Product Description

"EC Archives: Two-Fisted Tales Volume 2".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #500117 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 212 pages

Customer Reviews

'War is hell', according to Kurtzman and co.
This deluxe, full colour hardback from Gemstone collects issues # 7-12 of EC Comics' seminal war title from 1951-'52 (actually issues # 24-29, thanks to EC's practice of changing the title of a magazine mid-run, to avoid post office fees), and is a good example of Harvey Kurtzman's subversive take on the genre. The stories are mostly set in what was the then contemporaneous Korean conflict though for the sake of variety, there is a generous helping of historical tales to be found too. Kurtzman felt strongly that presenting jingoistic posturing and one-dimensional caricatures spouting racist slurs and glorifying the horrors of conflict (as was the order of the day in most war comics) was lying to readers. Instead, he depicts the dehumanising effect of war on the average grunt and the growing dependence on killing machines at the expense of man's soul. Another favourite theme is the way in which innocents are swept up in the carnage (a poignant example is 'Rubble!', in issue # 24). There are very few 'happy endings' in these stories. In TWO-FISTED TALES, war is hell and there are no real victors; they come away broken, glassy-eyed shadows of their former selves, burdened with memories of the terrible things they were forced to do when staring death in the face.

Kurtzman the layout artist is blessed with a stellar group of comic book greats to finish his stories and bring them to vivid life. Jack Davis gets the lead story in half of the issues and contributes strips to the rest. There's nobody better at depicting the muddy landscapes of war and his grimy, detailed art is exceptional throughout (though sometimes his legendary speed gets the better of him- witness the wonky eyes on page 182, panel 7). His best is probably 'Hill 203!' in issue # 24, the bitter irony of a 'victory' in which everybody is left dead summing up the whole tone of the comic. Wally Wood is the other most notable contributor here, lending his almost neurotically detailed art to the historical strips, mainly. Every one of his splash panels is a thrilling vista of war. He also doesn't skimp when drawing page-wide panoramas of British soldiers fighting Bostonian rebels ('Bunker Hill!', issue # 25) or hordes of Sioux Indians on horseback decimating Custer's 7th Cavalry ('Custer's Last Stand', issue # 27). The team of John Severin and Will Elder round out the regulars and provide solid, if not quite as memorable, work. Elder's brush compliments Severin's pencils well, and is missed on the Severin-only strips, where his feathering technique might have imparted more dimension to the pen-drawn figures (Kurtzman disliked how Severin used a brush). Dave Berg has one strip ('Fire Mission!' in issue # 29) but would be better utilised in the pages of MAD. Simultaneously cartoony but more subtle are Kurtzman's own full art contributions, the aforementioned 'Rubble!', and the undisputed classic 'Corpse on the Imjin!' in issue # 25. He also provides covers for every issue. His bold, curved brush lines take some getting used to, but result in figures that are full of life and movement.

Like the entire range of EC Archives, this volume has been recoloured using modern computer technology. I usually dislike graduated colours on art drawn for flat tones (the EC artists suggested form through varying line weights, textures and shadow instead). However, Gemstone seem to realise this and the technique is used subtly, and with original colourist Marie Severin's palette as a template. It's also complete with original letters pages and 'Artist of the Issue' features (with Kurtzman, Davis and Wood). The ever-present short text fillers are included too, though I tend to skip them! Topping it all off are an introduction and insightful text pieces by English professor and author Rocco Versaci, Ph.D.

TWO-FISTED TALES is a landmark in war comics, and a lasting testament to Harvey Kurtzman's genius as one of the premier comic book creators. He understands this form possibly better than Al Feldstein did, and lets the art transmit as much story as the words, which are used sparingly in comparison. However, Kurtzman's stories lack the O. Henry-style 'snap endings' that are synonymous with Feldstein's EC work, and can very occasionally fall a bit flat (a couple of times in this book you'll turn the page, not expecting the story to have ended). But married as they are to art of such an outstanding calibre, the stories contained herein should make this book a cornerstone of any serious comic fan's collection.