The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #26

In the heat of the Canal Zone, veteran soldier Clay Hill reunites with his old comrade "Bullet" Hunter—only to find him now flying for General Bovar’s revolutionary cause. As the two pilots lock eyes in the sky, the war they’re fighting becomes personal, with loyalty and fate hanging in the balance.

In the shadow of the 18th century, Jeremiah Pringle is dragged into the King’s service by a ruthless press gang and thrust aboard the H.M.S. Confidence, where he must endure the brutal rule of Captain Bull and his merciless crew, including the unnamed Bosun and the sneering Donklin.

In the chaos of the D-Day invasion, Private Albert "Duck-Butt" Smith—hailed by his Sergeant as a coward—finds himself thrust into a desperate stand against a relentless German advance. As the tide of battle turns, a lone Tiger tank rolls across a bridge meant to be destroyed, sealing the fate of a young soldier and testing the limits of courage in the face of war’s brutal indifference.

In the harrowing winter of the Murmansk Run, the crew of the *Bunker Hill* faces a relentless journey through icy waters and enemy patrols. When seaman Uriah Bragg, known for his constant complaints, takes watch and lights a cigarette for warmth, the flicker of flame draws a deadly shadow from the depths—setting off a chain of fate that will claim them all.

In "Unterseeboot 113," a Nazi naval commander aboard his U-boat is stunned when the vessel he’s just surfaced to resupply suddenly opens fire—only to realize the target is a British tanker, not a German ship. The sudden betrayal of his own vessel sets off a tense, eerie chain of events as he grapples with a reality that defies logic.

In the shadow of Agincourt, French commander Edouard Rene de Gascony faces a desperate stand against the advancing British, refusing to wait for reinforcements despite warnings. With King Henry pressing forward, the clash unfolds in brutal clarity—where confidence meets catastrophe, and one man’s arrogance becomes his final reckoning.

In the brutal heat of the third day at Gettysburg, a Union soldier known only as Alabama finds himself in the chaos of Pickett’s Charge, where 14,000 Confederate troops surge toward Union lines. Amid the smoke and thunder of battle, he faces a Southern officer who approaches with a quiet, familiar resolve—only to strike him down, unaware of the devastating truth that will unfold long after the guns fall silent.

In the final days of a brutal war, veteran Pappy Davidson tries to pass on hard-earned survival lessons to a group of young American replacements, each of whom faces the grim reality of the front lines. As the young soldiers fall one by one, only Caruso seems to grasp the wisdom of experience—until the war ends, and he goes to share the news with Pappy, only to find the old soldier has died in the last battle.

In "Desert Fox!", General Rommel navigates the harsh sands of northern Africa, his campaign strained by dwindling supplies and mounting pressure. He makes a curious stop at a British hospital, then moves his forces through a Polish POW camp, all while facing brutal reprisals against prisoners and the shocking news of a failed assassination attempt on Hitler—leading to a final, devastating decision.

In "Bug Out!!," a lone soldier named Valentine survives a devastating ambush during a U.S. patrol in Korea, only to spiral into psychological turmoil as he relives the horrors of war. After waking in a hospital following a bombing in a ruined village, he becomes trapped in a cycle of fragmented memories, haunted by the actions he can't escape.

In "Light Brigade!", a young officer leads the British Light Brigade through the smoke and chaos of the Valley of Balaclava, where Russian artillery forms a deadly horseshoe trap. Ordered to charge, the cavalry advances into the storm of fire, their fate sealed by the weight of command and the brutal geometry of war.

In "Bunker Hill!", colonial troops from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut brace for battle atop Breed's Hill, facing off against the advancing British Redcoats. Though outnumbered and outgunned, the American forces hold their ground in a desperate stand that leaves a heavy toll on both sides.

In the final days of the Korean War, the U.N. forces—drawn from many nations—hold onto the last stronghold in North Korea: the port city of Hungnam. As Christmas approaches, the fragile calm shatters when relentless artillery rains down on the dock area, turning the once-protected haven into a scene of chaos and devastation.

In "War of 1812!", a young Delaware warrior named Ki-wi-ex-kim grapples with the shifting tides of alliance and betrayal as the promise of brotherhood between Native peoples and white settlers crumbles. With Tecumsah leading the resistance, he fights to defend his people’s land and way of life—only to face a devastating turn when his leader falls in battle.

"Custer's Last Stand" presents a harrowing, firsthand account of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, seen through the eyes of a soldier in the 7th Cavalry. Told with stark immediacy, the story immerses readers in the chaos and desperation of the doomed campaign, with General George Custer at its center.

In "Iwo Jima!", a B-29 Superfortress limps toward the volcanic island after a bombing run over Tokyo, its engines failing. As the crew braces for a desperate landing amid ongoing combat, the co-pilot shares the island’s turbulent history with the pilot, the weight of the past echoing in the present.

In October 1776, British and Hessian forces land at Pell's Point, aiming to outmaneuver George Washington’s American troops. Amid the chaos of battle, the clash unfolds with no clear victor—only the cost of war etched in smoke and silence.

In "Caesar!", the mighty general leads his army through war-torn lands, exacting brutal vengeance after a betrayal by Germany, then turning his wrath on a French town that had surrendered. By 44 B.C., his power has grown unchecked, making him a threat even to Rome’s own Senate—whose members now plot to end his reign before it consumes the Republic.

In the divided heart of a fractured nation, loyalty is tested as families and neighbors face an impossible choice: North or South? At Camp Jackson, the tension is thick as the St. Louis militia stands on uncertain ground, and an elderly man known only as Grandpa takes a defiant stand—his shot echoing across the camp, shattering peace and setting the stage for bloodshed.

