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Jonny Double (Vertigo)
Encyclopedia
Jonny Double is a comic series written by Brian Azzarello
and published by the Vertigo imprint
of DC Comics
. The series was based on the Jonny Double
character created in 1968 by Len Wein
and Marv Wolfman
. It was the first collaboration of Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso
, which subsequently led to a successful and longstanding pairing on 100 Bullets
.
to December 1998
.
, an aging private investigator
in San Francisco with a peculiar fascination with the 1960s counterculture
, is contracted by a concerned father to investigate his daughter, a girl named Faith, and report on the character of her associates. Through a series of twists and turns, Faith introduces Jonny to a seemingly fool-proof scheme to make money without hurting anyone: emptying a long-forgotten bank account once held by Al Capone
. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Double, the money in the account belongs to a local gangster named Vic Dalenozzo, who starts to murder and maim Faith and Jonny's associates. Jonny eventually discovers that Faith has been manipulating both sides all along.
Jonny decides to cut to the chase, and he brings all the money straight to Dalenozzo, where Jonny discovers that the man who originally hired him to investigate Faith was not her father at all, but Dalenozzo's main hitman
. As Dalenozzo is about to have Jonny tortured to death, Jonny tells them all he knows about Faith, and Dalenozzo sends her killers after her. Dalenozzo then reveals to Jonny that he and Jonny were acquaintances during the 1960s, when Jonny knew him as "The Wave". He tells Jonny that he wants to repay him for a favor Jonny did him in the old days. There is, unfortunately, a catch.
Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo.-Career:...
and published by the Vertigo imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The series was based on the Jonny Double
Jonny Double
Jonathan Sebastian "Jonny" Double is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, he first appeared in Showcase #78 .-Publication history:...
character created in 1968 by Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
and Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
. It was the first collaboration of Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso
Eduardo Risso
Eduardo Risso is an Argentine comic book artist. In the United States he is probably best known for his work with writer Brian Azzarello on the Vertigo title 100 Bullets, while in Argentina and Europe he is noted for his collaborations with Ricardo Barreiro and Carlos Trillo...
, which subsequently led to a successful and longstanding pairing on 100 Bullets
100 Bullets
100 Bullets is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso. It was published in the USA by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint and initially ran for one hundred issues...
.
Publication history
Jonny Double was published in four issues, from September 19981998 in comics
-Spring:* Gay Comix , with issue #25, publishes its final issue -October:* Toy Biz buys Marvel Comics* Excalibur is canceled by Marvel with issue #125.-November:...
to December 1998
1998 in comics
-Spring:* Gay Comix , with issue #25, publishes its final issue -October:* Toy Biz buys Marvel Comics* Excalibur is canceled by Marvel with issue #125.-November:...
.
Plot
Jonny DoubleJonny Double
Jonathan Sebastian "Jonny" Double is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, he first appeared in Showcase #78 .-Publication history:...
, an aging private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
in San Francisco with a peculiar fascination with the 1960s counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
, is contracted by a concerned father to investigate his daughter, a girl named Faith, and report on the character of her associates. Through a series of twists and turns, Faith introduces Jonny to a seemingly fool-proof scheme to make money without hurting anyone: emptying a long-forgotten bank account once held by Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Double, the money in the account belongs to a local gangster named Vic Dalenozzo, who starts to murder and maim Faith and Jonny's associates. Jonny eventually discovers that Faith has been manipulating both sides all along.
Jonny decides to cut to the chase, and he brings all the money straight to Dalenozzo, where Jonny discovers that the man who originally hired him to investigate Faith was not her father at all, but Dalenozzo's main hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
. As Dalenozzo is about to have Jonny tortured to death, Jonny tells them all he knows about Faith, and Dalenozzo sends her killers after her. Dalenozzo then reveals to Jonny that he and Jonny were acquaintances during the 1960s, when Jonny knew him as "The Wave". He tells Jonny that he wants to repay him for a favor Jonny did him in the old days. There is, unfortunately, a catch.