The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #11

In "Napoleon!", the young French general outmaneuvers vastly superior Russian and Austrian forces at the Battle of Austerlitz, turning the tide of war with bold strategy and unrelenting resolve. This gripping six-page tale captures a pivotal moment when a brilliant mind reshapes the course of history.

In "Water, Water, Everywhere...", two prisoners flee a South American island prison only to be lured into a trap by their pursuers, who leave them with a boat lacking water and barely any fuel. As thirst drives one man to madness and desperate acts, his friend makes a terrible choice—ending his companion’s suffering and then his own. The story’s haunting final twist reveals the boat was never adrift in salt water, but in fresh, a cruel irony that lingers long after the last page.

In the scorching heart of the Sahara, two escaped prisoners flee in a stranded jeep, their desperate journey toward the sea cut short when the fuel runs out. With no water and the desert stretching endlessly, the heat drives one man to madness, chasing a mirage into the dunes. The other, broken by thirst, makes a grim choice—ending his suffering with a gunshot that accidentally ruptures the jeep’s radiator, sending precious water leaking into the sand.

In "Lufbery!", the legendary World War I flying ace recounts his daring dogfights over the Western Front, his mind drifting between memory and the immediacy of battle. When a German pilot dares him to a final, fateful encounter, Lufbery faces the very question he’s long pondered—what would he do if his plane were afire?

In "F-94!", a young aircraft observer picks up the distant roar of a multi-engine plane flying low over the east coast, heading toward a major manufacturing center. With nerves taut and sirens wailing, F-94 jet interceptors are scrambled in a tense race against time to intercept the unknown threat.

In "Seep No More!", a man haunted by a recurring bloodstain on his ceiling struggles to maintain his composure as the stain grows each morning—despite his attempts to paint it over, cover it with a bucket, or even convince himself it’s not real. The more he tries to hide it, the more the stain seems to know his secrets, especially when detectives listen to his confession and insist there’s no blood at all.

"Frank Luke!" captures the thrilling, defiant spirit of an American flying ace whose daring stunts and unorthodox tactics captivate the French during World War I—racking up victories despite constant defiance of orders, until the day his legend takes a fateful turn.

"Guynemer!" follows the rise of a determined aviator who, after being twice turned away from the French Army, finds his calling in the skies. With daring courage and a knack for surviving the deadliest dogfights, he becomes a celebrated ace—each flight bringing him closer to legend.

In "Immelman!", a determined pilot known only as Max Immelman—legendary for pioneering the aerial maneuver that bears his name—rises through the ranks with flawless victories, only to face a sudden, devastating failure when his own aircraft’s guns betray him in the most unexpected way.

In "Wined-Up!", Charles, a man confined to a wheelchair after a car crash, is stunned to learn the accident was no accident—his wife Laura orchestrated it, determined to end their marriage by drowning him on a pier. As she prepares to send him into the lake, a twist of fate and a hidden betrayal turn the tables in a chilling, unexpected way.

In "McCudden!", a young man with a past as a bugler and mechanic rises through the ranks of World War I aviation, transforming into a fearless pilot and commander of the famed 56th Squadron. As he earns 58 aerial victories and honors, his journey is marked by skill, courage, and the relentless demands of war—until a fateful accident brings his flight to a sudden halt.

In "Blood Brothers," a tense reunion at a secluded beach house takes a deadly turn when Alex arrives unannounced, his brother welcoming him with open arms—unaware of the murder plot already in motion. As Alex attempts to cleanse himself in the ocean after his violent act, he doesn’t realize the water is teeming with sharks, turning his escape into a terrifying reckoning.

In "As Ye Sow...", a man’s desperate act to reclaim his wife spirals into a moment of chilling realization. After hiring a killer to eliminate the man she’s been seeing, he’s relieved when she returns to him—only to face the grim consequence of his own design. The story unfolds with tense precision, turning a domestic betrayal into a haunting reckoning.

In "Last Resort," Jerry, trapped in a suffocating relationship with the wealthy but unattractive Mona, finds escape in the allure of Jane, a young waitress who offers him a fleeting sense of freedom. When his desperation turns to violence, he disposes of Mona in Silver Springs—only to realize too late that the lake’s crystal-clear waters make concealment impossible, turning his crime into a spectacle beneath the glass-bottomed boats that glide above.

In "Well Trained," a grieving detective becomes consumed by his need for retribution after arresting the man who killed his wife. His obsession drives him to torment the wounded suspect in the hospital, only to be haunted when the man vanishes—only to be struck by a subway car. The detective is left tormented by the uncertainty of how the man died, caught between the cold logic of justice and the raw, unrelenting weight of his own vengeance.

In "...My Brother's Keeper," a chilling tale of duality and moral decay, a man grapples with the horrifying reality of his twin brother—a murderer whose survival is tied to his own. As the evil twin's crimes escalate and the weight of his brother's suffering becomes unbearable, the good twin faces an unbearable choice that will define his final act.

In "The Squealer," two corrupt detectives, Ed and Bert, run a ruthless extortion scheme using false confessions extracted through violence, preying on seven unsuspecting patsies. When their eighth target refuses to cooperate, the brutal consequences spiral into a horrifying revelation that shatters their world — one of them has just killed his own son.

In "The Assassin," a lone killer follows his target to the backstage of a theater, unaware he’s stepping into the middle of a performance. Just as he strikes, the curtain rises—revealing the very scene he’s just enacted, a play about President William McKinley and the man who killed him.

In "Cadillac Fever!", a young woman driven by desperation and a dream of a Cadillac hearse makes a chilling choice that twists justice into a twisted fulfillment. With her father’s dreams unattainable and her mother’s life in the way, she sets in motion a plan that will echo far beyond the courtroom.

A new librarian in a quiet town lives in terror, convinced she’s the next target of a local maniac who’s already killed seven men. But as her fear tightens its grip, the truth begins to unravel in ways she never expected.

In "Flaming Coffins!", a disillusioned fighter pilot named Lt. Russell finds himself abruptly reassigned from the front lines to an observation unit, his dreams of glory and medals slipping away—just as the war’s brutal reality begins to close in.

In "Yellow!", a young fighter pilot named Bill finds his rivalry with fellow pilot Curry intensifying after overhearing Curry call someone "yellow." What began as a friendly contest for the most kills takes a sharp turn as Bill becomes obsessed with proving his courage, pushing himself to the edge in the skies above the war zone.

In "The Way It Was," an elderly World War I pilot shares memories of aerial combat with his grandson, reflecting on the brutal realities of war. Though modern planes have evolved, he reminds the boy that the cost of conflict—death, destruction, and sorrow—remains unchanged.

In the skies over World War I, where aerial combat followed unspoken codes of honor, Lt. Horst Viegel stands apart—driven by a ruthless streak that defies the very rules meant to govern the fight. When his disregard for those unwritten laws catches up with him, he finds himself tested in ways far more personal than any dogfight.

In "The Rules," Lt. Dale’s relentless pursuit of victory as a WWI pilot clashes with the fragile code of honor shared between American and German aviators. When his actions cross a line the enemy can no longer ignore, the consequences are swift and personal.

In "The Green Kids," Major Caswell grapples with the toll of losing his green pilots in a war that feels increasingly senseless—until a sudden change in command forces him to confront the human cost behind the orders he once took for granted. As he steps into a higher role, he begins to see the war not just through strategy, but through the lives he’s been asked to sacrifice.

In "Frank Luke," a young American pilot becomes a legend among the French for his daring aerial feats and reckless defiance of command—his boldness in the sky earning him both admiration and concern, until the day his streak of triumphs takes a sudden, uncertain turn.