In the fractured chaos of 14th-century Europe, where armored lords wage endless petty wars, the peasants cling to a myth—the Black Knight, a savior in shadow. When he finally rides into their village, hope flares, only to be crushed by the grim truth: he is not a liberator, but another lord in disguise, no different from the Robber Baron he’s meant to defeat.

"Blockade!" captures the tense, pivotal clash between two ironclad warships during the Civil War, a brutal naval engagement that marked the end of an era for wooden ships. The story immerses readers in the chaos and innovation of a turning point in naval warfare.

In "Hannibal!", a massive army of 100,000—drawn from Africa, Spain, and France—marches under the legendary General Hannibal toward Rome. Trapped in a narrow mountain pass, they face a deadly ambush from the Gauls above, poised to send boulders crashing down. But as the battle unfolds, Hannibal’s unseen presence and careful planning begin to turn the tide.

In "Atom Bomb!", a young man held captive by Russian forces writes a desperate letter home to his mother, unaware that his family in Nagasaki is about to be shattered by the atomic bomb dropped on August 5, 1945. The story unfolds through the quiet, devastating contrast between his fragile hope and the sudden, unimaginable loss that follows in the wake of the explosion.

In "Wolf!", young Mark Edelblut faces danger on two fronts: first, a wolf threatening his sheep, and then a sudden invasion of his father’s castle by Baron Von Wolffe’s army. With his trained hawk as his only ally, Mark must use quick thinking and courage to defend his home, sending the bird into the fray to turn the tide.

In "Trial by Arms!", a medieval feast turns to chaos when Sir Clyde and Sir Gregory issue a duel of honor—only for Sir Gregory to be found dead two days later, bloodied in his chambers. Accused of murder, Sir Clyde faces a battle royale against Sir Malcolm, who emerges victorious. But when Sir Gregory himself stumbles back into the hall, alive and unharmed, the crowd’s verdict is swift: it’s time for him to die again.

In "Albatross!", a crew aboard a Grumman SA-16 seaplane debates whether their craft is truly a plane or a boat as they prepare for a bombing run—only to be diverted by news of a downed pilot. Rushing to rescue the stranded airman, they find themselves battling violent seas, testing the limits of their aircraft’s design and their own resolve.

In "New Orleans!", a young Union officer aboard a gunboat watches the Mississippi River unfold under the weight of war, as Lincoln’s fleet pushes south toward the Confederate-held city. The mission is clear: break through rebel defenses and seize the vital port, but the river itself feels like a living thing, full of danger and uncertainty.

In "Perimeter!", a weary American soldier named Miller grapples with the exhaustion of war and the friction of forced cooperation with South Korean troops, simmering especially toward a fellow soldier, Matthews, who finds solace in reading the Bible amidst the chaos.

In "Carl Akeley!", a determined hunter pushes deep into the wilds of Africa, facing a terrifying bull elephant that leaves him gravely wounded. Though he survives and continues his quest across five more perilous expeditions, each one claiming a new toll on his body, his dream of seeing his vision for The African Hall in New York City realized remains just out of reach.

In the midst of war, newly assigned Lt. Pomeroy finds himself isolated among the hardened pilots of the 37th "Blue Blazes" Aero Squadron, their silence a wall he can't breach. When he witnesses a brutal aerial assault on the field known as Bar Sur Seine, he takes flight alone—facing a fleet of Fokkers with nothing but courage and instinct. The story captures that pivotal moment when a man proves himself not through rank or reputation, but through action in the sky.

In the grim trenches of war, Burt dreams of flight and the freedom of the skies, longing to join the legendary Lafayette Escadrille. When his chance finally comes, he inherits not just a pilot’s seat—but the locked belongings of Lt. Blackton, a man whose fate remains shrouded in silence.

In "Greasemonkey," Sergeant Stuart Warner, a former flight trainee turned grease monkey, grapples with guilt after his best friend's death in a training accident. When a base captain faces a perilous mission—his wife just delivered their baby—Warner volunteers to take the plane, driven by a desperate need to atone for a loss he can't undo.

In the skies over Europe, a group of seasoned American aces—Ernie Munson, Pat Pierce, Willis, Art Milburn, and Chuck Snyder—face their greatest fear: a German pilot with over thirty confirmed kills. When a young, untested newcomer brings down the feared enemy ace, the squadron is stunned to learn the German’s record was a ruse—his plane’s tally painted to scare foes. The real shock comes when they realize their so-called novice is no rookie at all, but a veteran ace in disguise, with a kill count that surpasses even the man they thought was untouchable.

In "Ordeal," Lieutenant Stoner—veteran of 32 combat missions—faces a trial that tests him not with enemy fire, but with a fear deeper than any battlefield. With Moody by his side, he must confront a challenge that pushes him beyond the limits of duty and instinct.

In "The Battle of Britain!", a young RAF pilot named John Bassford faces his first combat mission with a mix of eagerness and fear, making costly mistakes that force him to bail out. After a second engagement leaves his squadron destroyed and him alone against the Luftwaffe, Bassford’s fate takes a sudden, unexpected turn when he awakens in a hospital—just as the battle rages on.

In the final days of the war, a pilot of the JV-44 Commando Fighter Group stands by his ME-262, haunted by the memory of its promise—how General Galland once tested the revolutionary jet with awe, only to see Hitler dismiss it as a bomber, squandering its potential. Now, with the war lost and orders to destroy the aircraft, the pilot faces the weight of what might have been, as the future of flight burns in his hands.