by Randy Lander

AMERICAN CENTURY #6 "L.A. Woman" Mildly Recommended (6/10) DC Comics/Vertigo imprint Writers: Howard Chaykin & David Tischman Pencils: Marc Laming & John Stokes Inks: John Stokes Colors: Pam Rambo & Jamison Letters: Ken Bruzenak Editor: Shelly Bond Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN This is a book made for publication in short collections, because although I read last issue, after reading this one, I can't quite make all the pieces fit. There are whole pages where I don't know who is doing what to who else, because there are too many characters and ongoing plots introduced in such a short space, and no effort made to bring readers up to speed. And while this would be fine if every character was very distinctive or the events of the previous issue were fresh in my mind, that's not the case with the current publication schedule. So the recommendation level I make is mostly for the single issue format... I expect that when I read the first trade, I'm going to enjoy the story a whole lot more, and I suspect that will be the case with the second trade as well. The reason I expect to enjoy it is because there is a lot of interesting stuff going on here. Communist witch-hunts, Hollywood scandals, organized crime, kidnapping, sex... this is all-American, mainstream, pot-boiler type stuff. Over the course of this book, we have a brutal kidnapping, an actor's pool party, our lead character talking birds and the bees with a teenage boy who looks up to him, and, this being Chaykin, a few scenes devoted largely to unconventional sex. On the one hand, it's a lot to absorb, and the massive cast of characters and numerous plots are liable to make your head spin. On the other, it's hard to get bored, because this book is moving at a pace that is the diametric opposite of the too-slow build of The Crusades or The Monarchy. I'm also impressed by the dialogue in this book, which lapses into silly cliche when the sex scenes start (I swear it reads like a porno at times, how eager women are to jump into bed with Harry) but for the most part is quite good. The brutal honesty in people's voices as they talk about manipulating people or complain about others' talent is counter-balanced by the see-through pleasant demeanor that some in Hollywood and Washington wear to get people to talk to them. I have the same mixed feelings about the artwork that I do about the writing. Laming and Stokes are talent to watch, no question, because they're handling a variety of different settings and really capturing the essence of the time period in the clothes, scenery and props that make up the book's background. However, despite an appreciation for their detailed anatomy and faces, I think they need to broaden their range of male faces and hair styles a bit, because too many of the male characters look almost exactly alike, making it hard to figure out who's who at crucial moments. For instance, Tony, Harry, Tom and Jimmy are all pretty much the same, varying only slightly in color of skin or hair. Email Randy Lander comments about this review.