The EC Archives: Tales from the Crypt Volume 4


Al Feldstein - 2013
    Reprints issues #19-24 (24 stories) of the classic horror comic book series Tales From the Crypt, originally published in 1953 and 1954, and the inspiration for the hit movie and HBO series.

Blazing Combat


Archie GoodwinGene Colan - 2009
    Written and edited by Archie Goodwin, with artwork by such industry notables as Gene Colan, Frank Frazetta, John Severin, Alex Toth, Al Williamson, Russ Heath, Reed Crandall, and Wally Wood, it featured war stories in both contemporary and period settings, unified by a humanistic theme of the personal costs of war, rather than by traditional men's adventure motifs. As one letter-writer in the third issue put it, “Do you seriously expect to make money with a war magazine that publishes nothing but anti-war stories?”While most stories took place during World War II, they ranged in settings from the 18th century to the present-day. Some dealt with historical figures, such as Revolutionary War general Benedict Arnold and his pre-traitorous victory at the battle of Saratoga, while “Foragers” focused on a fictional soldier in General William T. Sherman’s devastating March to the Sea during the American Civil War. “Holding Action,” set on the last day of the Korean War, ended with a gung-ho young soldier, unwilling to quit, being escorted over his protests into a medical vehicle.What proved to be the most controversial were stories set during the then-contemporary Vietnam War, particularly the classic short “Landscape,” which follows the thoughts of a Vietnamese peasant rice-farmer devoid of ideology, who nonetheless pays the ultimate price simply for living where he does. While writer Goodwin evenhandedly portrays the North Vietnamese Army’s brutal summary executions of village officials, and a well-meaning U.S. Army fatally bludgeoning its way through the village in a counterattack, the story caused key distributors to stop selling the title.Fantagraphics is proud to present a deluxe, hardcover edition, magnificently printed and bound, of these stories, superbly reproduced from the original printer's film negatives.Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: (Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Books).

Grendel: Devil Tales


Matt Wagner - 1999
    These tales of corruption, paranoia, vengeance, and the Devil feature the bold, experimental storytelling that cemented Wagner`s reputation as one of the comics medium`s leading innovators. Story, art, and new cover painting by Matt Wagner, colors by Eisner award-nominee Bernie Mireault.

Daredevil: Love's Labors Lost


Dennis O'Neil - 2002
    Daredevil and those closest to him are forced to face the bitter sting of heartbreak in all its forms as new relationships blossom, old loves fade away, and tragedy takes its toll amid a globe-spanning super-hero epic stretching from the swamps of New Jersey to the shores of Venice.

Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan Vol. 1


Gene Colan - 2011
    Known for his moody, shadowy illustrations, Colan was a natural fit as artist on Batman when he came to DC in the 1980s. His run of stories in the pages of both BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS included appearances by some of Batman’s greatest foes, including Man-Bat, The Monk, Rupert Thorne and more.

Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality


Steve Englehart - 1974
    As his skills hve thrived, so too have his challenges.This collection contains material originally published in magazine form as Marvel Premiere #9-10 and #12-14 and Doctor Strange (Vol. 2) #1-2 and #4-5.

Enemy Ace: War Idyll


George Pratt - 1990
    There they discover a truth that neither expected, but both must come to accept. Previously published by D.C. Comics.

The EC Archives: Shock SuspenStories Volume 1


Al FeldsteinMarie Severin - 2006
    Includes stories by William Gaines & Al Feldstein, with art by Jack Kamen, Jack Davis, Joe Orlando, Graham Ingles, and Wally Wood. Featuring a foreword by Steven Spielberg this book looks back at some of the edgiest and best written stories in comic history.

Black Orchid


Sheldon MayerFred Carillo - 1973
    The original appearances of the Black Orchid from Adventure Comics #428-430, The Phantom Stranger #31, 32, 35, 36, 38-41, and The Super Friends #31.

The Tomb of Dracula Volume 1


Gerry ConwayGary Friedrich - 2010
    Dracula has haunted the Marvel Age of Comics for years - now, see his modern misdeeds from Night One! When the Prince of Darkness rises, longtime enemies are ready for a fight - and so is one of his own descendants! Undead armies, time travel, deathbed voodoo, and more! Featuring the first appearance of multi-media marvel Blade: Vampire Hunter! Collects Tomb of Dracula #1-12.

Hawkman: Wings of Fury


Geoff JohnsBill Oakley - 2005
    As the mystic Highwayman comes to St. Roch, seeking to claim Hawkmans tortured soul, its a deadly battle for survival. But first, the Winged Wonders must survive a revenge-seeking Thanagarian Hawkwoman and then a confrontation with the powerful Black Adam.Collecting: Hawkman 15-22

Gangland


Brian AzzarelloRick Claw - 2000
    Suggested for mature readers.

Peter Bagge's Other Stuff


Peter Bagge - 2013
    Peter Bagge’s Other Stuff includes a few lesser-known Bagge characters, including the wacky modern party girl “Lovey” and the aging bobo “Shut-Ins” — not to mention the self-explanatory “Rock ’N’ Roll Dad” starring Murry Wilson and the Beach Boys. But many of the strips are one-off gags or short stories, often with a contemporary satirical slant, including on-site reportage like “So Much Comedy, So Little Time” (from a comedy festival) and more. Also: Dick Cheney, The Matrix, and Alien! Other Stuff also includes a series of Bagge=written stories drawn by other cartoonists, including “Life in these United States” with Daniel Clowes, “Shamrock Squid” with Adrian Tomine, and the one-two parody punch of “Caffy” (with art by R. Crumb) and “Dildobert” (with art by Prison Pit’s Johnny Ryan)... plus a highlight of the book, the hilarious, literate and intricate exposé of “Kool-Aid Man” written by Alan Moore and drawn by Bagge. (Other collaborators include the Hernandez Brothers and Danny Hellman.) Bagge is one of the funniest cartoonists of the century (20th or 21st), and this collection shows him at his most free-wheeling and craziest... 50 times over.

King David


Kyle Baker - 2002
    But Kyle Baker's comic book version of King David renders that classic confrontation in 17 wordless pages, comprising one of the freshest, most suspenseful and thrilling descriptions of its subject that you are likely to find. King David is a biblically accurate, freewheeling, color-saturated biography of the boy who rose to become king of Israel. David begins the book as a scruffyDennis-the-Menace-like kid and ends the book as a vain, hunky womanizer; King Saul is a glam-rock tyrant; his son Jonathan is a skinny punk rebel. (When he asks to borrow Saul's chariot and the king asks, "Where are you going, Jonathan?" he shoots back, "Out.") Many parents will deem the book's bloody battle scenes inappropriate for young readers. King David's candor, however, is a virtue. This is real religious literature: it describes David's relationship with God in a style that's fully alive for readers today. --Paul Power

Batman: Scarecrow Tales


Bill Finger - 2005
    He knows how to take a simple phobia and turn it into a life-threatening syndrome. Since his introduction in 1941, the Scarecrow has been one of the Dark Knights most difficult foes to defeat. And soon, he will be one of the foes featured in the upcoming Batman Begins feature film! In this collection of eight stories spanning more than 60 years, some of the best known Batman writers and artists take their turn at creating chilling escapades.