Road to Perdition is a series of fictional works written by Max Allan Collins.
The comic book of the original series, with art by Richard Piers Rayner, was published by DC Comics' imprint, Paradox Press. It was adapted into the 2002 film of the same name, starring Tom Hanks, for which Collins also wrote the novelization.
Stories[]
- Road to Perdition
The basis for the film, this story is loosely based on the Japanese manga series Lone Wolf and Cub[1]: Michael O'Sullivan, the ruthless but honorable enforcer for a crime syndicate, is personally betrayed by his masters and is forced to flee with his young son Michael Jr. on a quest for revenge. The story is set in the American Midwest during the Great Depression and draws upon several historical figures, especially the gangster John Patrick Looney, of Rock Island, Illinois; in real life, Looney came into conflict with Dan Drost, a formerly loyal lieutanant in their crime organization, and their feud eventually led to the death of Looney's son Connor.[2]
- On the Road to Perdition
This three-part miniseries of graphic novels was written after the original story, but deals with events within the same timeframe. All three parts were published as individual installments, but have also been reprinted as a single combined volume.
- Road to Purgatory and Road to Paradise
These two prose sequels deal with the adult life of Michael O'Sullivan Jr., under his adoptive identity of Michael Satariano: after military service in Bataan during World War II, he returns to the world of organized crime to seek revenge on other gangsters who had been complicit in his father's death.
Publication[]
Graphic novels[]
- Road to Perdition (by Max Allan Collins, with Richard Piers Rayner 204 pages):
- Pocket Books, June 1998, ISBN 0671009214
- Titan Books, August 2002, ISBN 1840235349
- Simon & Schuster, July 2002, ISBN 0743442245
- Paradox Press, April 2005, ISBN 1563894491) [3]
- On the Road to Perdition Book 1: Oasis (with José Luis García-López and Josef Rubinstein), 96 pages.
- Paradox Press, May 2003, ISBN 1401200680
- Titan Books, June 2003, ISBN 1840236892)
- On the Road to Perdition Book 2: Sanctuary (with José Luis García-López and Steve Lieber), 96 pages.
- Paradox Press, December 2003, ISBN 1401201733
- Titan Books, March 2004, ISBN 1840237961)
- On the Road to Perdition Book 3: Detour (with José Luis García-López and Steve Lieber), 96 pages.
- Paradox Press, July 2004, ISBN 1401201741
- Titan Books, October 2004, ISBN 1840239425)
- Road to Perdition: On the Road, 296 pages (single-volume collection of Books 1-3 above).
- Paradox Press, December 2004, ISBN 1401203574
- Titan Books, May 2005, ISBN 1845760239 [4]
Prose[]
- Road to Perdition (film novelization), 256 pages, Onyx, June 2002, ISBN 0451410297, ISBN 978-0451410290)
- Road to Purgatory (288 pages, by William Murrow, 2004, ISBN 0060540273)
- Road to Paradise (289 pages, by Willian Murrow, 2005, ISBN 9780060540289, ISBN 0060540281)
Notes[]
- ↑ The Original 'Road to Perdition', Time, July 16, 2002
- ↑ Looney loses his son and the newspaper war, The Dispatch/Argus, July 11, 2002
- ↑ Road to Perdition details at DC Comics.com
- ↑ Road to Perdition: On the Road detials at DC Comics.com
References[]
- Road to Perdition at the Grand Comics Database
- Road to Perdition at the Comic Book DB
- On the Road to Perdition at the Grand Comics Database
- On the Road to Perdition at the Comic Book DB
External links[]
- Singh, Arune (2002-08-07). "Collins' 'Road' to the Future". Comic Book Resources.
- Titan Books section
Interviews[]
- Singh, Arune (2002-06-16). "Just the Facts Ma'am: Max Collins Talks 'Road to Perdition'". Comic Book Resources.
- Max Allan Collins on Perdition’s Sanctuary: SBC Q&A, Comics Bulletin, November 26
Reviews[]
- Review of Road to Perdition, Comics Bulletin