American Century

1 Scars and Stripes (1-4). [From DC Comics: Harry Block's had enough. It's 1949, and the World War II veteran has a thirty-year mortgage on a suburban subdivision and wife with the seven-year itch. His job is pointless and his friends are hypocrites, drunks, and bigots. When American announces its involvement in Korea, it's time for Harry to take charge - and drop out. Three months later, he resurfaces in a Central American backwater as Harry Kraft, a small-time smuggler whose plans include books, broads and booze - and staying out of trouble. But the government he left behind is about to put the screws to his adopted homeland. Like it or not, Harry's in the middle of an international conflict between the government of Guatemala, the Communists, and the CIA. Viva la revolucion! Long live Harry Kraft!]

2 Hollywood Babylon (5-9; w Howard Chaykin & David Tischman; a Marc Laming & John Stokes, et al.). [From DC Comics: 1950s Hollywood: It's all lights, cameras, and action—and Harry Kraft sees it all in AMERICAN CENTURY: HOLLYWOOD BABYLON, the second collection of VERTIGO's critically acclaimed series. Written by Howard Chaykin & David Tischman, with art by Marc Laming, Dick Giordano, Warren Pleece, and John Stokes, and a painted cover by John Van Fleet, HOLLYWOOD BABYLON reprints AMERICAN CENTURY #5-9. Guarding the body of a sexy starlet, Harry soon is embroiled in the messy, behind-the-scenes (and between the sheets) dealings of Tinseltown. Rapacious movie stars, starry-eyed mobsters, sordid studio politics, and a high-profile kidnapping all collide on Sunset Boulevard when an opportunistic politician arrives, looking to rid America of the "Red Menace." And that's just the first reel. Completing this collection is Harry's escape from L.A.—an easy ride down the two-lane blacktop of Route 66 which explodes into a tale of murder and suspense at a roadside diner. HOLLYWOOD BABYLON is a blockbuster—punching the audience in the face with primal fear and raw sexuality that proves why this VERTIGO series has received rave reviews from Time.com, Entertainment Weekly and Booklist.]