them.
Also, Ridley isn’t very good at writing the female characters. Catham’s wife is little more than window dressing to show how much HE is sacrificing and missing out on. The only time we see her interact with anyone is when she’s obviously jealous of a good-looking reporter showing up at her door. Why is she like this?
The superhero women include three and all three of them have the stupidest outfits ever. At least Ole Miss isn’t bursting out of her clothes, which the other two can’t avoid. It’s annoying to come across so much pedantic pondering when the art betrays the true nature of the creators’ thinking.
The art is uninteresting and very familiar. The characters are not only written as carbon copies of each other but many are drawn as such as well. There are times when I honestly couldn’t make out who was talking because all the three men in a panel looked and spoke the same. The heroes suffer the same fate.
I am concerned what the sequel will bring. Hopefully more actual diversity and not just the lip service/ white savior trope this book meted out.
Is this worth a read? If you want to spend an aggravating evening in the midst of condemnable characters and flat writing, sure go ahead.
September 15, 2018
Weird. I can see how even just 10 years ago this might have been sly and side-eyed in terms of its re-telling of the 60s and 70s racial tensions and the attempt to integrate the space program, but now it comes off as a little ham-handed and one-dimensional. Yes, racism: but the word *nigger* every five pages wears on a reader. In addition, the character of Hellbent is perverted in a way that's simply for sensationalism. Otherwise, this is fairly well written, beautifully put together and reads with pathos. Would give the sequel a try.
March 23, 2018
Aside from the occasional slide into divergent narration (it was jarring when, for example, Secret Agent narrated two pages, before Wes's main narration continued) and the unsatisfying reveal of the mastermind, I enjoyed this. The narration was a little too heavy at times, but I thought Ridley did a great job examining the tensions - political and racial - of the 60s and extrapolating how superbeings would react during that time.
Smart stuff, competently drawn. Enjoyed it.
Smart stuff, competently drawn. Enjoyed it.
October 1, 2022
DNF!! I'm sorry. This is such an interesting idea but I couldn't finish it. John Ridley does such a poor job of making me care about these characters. This is definitely the case of idea over execution. This was so boring. Georges Jeantty's work looked super rushed. There are some seriously bad panels. He's a good artist so this isn't the norm. Overall, just completely boring.
July 17, 2017
Phenomenal.
This is not a simple polemic. Ridley weaves a story about race and politics that is shockingly subtle.
This is not a simple polemic. Ridley weaves a story about race and politics that is shockingly subtle.
May 29, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, as it puts quite an interesting spin on the super hero genre that sometimes feels so saturated with similar stories.
July 28, 2007
The American Way is a great idea for a comic story that could’ve been an amazing book, but certain scenes hold it back from being ranked among the other good superhero books like Watchmen and Powers.
The American Way follows government-sponsored superheroes (under the decidedly unheroic but bureaucratic name the Civil Defense Corps) in the early 1960s (just as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were resuscitating the superhero genre) that has two big problems: they’re all white, and they’re all a sham. The Corps, especially its Southern Defense Corps branch, is as racist as many Americans were during the 1960s, and all the Corps big battles are government-staged theatre to placate the population fearful of the Red Scare. The book follows a former advertising executive who joins the CDC and tries to integrate the group while maintaining their secret.
When I looked at the American Way trade paperback, I quickly noticed that the first half of the pages have white edges and gutters, while the second half is black. That does reflect a darker turn in the book’s plot, as the villainous Hellbent and virulent racism rips the teams apart.
Both of the book’s twists—the racism and the fake battles—are very excellent ideas. Some of the Southern heroes (which also includes a sage, still-living Mark Twain) spew N-words and other epithets without conscience in ways that you don’t see in early Spider-Man comics, but were common in the South. And if a government were to create superheroes, why not use them as propaganda?
While the ideas are great, the execution falls flat in places. Writer John Ridley makes some crucial scenes (like the Wanderer going crazy) a bit too confusing. Throughout the book, he packs in a few too many characters, and as a result some are merely analogues of DC or Marvel characters with similar powers. Ole Miss is an intriguing character, as is the racist Human Torch-esque Southern Cross, but I barely picked up any character from X-15 or the East Coast Intellectual. Georges Jeanty does a serviceable job on the book, though none of his character designs are that iconic.
