The Characters Have No CharacterI bought both trades of American Flagg and attempted to read it over the course of a week. I own literally thousands of graphic novels and can honestly say that American Flagg is one of maybe a dozen stories I couldn't finish. The most interesting part of American Flagg is probably the sci-fi setting, but none of the ideas are particularly original or well executed. It honestly felt like a mash of a hundred other futuristic settings. (Judge Dredd, Dune, Star Wars, Bladerunner, etc.) The book is completely plot driven, yet the massive amount of interchangeable characters with similar appearances makes the story very difficult to follow. You are expected to piece together the political climate, the technological setting, and the remember the convoluted relationships of about thirty actors who are all having affairs. Even reading a few issues per day I had to constantly flip back to identify characters and understand the politics. There are a lot of explosions, fight scenes, and sex. The action is executed with a good degree of artistic skill, but I was hoping for more depth and intellect from a series that is so highly regarded.The worst part about American Flagg is that the author made no attempt to develop his characters or even tell us who they are in the first place. The main character, Reuben Flagg, is the most generic protagonist comic book hero I've ever read. Honestly, this could be a parody of any number of bland Golden age superheroes (Captain America, Superman) if it weren't completely lacking in humor.This book just wasn't for me. Its all action and sex,tied together by a confusing sci-fi plot.7