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American Flagg! (Single Issues) #1-6
American Flagg!, Vol. 1
One of the key comics of the 1980s - along with Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns - Howard Chaykin's American Flagg! was a massive-selling hit, breaking new ground in comics storytelling and influencing a generation of writers and artists. America, 2031. TV star Reuben Flagg is drafted to protect the citizens of Chicago as a Plexus Ranger, having pretended to be one onscreen. The inexperienced Flagg must tackle an America blighted by a biased and oppressive media, dubious 'wars', widespread political corruption and environmental disaster...Never-before-collected, this bitingly prescient satirical series is an all-time classic. This debut volume features an introduction by Michael Chabon (Wonder Boys).
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First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
Howard Chaykin
1,074 books112 followersHoward Victor Chaykin is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 7, 2009
I personally didn't really enjoy this book, but can appreciate the influence it had on the comic book medium.
The two books that typically are attributed to the huge shift of the modern comic are Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore's The Watchmen. This book came out years before both (1983) - and its influence is certainly apparent in The Dark Knight.
American Flagg is praised by the biggest names in the industry, and after years of being out of print is finally available again.
Chaykin was a pioneer in fusing a graphic design and typographic sensibility with the medium. In truth, this is what made it a bit difficult for me to read. Though I will say that the visual style did not come at the expense of the story. I was very surprised at how on many levels this book still holds up today - which says a lot for this medium.
Just in the end was not my cup of tea.
The two books that typically are attributed to the huge shift of the modern comic are Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore's The Watchmen. This book came out years before both (1983) - and its influence is certainly apparent in The Dark Knight.
American Flagg is praised by the biggest names in the industry, and after years of being out of print is finally available again.
Chaykin was a pioneer in fusing a graphic design and typographic sensibility with the medium. In truth, this is what made it a bit difficult for me to read. Though I will say that the visual style did not come at the expense of the story. I was very surprised at how on many levels this book still holds up today - which says a lot for this medium.
Just in the end was not my cup of tea.
November 13, 2018
Oops. Marking that I read this back in 1988-ish. (I did, in single magazine form).
Here in 2018, I actually read this: American Flagg!: Definitive Collection
Here in 2018, I actually read this: American Flagg!: Definitive Collection
August 10, 2012
A world ravaged by nuclear war, environmental disaster, and economic collapse. An American dystopia. Political polarization. Media saturation. The excessive commercialization of sex and violence. The dominance of big business in everyday society. The decline of morality. A champion standing up against the corrupt society in order to do what's right by whatever means necessary, such as defying the status quo. Two graphic novels, The Dark Knight Returns, and Watchmen, have utilized these story concepts with great success in the 1980s. But perhaps their existence is owed to their unsung spiritual predecessor, American Flagg!, written and illustrated by independent comic creator Howard Chaykin.
In 1996, the world was devastated by every disaster imaginable. In the ensuing chaos, the United States of America collapse and the US government, in the pockets of big corporations, has relocated to Mars. 35 years later, the omnipotent PLEX (basically consisting of the government merged with its corporate sponsors/owners representing the communications industry) owns what's left of America and the rest of the world. Enter Reuben Flagg, a Martian actor who got downsized by a hologram and sent to Earth for a draft into the Plexus Rangers, the PLEX’s law enforcement arm that protects their malls…while following company policy. Flagg grew up loving America and everything it stood for. Upon his arrival on Earth, he bore witness to a land where the law is all shades of grey, corruption is the norm, violence solves everything, and the American spirit is being bled dry by, or rather castrated, by the corporate greed the PLEX represents. Amidst his daily clashes with bike-riding street gangs (gogangs, as they are called), his numerous love affairs, and his investigations into anti-PLEX reactionary groups, Flagg developed a sense of duty to bring what’s left of America and its spirit back together.
Art wise, Chaykin’s sharp art style, as well as the panel arrangement, the placing of onomatopoeia in appropriate scenes, text-balloon placement, and the skilled use of subtext, helps bring the world of American Flagg! to life and gets the reader immersed in it. The trademark symbol ™ used on product names in the story adds a nice touch to the massive corporate culture in the story.
The introduction by Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, sheds excellent light into the creation of American Flagg! and its neglected influence over future comics in terms of style and writing/illustrating techniques, the science fiction genre, and the art of comic books in general. While Chabon pointed out that the science fiction trope of “a dystopian American future (or of a solar or galactic federation closely extrapolated from the American model), dominated by giant conglomerates, plastered with video screens and advertisements, awash in fetishized sex and sexualized commodities, fed and controlled and defined by pharmacology and violence” is not new due to the fact that it was pioneered in the 1940s by Alfred Bester, it was also how Chaykin used and experimented with this trope that defined the high level of artistry and storytelling that defined this work. To put it more simply with Chabon’s words: “Other comic creators had written or drawn the American dystopia; Howard Chaykin went and built one.”