The American Way follows government-sponsored superheroes (under the decidedly unheroic but bureaucratic name the Civil Defense Corps) in the early 1960s (just as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were resuscitating the superhero genre) that has two big problems: they’re all white, and they’re all a sham. The Corps, especially its Southern Defense Corps branch, is as racist as many Americans were during the 1960s, and all the Corps big battles are government-staged theatre to placate the population fearful of the Red Scare. The book follows a former advertising executive who joins the CDC and tries to integrate the group while maintaining their secret.
When I looked at the American Way trade paperback, I quickly noticed that the first half of the pages have white edges and gutters, while the second half is black. That does reflect a darker turn in the book’s plot, as the villainous Hellbent and virulent racism rips the teams apart.
Both of the book’s twists—the racism and the fake battles—are very excellent ideas. Some of the Southern heroes (which also includes a sage, still-living Mark Twain) spew N-words and other epithets without conscience in ways that you don’t see in early Spider-Man comics, but were common in the South. And if a government were to create superheroes, why not use them as propaganda?
While the ideas are great, the execution falls flat in places. Writer John Ridley makes some crucial scenes (like the Wanderer going crazy) a bit too confusing. Throughout the book, he packs in a few too many characters, and as a result some are merely analogues of DC or Marvel characters with similar powers. Ole Miss is an intriguing character, as is the racist Human Torch-esque Southern Cross, but I barely picked up any character from X-15 or the East Coast Intellectual. Georges Jeanty does a serviceable job on the book, though none of his character designs are that iconic.
February 27, 2011
I was flabbergasted by how great this book was. Ridley tells a post-superhero story that instantly becomes unique in its setting: Kennedy-era 1960s. The richness of the background in Ridley's story is rife with '60s nostalgia and historical awesomeness. However, in this alternate history, superheroes not only exist in America but are engineered by a government that uses their staged exploits to manipulate public perception during the Cold War.
But the cornerstone of THE AMERICAN WAY is the story's main protagonist, a Mad Men-style ad man who is brought in by Robert Kennedy to improve the government's superheroes' Q rating. This ad man serves the role of the everyman in evaluating the right and wrong of the story's main theme: the 1962 divisions in thought between the American south and north... particularly as it related to race relations.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted when it comes to social commentary between whites and blacks in this turbulent time in America's history. There is a TON of uncomfortable language and scenes, most of which leans toward the mature. Be forewarned.
Georges Jeanty's art on this story is amazing, possibly the best of his career. Not only are his superhumans awesomely designed with a great '60s flair, but he maintains an attention to detail for the background of Ridley's story that I think could have been easily glimmer over.
Finally, I bought this version of THE AMERICAN WAY via DC's digital comics store on the iPad. The first issue was free and the remaining 7 are $1.99, making it about a $14 investment for the whole book. I think it's totally worth the price. The digital experience for this comic is a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed it, so much so that I think it's a great deal. Don't miss it.
But the cornerstone of THE AMERICAN WAY is the story's main protagonist, a Mad Men-style ad man who is brought in by Robert Kennedy to improve the government's superheroes' Q rating. This ad man serves the role of the everyman in evaluating the right and wrong of the story's main theme: the 1962 divisions in thought between the American south and north... particularly as it related to race relations.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted when it comes to social commentary between whites and blacks in this turbulent time in America's history. There is a TON of uncomfortable language and scenes, most of which leans toward the mature. Be forewarned.
Georges Jeanty's art on this story is amazing, possibly the best of his career. Not only are his superhumans awesomely designed with a great '60s flair, but he maintains an attention to detail for the background of Ridley's story that I think could have been easily glimmer over.
Finally, I bought this version of THE AMERICAN WAY via DC's digital comics store on the iPad. The first issue was free and the remaining 7 are $1.99, making it about a $14 investment for the whole book. I think it's totally worth the price. The digital experience for this comic is a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed it, so much so that I think it's a great deal. Don't miss it.
