Written by Howard Chaykin and David Tischman; Art and cover by Niko Henrichon. According to P.T. Barnum, "There's a sucker born every minute." So is it any surprise that Barnum hoodwinked the American public by leading a secret life as an agent for the U.S. government? Audacious co-creators/writers Howard Chaykin and David Tischman (AMERICAN CENTURY, SON OF SUPERMAN) and artist Niko Henrichon (THE SANDMAN PRESENTS: EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT DREAMS, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK) join forces to bring audiences BARNUM!, a 128-page VERTIGO hardcover graphic novel that takes a provocative look into the double life of master showman P.T. Barnum. When brilliant inventor Nikola Tesla, the mind behind such revolutionary concepts as radio transmission and wireless communication, teams with a cadre of the world's richest men with a plot to destroy America, the government calls on P.T. Barnum to intercede. Barnum is aided by his right-hand man, Bailey - at once his best friend and adversary - and a team of the wildest circus freaks on the planet, including a teenaged human fly, a midget strongman, a sword-swallowing rubber man, a man-hating mesmer, an empath who can speak to animals, and the legendary Siamese twins Chang and Eng. All have unique performing abilities and the private passion to put their talents to good use as undercover government operatives. Barnum and his group fly in space-age airships and whirligigs, use the first computer to navigate giant missiles, and go toe-to-toe with some of the nastiest gangs in New York. Will that be enough to stop Tesla and his cohorts? BARNUM! is historical fiction in the spirit of Wild Wild West and THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN that's knee-deep in circus freaks, science geeks and political espionage. And if P.T. Barnum's involved, this adventure is guaranteed to be the Greatest Show on Earth! MATURE READERS. HC, 7x10, 128pg, FC.