The first volume of Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg! made me want to read the next volume and see where Reuben Flagg’s tour of duty as a Plexus Ranger will take him next. This is a gem for any science fiction fan that’s into cyberpunk, dystopias, and corporate/consumerism satire.
In 1996, the world was devastated by every disaster imaginable. In the ensuing chaos, the United States of America collapse and the US government, in the pockets of big corporations, has relocated to Mars. 35 years later, the omnipotent PLEX (basically consisting of the government merged with its corporate sponsors/owners representing the communications industry) owns what's left of America and the rest of the world. Enter Reuben Flagg, a Martian actor who got downsized by a hologram and sent to Earth for a draft into the Plexus Rangers, the PLEX’s law enforcement arm that protects their malls…while following company policy. Flagg grew up loving America and everything it stood for. Upon his arrival on Earth, he bore witness to a land where the law is all shades of grey, corruption is the norm, violence solves everything, and the American spirit is being bled dry by, or rather castrated, by the corporate greed the PLEX represents. Amidst his daily clashes with bike-riding street gangs (gogangs, as they are called), his numerous love affairs, and his investigations into anti-PLEX reactionary groups, Flagg developed a sense of duty to bring what’s left of America and its spirit back together.
Art wise, Chaykin’s sharp art style, as well as the panel arrangement, the placing of onomatopoeia in appropriate scenes, text-balloon placement, and the skilled use of subtext, helps bring the world of American Flagg! to life and gets the reader immersed in it. The trademark symbol ™ used on product names in the story adds a nice touch to the massive corporate culture in the story.
The introduction by Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, sheds excellent light into the creation of American Flagg! and its neglected influence over future comics in terms of style and writing/illustrating techniques, the science fiction genre, and the art of comic books in general. While Chabon pointed out that the science fiction trope of “a dystopian American future (or of a solar or galactic federation closely extrapolated from the American model), dominated by giant conglomerates, plastered with video screens and advertisements, awash in fetishized sex and sexualized commodities, fed and controlled and defined by pharmacology and violence” is not new due to the fact that it was pioneered in the 1940s by Alfred Bester, it was also how Chaykin used and experimented with this trope that defined the high level of artistry and storytelling that defined this work. To put it more simply with Chabon’s words: “Other comic creators had written or drawn the American dystopia; Howard Chaykin went and built one.”
The first volume of Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg! made me want to read the next volume and see where Reuben Flagg’s tour of duty as a Plexus Ranger will take him next. This is a gem for any science fiction fan that’s into cyberpunk, dystopias, and corporate/consumerism satire.
March 7, 2017
I feel like I need at least another read before I can even comment. But it's clear that this was a big influence, and damn if it doesn't have relevance now.
February 20, 2011
The sexual and political ideas in this book are...let me be charitable and say "questionable" at times. But the comic is brilliant.
In the issues contained in this collection, Howard Chaykin did things with page layout, visual storytelling, and dialogue, that surprised me. Funny and shocking, sometimes mindless and sometimes profound, and visually overwhelming, it's a surprisingly complex work, considering what the mainstream companies were coming up with at the time. The "futuristic" setting is dated - unsurprising considering Chaykin was extrapolating from the Cold War Climate of the early 1980s - but it still works, which speaks to the strength of the world that Chaykin constructed. Everything's dynamic: even when the characters are standing still they look like they could spring into action at any second. Also: it's got busty women, go-gang violence, illegal basketball games, political intrigue, betrayal, interplanetary travel, Soviet jewelry, and a talking cat who works at a police station. Incredibly complex and powerful comics, American Flagg is the kind of book that rewards re-reading - something I plan on doing sooner rather than later.
In the issues contained in this collection, Howard Chaykin did things with page layout, visual storytelling, and dialogue, that surprised me. Funny and shocking, sometimes mindless and sometimes profound, and visually overwhelming, it's a surprisingly complex work, considering what the mainstream companies were coming up with at the time. The "futuristic" setting is dated - unsurprising considering Chaykin was extrapolating from the Cold War Climate of the early 1980s - but it still works, which speaks to the strength of the world that Chaykin constructed. Everything's dynamic: even when the characters are standing still they look like they could spring into action at any second. Also: it's got busty women, go-gang violence, illegal basketball games, political intrigue, betrayal, interplanetary travel, Soviet jewelry, and a talking cat who works at a police station. Incredibly complex and powerful comics, American Flagg is the kind of book that rewards re-reading - something I plan on doing sooner rather than later.
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January 31, 2021I can see how American Flagg influenced comics at the time, in terms of art, layouts, storytelling, and independent publishing. Unfortunately I couldn’t get into the story at all. Chaykin’s writing does nothing to capture my attention. I think this is a case of “had to be there” to fully appreciate it. Or maybe the comics it influenced are just that much better.
August 19, 2015
Like a dime-store pulp fiction, and I loved every bit of it. It managed to keep my interest, especially with it's wild corp. future and mega-violence everywhere. It was sexy, cool, and fun. Also reminded me of James Bond style escapades. Everyone was great at everything and everyone had sex with everyone else, which was ok because everyone was goddess level sexy anyway. (almost)
Nothing deep here, just a fun comic with some really interesting art and layout. I'd like to get volume 2 now.
Nothing deep here, just a fun comic with some really interesting art and layout. I'd like to get volume 2 now.
February 15, 2016
Interesting futuristic SiFi/adventure story. This is Chaykin unleashed and at his best. One of the comics that in the 1980s redefined what a comic could be. Recommended
October 18, 2023
A helluva wild comics ride that scared the bejeezus outta me when the odd issue came my way as a much too young kid, which I'm just now catching up with in mid-life through this two-volume collection of the first 14 issues. "Prescient" doesn't begin to describe Howard Chaykin's vision of 2031 from 1983, and frankly you wouldn't want to describe it that way anyway, as the politically-splintered, corporate-controlled, environmentally-destroyed, mass-consumerist, ultra-violent, hypno-entertainment, drugged-out future it fully realizes is but one point of interest in this quantum leap-forward in comics storytelling. Martian ex-TV-star-turned-Chicago Plexus Ranger Reuben Flagg, Raul the Talking Cat, opportunistic mayor and illegal basketball-entrepreneur C.K. Blitz, aging adult pleasure-dome mistress-of-the-night Gretchen Holstrum, murdered Rangers-head and TV-pirate Hilton "Hammerhead" Krieger, air traffic-controller and hot-to-trot tech-grunt Mandy Krieger, glamorous mega-zeppelin pilot Crystal Gayle "C.G." Marakova, underground tech-disruptor (and possible King of England) William Windsor-Jones; these first six or so issues of volume one are so dense, going from the New Midwest down to Brasilia, that I had to read them three times over. (And I could probably read them three times more.)
May 26, 2017
Back when I hung out at the Warren Ellis Forum and The Authority was coming out, there was a lot of talk about decompressed storytelling, and widescreen comics. This is the opposite. Sp far the opposite. Crowded, dense, detailed, the characters, the stories, the dialogue, the sound effects, the colours, all so crowded together they're literally tripping over each other all across the pages, with tight focus, like a television screen rather than a cinema. It's also garish and nasty, knowingly full of the sex and violence it sends up in its satirical take on the media, so sordid and twisted, a cynical corrupt world full of venality and hatred. It's glorious. A sly bit of fast and furious pop-comics, politically aware, culturally accelerated, socially diseased. Chaykin's a craftsman, and never loses control of the chaotic material he's splurging with exceptional skill and energy all over the page.
August 7, 2018
It was fun to revisit this story, as I haven't read it since the 80's when it was released. It was a graphically revolutionary project and so many of the panels and sound effects (Wacka-ding-hoy!) were burned into my brain w/o me realizing it, until I re-exposed myself to the pages. And the story, set in a future 2031, is (shockingly/sadly) still on course to be relevant as the baddies are power hungry neo-Nazis.
The story and script are entertaining enough, but not Earth-shattering. It does read a lot better in these collected volumes as opposed to getting it it monthly bites, back in the day. OK - on to Vol. 2!
The story and script are entertaining enough, but not Earth-shattering. It does read a lot better in these collected volumes as opposed to getting it it monthly bites, back in the day. OK - on to Vol. 2!
January 26, 2020
Prescient view of the future, I loved the ideas of censorship, controlled messaging, and all of the intrigue. Rueben Flagg is a hero with some sharp edges, just like Chaykin’s art. The amount of thought and effort that must have gone into the creation of this comic by Chaykin really shows, the creator definitely has a unique vision!
If you are into futurist sci-fi with critique of political conspiracy, told from the perspective of a jaded hero, read this one. The inspiration for stylistic elements of Dark Knight Returns by Miller and Watchmen by Moore is all over this piece of comic book literature. I’ll certainly be looking for Vol 2.
If you are into futurist sci-fi with critique of political conspiracy, told from the perspective of a jaded hero, read this one. The inspiration for stylistic elements of Dark Knight Returns by Miller and Watchmen by Moore is all over this piece of comic book literature. I’ll certainly be looking for Vol 2.
April 21, 2020
One of those great 80s crazy books that was a little too spot on about the future.
July 21, 2020
A terrific comic book. Strong first 5 issues. The wrap-up to the second storyline falls a little short.
May 6, 2025
Don't read many comics any more but when I do... classic Chaykin is usually my first choice. First time reading this since I was about 16 and I enjoy it much more now.
April 27, 2016
Hard to overstate quite how groundbreaking American Flagg was at the time.
A comic book which didn't feature superheroes was a novelty in itself and a storyline which tackled adult themes was almost unheard of.
Its setting in an ultra commercialised, hyper-sexualized future dominated by casino capitalism mega-corps monetizing drugged-up violence - with a post-apocalyptic earth governed from Mars - was a unique combination of sci-fi tropes and it was startlingly fresh in the comics milieu.
And if all that wasn't enough, Chaykin adopted a unique visual style and utilised a whole slew of novel graphic devices - many of which have been so widely stolen (starting with Dark Knight) that they're now familiar - to emphasise the sensual overload of the setting. All of this is infused with a pulp like verve and a knowing humor that serves it up with a knowing wink and a glint in the eye. Hence the 5 stars.
Re-reading this 30 years later it holds up remarkably well, though it underlines how much 'comics' have changed in the intervening time - someone reading this now for the first time is unlikely to be as shocked (sex!!! in a comic book!), surprised and delighted by Flagg as we were at the time - so much that was groundbreaking then is now the norm... and the comics field is much better off as a result.
Even if you conclude after reading Flagg that my rating is influenced by nostalgia - and I'm prepared to concede that it may be - I'd still invite you to doff your hat to Mr Howard Chaykin and his seminal work here. Its had a rich comics legacy which should be more widely celebrated.
A comic book which didn't feature superheroes was a novelty in itself and a storyline which tackled adult themes was almost unheard of.
Its setting in an ultra commercialised, hyper-sexualized future dominated by casino capitalism mega-corps monetizing drugged-up violence - with a post-apocalyptic earth governed from Mars - was a unique combination of sci-fi tropes and it was startlingly fresh in the comics milieu.
And if all that wasn't enough, Chaykin adopted a unique visual style and utilised a whole slew of novel graphic devices - many of which have been so widely stolen (starting with Dark Knight) that they're now familiar - to emphasise the sensual overload of the setting. All of this is infused with a pulp like verve and a knowing humor that serves it up with a knowing wink and a glint in the eye. Hence the 5 stars.
Re-reading this 30 years later it holds up remarkably well, though it underlines how much 'comics' have changed in the intervening time - someone reading this now for the first time is unlikely to be as shocked (sex!!! in a comic book!), surprised and delighted by Flagg as we were at the time - so much that was groundbreaking then is now the norm... and the comics field is much better off as a result.
Even if you conclude after reading Flagg that my rating is influenced by nostalgia - and I'm prepared to concede that it may be - I'd still invite you to doff your hat to Mr Howard Chaykin and his seminal work here. Its had a rich comics legacy which should be more widely celebrated.
December 5, 2010
I didn't really appreciate this until deep in its later pages. Constantly self-referential, American Flagg! pushes the comic medium to its limits (if there are any limits at all). Coming from a generation influenced by those influenced by Chaykin, I guess the impact wasn't as momentous as it might have been a couple of years ago, but the experience was still enthralling and exhausting. I especially loved how the sound effects played a prominent visual role in the narrative. PAPAPAPAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
MOW................................................MOW............................................MOW
Haha, these are my favorites! A great read, especially if you appreciate the giant shoulders upon whom the giants stand ad infinitum.
MOW................................................MOW............................................MOW
Haha, these are my favorites! A great read, especially if you appreciate the giant shoulders upon whom the giants stand ad infinitum.
December 16, 2012
Around the turn of the century, social order collapsed and the corporate-allied government fled to Mars, from which it continued to rule a chaotic, unstable Earth. Reuben Flagg is a star TV hero-cop who gets replaced with a hologram and drafted into Earth's police force, the Plex Rangers.
American Flagg is smart, sharp. The TV ad and newscast satire pack some bite. Reminded me of Robocop.
There's not much of a central conflict, Flagg's change of career is just an excuse to explore this cynical dystopian future and have some fun.
