Dark Horse Comics has announced American Caper, a 12-issue crime series hailing from Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser’s new company Absurd Ventures. Written by Houser and Lazlow with art by David Lapham and Chris Anderson, American Caper is a satire following “two totally normal, completely damaged families in a world of corrupt business, inept politics, bungling crime, self-righteous justice, and problematic leisure wear.”
We follow the fortunes of two neighbors who are on the point of collapse: a Mormon hitman and a gambling addict lawyer, both intertwined in a real estate deal gone wrong. Added to the mix are a Mexican beauty queen on the run from her past, two escaped convicts in love, a Wall Street billionaire who has become a cowboy, and a maniac hell-bent on revenge. From the tax avoiders in the manicured wilderness of Wyoming, to the thought police of Brooklyn, to the confused political battlegrounds of Florida, one thing is certain: this tragedy is someone else’s fault.
Houser states, “American Caper is based on my lifelong fascination with hypocrites, sociopaths, political idiots, dysfunctional families, and violence. Dark, morally ambiguous, very vulgar and, we hope, funny, American Caper is a comic for the confusing world in which we live right now.” The book marks the first comic from Absurd Ventures, which Houser founded a year after departing Rockstar in 2020. It is the second comic by the British writer, whose other credits include the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series, following the Max Payne 3 prequel (co-written by Sam Lake with art by Fernando Blanco) published by Marvel in 2012.
Lazlow, who makes his comics debut here, also contributed to the GTA, Red Dead, and Max Payne games as a writer and actor (portraying a fictionalized version of himself in GTA.) Additionally, the book features character designs by Simon Bisley, colors by Lee Loughridge, and lettering by Nate Piekos, and is edited by Shelly Bond and Daniel Chabon. Lazlow jokes, “If I told that kid growing up in Oklahoma who headed to New World Comics every Wednesday that one day he’d be working with legendary editor Shelly Bond and visual storytelling genius David Lapham making a comic, he would have said, ‘Who is this weird middle-aged guy hanging outside a comic book store rambling about the future?'”
Mike Richardson, CEO of Dark Horse, says, “I’ve been aware of Grand Theft Auto from its earliest release. Dan Houser and Lazlow Jones’ creative contributions to that legendary property and the video game industry in general have been monumental. I’m extremely excited to watch while they transition their storytelling talents from games to comics with their new series, American Caper. I’m certain their collaboration will result in something very special.” Chabon adds, “Editing American Caper has been a total thrill — this book pulls no punches, and I can’t wait for readers to dive in.”
Issue #1 will be released in comic book stores on November 12. In the meantime, ashcans, t-shirts, and more merchandise will be available from the Dark Horse booth (#2615) at this weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con, where the publisher and Absurd Ventures will host a Sunday panel and weekends signings with Lazlow, Lapham, Shelly Bond, and more. To learn more, visit Absurd Ventures’ official website. You can watch a trailer, and check out the variant covers below too.
