American Flagg!: Definitive Collection #1

Howard Chaykin's sharp-edged satirical series gets a handsome definitive treatment from Image Comics and Dynamic Forces in this 2008 hardcover collection. The cover, penciled and inked by Chaykin himself, says it all: a confident, leather-jacketed Reuben Flagg stands against a bold American flag backdrop populated with repeating faces — stern men and a glamorous blonde — and a row of cats in the stripes, capturing the series' blend of cool attitude and pointed cultural commentary. At $49.99, this is a substantial volume collecting "Hard Times Prologue" and the work that made Chaykin's name synonymous with smart, stylish political sci-fi comics.