Airborne 44 integraal #1

This first omnibus volume of Philippe Jarbinet's *Airborne 44* announces itself with quiet, steely authority: an American airborne soldier strides forward through snow, rifle in hand, while a German soldier follows at a distance behind him — two enemies walking the same frozen ground, an American flag and a Nazi banner lying bloodstained in the snow beneath their boots. Jarbinet's linework is precise and restrained, letting the cold desolation of the scene carry the full emotional weight of a story titled "Waar de mannen vallen" — Where the Men Fall. For readers drawn to grounded, historically resonant European war comics, this 2011 Casterman collection is a compelling place to start.