American Flagg - the Future as Seen in the 1980s.
In the second issue of American Flagg!, Rueben is tasked with safeguarding the mayor.
There's a lot I like about Chaykin's American Flagg!, it's definitely different. An all-American red-white-and-blue hero that's Jewish was for its time (and probably still is) a bit of a novelty. Chaykin's writing is fun and fast paced once you get the hang of his style. And, it's great to see heroes with semi-normal concerns like what time they're going to get off work. On the other hand, it's incredibly heavy-handed, even by the standards of dystopian fiction. Seriously, it makes V for Vendetta look subtle by comparison.
Chaykin's art, like his writing, is also a bit of an acquired taste. At first glance it seems very rudimentary, lacking in detail and often lacking in depth. But on closer examination, you see that there is some method to the madness. He omits some details in order to provide greater emphasis to others. In this issue, for example, Flagg hasn't slept all night, and he definitely looks haggard in the close ups. But there's also an overall lack of three-dimensionality to the work.
American Flagg! is in some ways like a classic film - it may be hailed by critics, and it's prominence in the culture of the medium may be high, but it's more like something every culturally literate comic fan should read, but not necessarily as fun for non-fans as its significance would indicate.