This is a collection of 1950s EC war comics. John Severin does the art work, and Harvey Kurtzman wrote the stories. The volume includes 32 comics. It also features an introduction and some supplementary essays at the end of the volume.
Most of the comics feature stories of World War II and the Korean Conflict. However, we also get stories from antiquity, the American Civil War, World War I, and a few other eras. The stories are pretty good, and they are often meant to promote patriotism. Kurtzman was known to be a bit of a moralist, per one of the essays in the book, so the stories often have a lesson or illustration of values. In addition, the stories often have an unexpected twist or turn. I often enjoyed best the stories with the unexpected turns.
The comics are in black and white. Severin draws with a gritty style that is mostly realistic. I'd say at times his art can draw readers in, and the characters are very expressive. We often see the horrors and tragedies of war in Severin's art bringing Kurtzman's stories to life. The comics may encourage patriotism, but war is not glamorized nor glorified.
This volume is part of Fantagraphics EC Library series. This is a volume I would recommend for libraries with graphic novel collection. The hardback volume is good quality overall, and yes, it looks good on the shelf too. I really liked it, and I would suggest it for folks who like war comics.
4 out of 5 stars.
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