March 20, 2019
This book started off with a great premiss and great promise. I literally couldn't put it down. Then it seemed like the authors had to quickly finish. Like with most unusual comic ideas, I'm guessing this one didn't take and was, sadly, cancelled.
This book could have been WAY more. Not just as a comic but lessons in forgiveness, justice, equality and, dare I say it, being human. Again, sad to see it end quickly.
Addendum: I read this for the second time. That’s not something I normally do. The story sat better with me this time. Still could have been way more, but it was definitely a good read.
This book could have been WAY more. Not just as a comic but lessons in forgiveness, justice, equality and, dare I say it, being human. Again, sad to see it end quickly.
Addendum: I read this for the second time. That’s not something I normally do. The story sat better with me this time. Still could have been way more, but it was definitely a good read.
October 2, 2007
Picked this up on a whim when I needed something to read on the train home last week—apparently Joss Whedon liked it enough to ginch artist Georges Jeanty for his new Buffy comic, so I figured it must have something going for it, right? Turns out it did—this is actually very well done. Sure, the allegory is painted in pretty broad strokes, but flying people in tights aren't exactly known for subtlety, right? Fits nicely in with some of the better superhero comics of recent years—Astro City, Planetary, Supreme, etc—in the way it takes established archetypes and tweaks them.
January 14, 2008
cast from the "Watchmen", "Truth: Red, White and Black" mold - troubled racist playacting superheroes that are a facade for the government who stages fights for them to boost national moral....an ex adman for the auto industry gets hired as a spin doctor for the Kennedy White House and introduces the lone African American superhero to the mix...the world is forever changed
John Ridley is a great author who hasn't received his proper due
John Ridley is a great author who hasn't received his proper due
June 24, 2008
Though I think the narrator slows down the narrative (huh.. story that is...) and makes this books sound FAR TOO preachy (like Kevin Smith's Dogma preachy) I think the author stumbled on a great Superhero story (and there are so few of them). Not to mention that this book features one of the most frightening villains I've ever read. I also LOVE Jeanty's art. He is drawing Buffy season 8 now and it's also fan-damn-tastic.
December 17, 2015
Pretty terrible actually. The story-the government creates a team of superheroes to foster to the unity during the Cold War, and then they fight among themselves when a black superhero shows up. I had tons of problems with the writing-very hamhanded, a billion different interchangeable characters, and pretty terrible resolution. The art wasn't really anything to write home about either, the characters didn't really feel like they were inhabiting the early 60's.
June 9, 2011
This book was in the vein of Busiek's Astro City, setting up an alternate history with superheroes. In this case, the political and racial tensions of the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis coupled with the fight for Civil Rights. As such there is a lot of strong language, with plenty of F-bombs and N-words tossed around, but none of it is gratuitous. It's an interesting take on that era, but it's also a pretty good story in and of itself.
March 19, 2013
Definitely enjoyable, and rewardingly nasty; while it is definitely anvilly throughout, it is possibly more effective as social- and cape- commentary than some of Warren Ellis' work, if only because it plays around with the ordinary assholery of whitecollar gits. I'm going to give this a four because despite needing a bit of an edit, it overcomes its preachiness to genuinely engage one on a visceral level... and surprisingly well at that. A keeper.
Read
July 28, 2016Clever superhero deconstruction with strong thematic parallels to America in the 1960s (when the story is set). A bit like Watchmen, there are lots of clever bits that riff off comics and other bits of pop culture. Main problem here are the villains -- primarily one who arises out of nowhere with no motivation.
Great art.
Great art.
October 25, 2020
This is a very good (if brutal) look at racial tensions in 60s US.
It falls short of being a classic in that there are too many characters with poorly defined powers, and it borrows too heavily on plots from Watchmen, Justice Society: Golden Age and Kingdom Come.
Shame.
It falls short of being a classic in that there are too many characters with poorly defined powers, and it borrows too heavily on plots from Watchmen, Justice Society: Golden Age and Kingdom Come.
Shame.
April 6, 2008
Such a great premise but such disappointing execution.
February 11, 2009
The government creates superheroes to foster national pride and shape popular opinion.
September 1, 2010
My full review on Guerrilla Geek: http://www.guerrillageek.com/2010/08/...
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews