Synchronicity #29: Blackjack, Blood And Honor And Blood On The Son

Anothere really excellent historically themed graphic novel is Blackjack Blood and Honor:dward Lee, Next Planet Over.com, Jan, 2000 "I love comics/graphic novels that use genuine history as a playing field, and Blackjack: Blood and Honor is one of the best integrations of comics action and history I've seen in a long while.The story is set in the mid-1930s, when fascism was gearing up to take over the world. In this comic, we meet one guy who risks his neck to see that it doesn't. Enter Arron Day, an African-American freelance mercenary who's seen real evil in all its guises so many times, it's simply become part of the everyday scenery. He's faced racial prejudice the world over and has witnessed every conceivable example of man's inhumanity to man -- and worse, to children. Now Day, a.k.a. Blackjack, gets to take a trip to Tokyo, and it's not to sample the tempura. He's been hired as a bodyguard for a Japanese statesman called Oshio, who happens to be at odds with the current regime. Naturally the powers-that-be want Oshio pushing up bonsai trees, and they won't think twice about using Blackjack for some additional fertilizer. That's where the action begins, and it doesn't let up until the last page. Blackjack is one bad dude, but is he bad enough to take on the Japanese equivalent to the Gestapo? Don't worry, this is not simply an Indiana Jones-as-a-black-guy clich. It's a rip-stitch period-piece thriller that delves into real prewar history that ultimately affected all of our lives. Blackjack is not a superhero, he's a real hero, one of a rare few who faced some truly grim odds to do the right thing. (There's actually some serious evidence that guys like this really existed!) I like my action served up straight but with brains and relevant social issues thrown into the mix. Blackjack: Blood and Honor delivers the goods." While reading this novel the story reminded me of another CBS late night favorite of my youth "Blood On The Son." Next stop, off to halfcom to purchase a copy. Here's a Blood on the Son slide show with the audio from a 1946 radio show with John Garfield playing James Cagney's role. Here's a work in progress slide show of me narrating Blackjack: Blood and Honor