American Flagg! Volume 1 by Howard Chaykin

“American Flagg!” was satire of a different kind: loud, sexed-up and hypersaturated with the impossible colors of its ’80s heyday. Nominally an adventure comic book about Reuben Flagg, a Russian-Jewish-Martian-American porn star-turned-”Plexus Ranger,” it was really an excuse for writer-artist Howard Chaykin to present his vision of total information overload. The story is set in Chicago in the year 2031, as America is still trying to rebuild itself from a 1996 collapse; gangs are going berserk in the streets; reality TV shows like “White Sluts on Dope” (tagline: “Thrills! Chills! Pills!”) and “Firefight All Night Live!” are broadcast to an eager public; franchised brothels and ammo shops are everywhere; and advertising (complete with little trademark signs) for products like “Mananacillin” occupies every available surface.

Washington Post Book Reviews - AMERICAN FLAGG! - ArcaMax Publishing.