GRAPHIC NOVELS

Meyer

Humanoids. Sept. 2019. 120p. ISBN 9781643375809. pap. $17.95. Rated: Teen+. crime fiction
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In reality, Meyer Lansky was an Eastern European Jew who came to America from Belarus as a boy in 1911 and eventually left an indelible mark on U.S. history and pop culture. After allegedly getting involved with organized crime during Prohibition, he went on to advise and benefit from the organization of the modern-day Mafia, the creation of Las Vegas, and an international gambling ring that played a role in inspiring the Cuban revolution. This fictional adventure opens with an aging Lansky discovering that an airplane full of cocaine has crashed off the Florida Keys, and enlisting David, a half-Jewish, half-Cuban orderly at the retirement home where he lives, to join him in tracking the plane down. As Lansky and David search for the treasure and are in turn sought by a variety of vicious criminals, Lansky tutors David on Jewish culture, American history, how to dispose of a dead body, and more.
VERDICT The script from Lang (Plunder) is fast paced and witty, while the illustrations from Mutti (Port of Earth. Vol. 3) capture southern Florida’s pastel noir vibe in a thrilling caper clearly inspired by the novels of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen.
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