Much as I respected American Flagg, I found myself bored with it. Not sure why.
American Flagg is smart, sharp. The TV ad and newscast satire pack some bite. Reminded me of Robocop.
There's not much of a central conflict, Flagg's change of career is just an excuse to explore this cynical dystopian future and have some fun.
Much as I respected American Flagg, I found myself bored with it. Not sure why.
June 8, 2016
I read this series when it was originally published as single comic books many years ago. I loved the characters and their flaws and the way they were integrated into a realistically dark world that is controlled by corporations and oligarchs.
The distinction be tween the haves, in their gleaming towers, and the have-nots living on the street was prescient in a rather disturbing way.
Unfortunately, neither the story, or the artwork, are consistent through the entire run of the series. Several issues in the middle of the run are given to artists whose work is cartoonish and out of step with the gritty nature of the story being told.
The distinction be tween the haves, in their gleaming towers, and the have-nots living on the street was prescient in a rather disturbing way.
Unfortunately, neither the story, or the artwork, are consistent through the entire run of the series. Several issues in the middle of the run are given to artists whose work is cartoonish and out of step with the gritty nature of the story being told.
October 12, 2013
While the occasional choppiness of the storytelling style can be disconcerting, the relentless pace of this gloriously prescient future vision is a great deal of fun. Chaykin has a beautifully realistic view of the human animal - here presented through a laconic and cynical lens, a worthy forerunner to other classics like Transmetropolitan, the work of Bruce Sterling, etc. Visually it's wonderfully dynamic - that strange combination of noir and action flavours that would serve him so well on The Shadow and elsewhere. Thoroughly enjoyable.
July 23, 2013
A memory trip for me...cutting edge cyberpunk in a way back when it came out early 80's. many of the themes are still with us, racist underground, social and economic inequity and gated communities for the well off, corporate domination and cultural hegemony of the ruling class vs independent media...some stuff didn't date too well. But all and all still edgy and I thought aged very well. I can trace my own development in thinking to this along with other cyberpunk writers. Big recommend.
March 5, 2014
Uno de los hitos del cómic independiente de los 80s, la distopia de Chaykin es con diferencia uno de sus trabajos cumbres. Violenta. ácida y desenfadada, la crónica del ranger Reuben Flagg en el futuro cercano conserva su vigencia gracias a una premisa certera, personajes familiares y el estilo directo de un autor que nunca se ha contenido en sus propuestas; más que un testimonio sobre una forma de hacer cómic, una muestra de cómo se temía el futuro en esa turbulenta década.
January 13, 2017
Not for the squeamish or easily offended, Howard Chaykin challenges his audience to peel back the curtain to find that nothing is ever what it seems. Chock full of gratuitous sex and violence and all manner of bigotry and excess, this futuristic noir depicts a world ruled by corporate governments where Nazis and bike gangs murder freely and the Russians have satellites meant to influence American elections. Strangely prescient for a relic from the ‘80s.
January 26, 2010
Despite Michael Chabon's insistence in the introduction that this apparently influential comic has remained as fresh and relevant and ever...he's wrong. It's especially irritating that so much of the plot hinges on the idea that subliminal messages actually make people do things.
June 11, 2013
30 years later and this still holds up as probably Chaykin's best work. The art feels a little rushed and it shows the signs of suffering from the monthly grind of a serial title, but the writing and Chaykin's use of cybertech and cyberbabble is as good as anything Gibson has done.
September 23, 2015
I thought the first few stories were parodies and I really liked them. Unfortunately, as I read on, the stories just went down the tubes. The last few were boring. I wouldn't recommend this as a whole to anyone.
December 2, 2016
Very influential, no question. I missed this one when I was heavily into comics in the eighties, but it's just as well- I wouldn't have understood it. I still had to read it through twice to get it all.
April 18, 2014
It's a lot to take in, but it's a rewarding look back at an innovative comic.
October 6, 2014
Probably more of a 4 out of 5 as a story on its own, but the insane layouts and downright amazing lettering by Bruzenak put this into 5 territory.
June 18, 2017
Chaykin and "American Flagg" has got to be up there amongst the best of the best. Every panel is packed with colour and action, bursting from the pages. This collection is heaving with lively visuals, clever drawing and some truly ground breaking detail. The dialogue is dark, snappy and filled with filth and fun! The art work put me in mind of Roy Lichtenstein and the setting often recalled "Blade Runner". Overall this is a delightful piece of work to treasure and is a powerful, political and prescient piece of excellent graphic fiction of the highest standard.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews