Cousin Joseph

Starred review from May 9, 2016
Master cartoonist Feiffer has crafted a worthy noir thriller prequel to the critically acclaimed Kill My Mother. The year is 1931. Det. Sam Hannigan is a proud American and a member of fictional Bay City’s finest. When he and his partner aren’t fighting crime or getting their “Red Squad” to suppress the local trade unions, he’s off to do the bidding of the mysterious Cousin Joseph, an unidentified bigwig who wants to rid Hollywood of what he considers anti-American propaganda films. Soon, Sam finds himself in over his head and on both sides of the law as he tries to keep track of the various forces at work against him. Feiffer’s strength as a graphic novelist is in creating a range of fascinating characters, from Sam’s partner, Neil Hammond, who’s planning to retire from the force and become a PI, to Valerie Knox, the daughter of the local factory owner, who has a pathological interest in young men. This complex series of character studies forms a densely woven narrative that is deftly written and expertly illustrated.

Starred review from May 15, 2016
In this prequel to his graphic novel, Kill My Mother (2014), Feiffer delivers another noir fever dream, sending America right to the top of the flagpole with a hard-boiled, lyrical punch of immigrant stories, labor relations, and the almighty dollar.Detective Sam Hannigan is the biggest fist in the Red Squad, a crew of heavy-handed cops charged with breaking up a labor union at a cannery in Prohibition-era Southern California. On the side, Sam makes special deliveries to some of Hollywood's biggest producers on behalf of the mysterious Cousin Joseph, who fears the corruption of audiences by a "tribe of tricksters." Through payoffs and intimidation, Cousin Joseph steers "problem movies" away from subjects like the plight of the downtrodden and toward more wholesome fare with small-town values. On the other side of the anti-Semitic divide from Cousin Joseph, the oversexed daughter of the cannery owner finds her first Jewish penis to be absolutely charming, standing out as it does among the genitals of her many partners--from underage boys to union brutes. Things come to a head when the Red Squad is called upon to break a massive strike led by Sam's old high school chum while Sam and Cousin Joseph clash over creative differences. This second installment of what will be a trilogy answers the question that haunted the first book--who killed Sam Hannigan?--while also delivering early looks at major Kill My Mother characters (though the book stands perfectly well on its own). This new tale captures the frenetic energy and kitchen-sink attitude of the original, and Feiffer's gracefully chunky illustrations mesmerize. Even when his crumpled, balletic figures twist and lurch into a splash of bold lines, emotion cuts straight through the jumble with telltale flourishes: a striker's panicked eyes, the interlaced fists of a strikebreaker's haymaker raised high.Expertly off-kilter.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from March 15, 2016
Maybe it's a good thing we didn't know Kill My Mother (2014) was part one in a trilogy. Otherwise, how could we have survived the two-year wait for part two? Taking us back to 1931, this one lays the foundations of Mother's delightfully convoluted plot, and while the terrific women characters still play their parts, this one focuses more on Detective Sam Hannigan, Elsie's husband, whose unsolved murder looms large over the later book. A seeming straight shooter who's a hero to the neighborhood kids, Sam is really a red-baiting, strike-breaking thug who volunteers on the side to help the mysterious Cousin Joseph quash unpatriotic Hollywood films. Who kills him and why? You'll never guess. This latest act in Feiffer's illustrious career continues to amaze and delight. His lines and movement are like nobody else's, and if anything, his page layouts have gotten better. A perfect candidate for pure black-and-white, it's subtly colored in an ocher palette of green and brown. The story itself doesn't equal the epic weirdness of its predecessor, but it's still a terrific tale, right up until its perfectly shaded noir ending. Though Feiffer's a late arrival to noir comics, he's top of the heap.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

May 15, 2016

Strike-breaking, corrupt cops, anti-Semitism, and sexual precocity all figure in Feiffer's juicy prequel to 2014's Kill My Mother. Good cop Sam Hannigan is happy to rough up suspected "Reds." But when he sees he's been manipulated against his ideals, Hannigan switches sides and confronts his nastier partner on the force, the entire police hierarchy, and the mysterious Cousin Joseph. Amid minimal backgrounds, the characters predominate, including greedy industrialist Hardy Knox, his difficult daughter Valerie, barkeep Addie--whom Sam underestimates, to his peril--and resourceful kid Archie Goldman. All come across as relatable and realistic while still unpredictably goofy as the plot lurches in unexpected directions. Feiffer keeps his loose-limbed, elastic style honed through his Village Voice work, fight scenes choreographed in the form of his famous dancer figure, and all with pale color enhancements. The message here--how people with the best intentions can go astray--and Feiffer's writing remain excellent. VERDICT This fresh serving of classic noir with a social justice flavor is larded with Feiffer's trademark wit and neurosis, which will captivate his many fans. The forthcoming Archie Goldman and the Decline of the West concludes the trilogy.--MC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2016

When multi-award-winning cartoonist/playwright Feiffer decided to adapt his comic strip techniques to the large-scale graphic novel format, of course he triumphed; the cheekily noir Kill My Mother was a New York Times best seller. In this second in a trilogy, Feiffer offers a prequel that focuses on Det. Sam Hannigan, head of Bay City's Red Squad and patriarch of Kill My Mother's Hannigan family. Patriotic Big Sam stands ready to defend America against all comers, especially labor unions, while making secret trips to Hollywood producers on behalf of shadowy Cousin Joseph to assure that their films are apple-pie in love with the country. What results as Big Sam realizes that he's been duped is a story that's Forties pulp film in style yet sociopolitically up-to-date in theme.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.