The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #10

In "War Story!", a young soldier grapples with the weight of his first kill—only to realize too late that the enemy was already dead. Haunted by the moment and his own reaction, he struggles with the idea of becoming a killing machine, until his sergeant shares a haunting wartime tale of two brothers whose bond was tested in the crucible of combat.

In "Massacred!", a harrowing wartime encounter unfolds when an American-South Korean patrol stumbles upon a field of dead soldiers—hands bound with their own shoelaces, executed in cold blood. The sole survivor, a wounded man, recounts how his unit was betrayed: shot by a North Korean officer, then dressed in enemy uniforms, only to be slaughtered by another group of North Koreans who mistook them for American soldiers.

In "Pigs of the Roman Empire," a hardened Roman officer named Decius faces the consequences of his cruelty after refusing to spare a slave who died bravely in the arena. When the Vandals threaten his outpost, Decius must lead his men into battle, but his lack of compassion may prove to be his greatest weakness.

In "Chicken!", a weary lieutenant is reprimanded for his unorthodox leadership during a brutal war, only to be thrust back into the front lines when a reckless captain's decisions doom his entire squad. Ordered to retrieve the captain before a deadly marine bombardment, Hall faces a harrowing choice—yet the captain refuses to listen, and the consequences of that moment ripple far beyond the battlefield.

In "Zero Hour!", a young recruit clings to the sergeant for guidance as they prepare to charge across no man’s land. When a German machine gun erupts in fire, panic spreads—soldiers fall, and the recruit is trapped in barbed wire, screaming for help. As others rush to save him and are cut down, the sergeant faces an unbearable choice.

In "Dog Fight!", a weary fighter pilot named Strange flies into battle with little regard for his own survival, haunted by the belief that he’s lost the woman he loves, Katherine. When a sudden storm rolls in and the airfield falls silent, Strange receives word of a sack full of letters from her—only to be cut off mid-transmission as he pushes deeper into the fog, chasing an enemy he can’t see.

In "How They Die!", a Frenchman watches U.S. Army jeeps roll toward Chalon during WWII, his thoughts drifting through centuries of war—each era echoing with the same tragic toll on his homeland, from Attila’s advance to Napoleon’s fall, and the bloodshed of both World Wars. As the past converges with the present, the weight of history presses on him, a quiet witness to endless cycles of conflict.

In "Weak Link!", a tense war story set during a brutal campaign, American soldiers prepare an ambush on a narrow road, only to realize too late that the enemy has turned their own tactics against them. With logs laid across a river to facilitate a tank crossing, the men on the ground recognize they've been lured into a deadly trap—now, survival depends on who among them can think fast enough to break the chain of command and act.

In "Bomb Run!", an American bomber named *The Odyssey* returns from a successful mission over a Filipino island when a swarm of Japanese Zeros erupts from the clouds. With one engine damaged and their radio crackling with a distress signal, the crew scrambles to follow landing instructions—unaware the voice on the frequency is a trap set by the enemy.

In "Buzz Bomb!", a lone German paratrooper finds himself caught between two fronts as buzz bombs rain down from the sky—first targeting the advancing Americans, then, to his horror, veering toward his own side. As the bombs' deadly path defies expectation, he witnesses the brutal death of his comrades, leaving him shattered and unraveling under the weight of terror. When American forces finally close in, they find a man broken by the very war he once fought in.

In "442nd Combat Team," a gripping eight-page story from The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #10, a unit of Japanese-American soldiers faces a harrowing test of loyalty and courage during wartime. When the enemy tries to sway them with appeals to their heritage, the team responds with resolve—and a defiant, unyielding affirmation of their identity.

In "War Machines!", a stark and unsettling tale from The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #10, the relentless advance of American military technology—planes and tanks—batters Korean defenders entrenched in cave hill fortifications. Though the war machines fail to destroy the hidden defenders, the story takes a grim turn when infantrymen are sent in to finish the job, leaving the fate of the survivors in uncertain, haunting hands.

In "The Trap!", a group of US marines pushes toward the Changjin Reservoir when they're ambushed by well-entrenched enemy forces. With sharp tactics and nerves of steel, the sergeant orchestrates a daring maneuver to outflank the enemy, but the victory is short-lived. As the unit is ordered to retreat, private Salisbury, confused and disoriented on the front lines, begins to grasp the terrifying truth: they’re surrounded by 100,000 Chinese soldiers, and escape is far from certain.

In "Link-Up!", a tense stand against overwhelming odds unfolds as the Chinese Army advances toward South Korea, aiming to crush the 1st Marine Division and shatter the morale of the United Nations troops. With the fate of the front hanging on a single, desperate push, the U.N. forces brace for a brutal assault that will test their resolve and their will to hold the line.

In "A Platoon!", a young soldier named Peewee watches closely as his friend Ed declines a sergeant's rating during the Korean War. While Peewee struggles to understand why Ed would pass up the honor, Ed quietly explains his reluctance—knowing too well the heavy burden and deadly fate that often await those in command.

In "Ace!", a cocky young pilot named Harry, riding high after downing three enemy planes, boasts he’ll claim his fifth and sixth to become an ace. As he pushes deeper into enemy airspace, the skies grow eerily quiet—too quiet. What he doesn’t know is that a deadly trap has been laid, and the hunt is about to turn deadly.

In "Luck!", a young American lieutenant relies on sheer, unexplainable fortune to survive a deadly stand against North Korean snipers during a tense battlefield standoff. As his men pick off enemies one by one, the lieutenant remains miraculously untouched—until a figure long thought dead rises to end his streak.

In "D-Day!", a group of American Rangers navigate the treacherous waters toward Pointe Du Hoe, relying on the element of surprise and the belief that the Germans won’t expect an assault on such a steep, seemingly impassable cliff. With tension mounting and the mission hanging in the balance, the sergeant’s quick thinking and readiness for the unexpected become their greatest advantage.

In the tense days before the invasion, the island of Iwo Jima lies under relentless bombardment, its landscape scarred and silent. When the U.S. Marines finally land, eager for a swift victory, one soldier named Joe chooses to stay behind—seeking safety in the ruins, while his comrades press forward into the unknown.

In the suffocating dark of a war-ravaged cave, a group of Japanese soldiers faces annihilation as American forces close in with flame-throwing tanks and relentless tactics. With their leader vowing to die fighting—each man determined to take ten Americans with them—hope flickers when an escape route opens, only to be crushed when the Marines drive them back into the trap. As the final stand looms, the commander makes a grim decision: every man will become a weapon, detonating grenades to end the fight on their own terms.

In the quiet aftermath of a game of checkers, tank commanders Straus and Kilpatrick are pulled from their relaxation to lead a desperate rescue mission after a patrol is ambushed on the Kumhwa Road. With nerves frayed and stakes high, they channel the strategic precision of their game into the chaos of combat, turning the battlefield into a high-stakes chess match where every move could mean survival.

In the heart of the Alamo’s final stand, 150 defenders hold out against 4,000 Mexican troops led by Santa Anna, who has declared there will be no mercy. Amid the chaos, Private Morelos—a reluctant soldier caught in the tide of war—finds himself chosen to deliver the killing blow to the last of five surviving Americans.

In "Night Patrol!", a weary veteran leads a group of new recruits on a quiet reconnaissance mission near Taegu, only to stumble upon a vast enemy force. As they prepare to retreat with vital intelligence, a sudden ambush tests their courage and resolve—survival isn't guaranteed, and not everyone makes it back.

In "Red Knight!", the legendary Baron von Richthofen, a lone ace with a tally of 80 kills, meticulously records each victory from his cockpit, his legend growing with every mark. But on a quiet day, after a final aerial clash, his plane drifts down in a slow, silent descent—only to be found by Allied troops who discover the baron still at the controls, lifeless, as the sky above him remains silent.

In "Washington!", General Washington stands on Manhattan Island in September 1776, facing a relentless British bombardment with his outnumbered troops. As desertion spreads and hope wanes, the general’s desperate plea to hold the line falls on weary ears—yet even in retreat, the spirit of resistance endures. The war is far from over.

In the quiet darkness of Fort Sumter, Union soldiers rest uneasy beneath a sky heavy with anticipation. When the first shells tear through the night, the long-feared battle erupts without warning—leaving one man marked by the first shot of the war.

In "Bull Run!", three Union soldiers march out of Washington D.C. with the confident belief that the war will end in just 60 days. As their idealism clashes with the grim reality of battle, they bond over shared dreams and a vow to stand together—only to face the harsh truth that this war will not be quick.

In "Geronimo!", the legendary Apache leader and his band of renegades launch daring raids into Mexico, testing the limits of resistance from a reluctant enemy. As fear spreads along the Arizona border, the relentless pursuit of Geronimo reaches a turning point when he chooses surrender over flight. Months later, the once-feared warrior finds himself in a strange new world, peddling his likeness and signature at the World's Fair in St. Louis.

In "Campaign!", a gruff veteran sergeant boasts to a group of green recruits about his unbroken luck in battle, claiming no bullet has ever touched him—until the harsh realities of war test that confidence. As the regiment pushes through the Peninsular Campaign, his bravado is put to the ultimate trial, not by enemy fire, but by the quiet, relentless threat of illness.

In the midst of chaos, Grant moves through the battlefield with a quiet, unshaken presence, his past a shadow of missed chances and quiet defeats. Only in the crucible of war has he found a purpose, a role where his life finally makes sense—though what that means, or where it leads, remains as uncertain as the next bullet.

In the midst of the Civil War, the Union Army of the Potomac advances toward Richmond under General Ambrose Burnside, confident in their march. But General Lee, anticipating their path through Fredericksburg, prepares an unexpected defense that could change the course of the campaign. "Robert E. Lee!" captures the tension of a pivotal moment, where strategy and resolve meet on the battlefield.