The appeal of Jack Reacher lies in its simplicity. Here is a man who is stronger than you, smarter than you, better looking than you. Here is a man without any of the anxieties that make your life difficult, a man literally tied down to nothing, a man carved out of pure American mythology who has been claimed by every corner of the political spectrum. And most importantly, here is a man who uses his seemingly superhuman abilities to right the wrongs of strangers as he travels the country in obscurity, stumbling into situation after situation where a little bit of righteous justice can protect an ailing community. Jack Reacher isn't just a power fantasy — he is the power fantasy, an American riff on the unstoppable heroes of ancient myth, a figure whose one and only concern is doing the right thing, even when doing the right thing involves a...