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The EC Artists' Library #10
Bomb Run and Other Stories
Harvey Kurtzman's taut, humanistic scripts and John Severin's gritty, detailed artwork (inked with preternatural precision, usually by Will Elder) combined to make some of the finest war stories ever told in any medium in the pages of EC Comics. Bomb Run and Other Stories collects all of this essential work in one hardcover volume for the first time.
247 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 1, 2021
Bomb Run and Other Stories collects 32 war tales written by Harvey Kurtzman and drawn by John Severin.
War comics aren't my thing and I mainly know John Severin from his decades working at Cracked Magazine but I'm inching closer to completing my Fantagraphics EC Library so I picked this up. I was pleasantly surprised.
War comics still aren't my thing but this was damn good. Harvey Kurtzman's stories run the full range of war stories, from dogfights to down and dirty combat in the trenches. While I'm used to seeing Severin's humor work, his style is well suited to the horrors of war as well. Will Elder handles the inking in a lot of the stories but Severin proves to be adept at inking himself as well.
Bomb Run, the titular story, was a good one but my favorite was Night Patrol, where Severin makes extensive use of shadows and rain to set the mood. Honestly, there wasn't really a dud in the bunch despite my lack of enthusiasm for war stories.
Bomb Run and Other Stories shows that Jaunty John Severin could hang with the big dogs at EC any day of the week. Four out of five stars.
War comics aren't my thing and I mainly know John Severin from his decades working at Cracked Magazine but I'm inching closer to completing my Fantagraphics EC Library so I picked this up. I was pleasantly surprised.
War comics still aren't my thing but this was damn good. Harvey Kurtzman's stories run the full range of war stories, from dogfights to down and dirty combat in the trenches. While I'm used to seeing Severin's humor work, his style is well suited to the horrors of war as well. Will Elder handles the inking in a lot of the stories but Severin proves to be adept at inking himself as well.
Bomb Run, the titular story, was a good one but my favorite was Night Patrol, where Severin makes extensive use of shadows and rain to set the mood. Honestly, there wasn't really a dud in the bunch despite my lack of enthusiasm for war stories.
Bomb Run and Other Stories shows that Jaunty John Severin could hang with the big dogs at EC any day of the week. Four out of five stars.
October 25, 2019
Sure, these oldies have some value for people who grew up with them. For the modern reader though, it's a biased form of storytelling full of american propaganda and i'm happy that comics moved far away from that style and narration once and for all, never to return.
I bought the volume only because it was something like 7-8 euros and I wanted to have a general idea about EC Library. What's dead should stay dead and these war stories, with their simplistic and basic morals and messages, should stay where they belong, in the dustbin of 9th art history. They're not even good for basic history learning for kids.
I bought the volume only because it was something like 7-8 euros and I wanted to have a general idea about EC Library. What's dead should stay dead and these war stories, with their simplistic and basic morals and messages, should stay where they belong, in the dustbin of 9th art history. They're not even good for basic history learning for kids.
September 10, 2014
With Fantagraphics' publishing books of stories from EC comics in B&W by a single artist and Dark Horse reprinting EC title runs in color it'd be easy to get overwhelmed with EC reprints.
Crazy as I am, I'm buying all the Dark Horse reprints and the Fantagraphics books that look interesting.
I'm not really a big fan of war comics, so I skipped Fantagraphics' Corpse on the Imjin! and Other Stories and will probably also skip the soon to be released Aces High. But I couldn't resist this collection of war stories illustrated by John Severin.
I've always liked Severin's work. While I wasn't an avid reader of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos when I picture the characters in my mind, Severin is the artist.
His work in this volume is interesting. In some of the stories (especially the ones taking place during the Civil War) the features of some of the characters are too exaggerated for my taste; however for most of the stories the people are all pretty normal looking.
I'm not sure if it's the inking (by Will Elder) or just the evolution of the artist, but I think overall I prefer his later work to what's presented here (although the art in the WWII and Korea stories is very nice.)
It's good collection and I enjoyed reading it; at least one story I recognized as having read recently, probably in one of the Dark Horse editions. I may see if I can find it; it'd be interesting to compare the B&W and color art.
Crazy as I am, I'm buying all the Dark Horse reprints and the Fantagraphics books that look interesting.
I'm not really a big fan of war comics, so I skipped Fantagraphics' Corpse on the Imjin! and Other Stories and will probably also skip the soon to be released Aces High. But I couldn't resist this collection of war stories illustrated by John Severin.
I've always liked Severin's work. While I wasn't an avid reader of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos when I picture the characters in my mind, Severin is the artist.
His work in this volume is interesting. In some of the stories (especially the ones taking place during the Civil War) the features of some of the characters are too exaggerated for my taste; however for most of the stories the people are all pretty normal looking.
I'm not sure if it's the inking (by Will Elder) or just the evolution of the artist, but I think overall I prefer his later work to what's presented here (although the art in the WWII and Korea stories is very nice.)
It's good collection and I enjoyed reading it; at least one story I recognized as having read recently, probably in one of the Dark Horse editions. I may see if I can find it; it'd be interesting to compare the B&W and color art.
August 4, 2015
To read a bit about the three artists in the opening pages and again at the end gave me a framework for the work that the three of them did together. Though, even without this, the blood, sweat, and tears that went in to creating such realistic depictions of war from Ancient Rome through contemporary wars were vivid, haunting, at times humorous, but most importantly NECESSARY to be told and shown.
There is an intelligence in the design, layout, narrative, and dialogue that capture war and make it a worthwhile read that's different from a DC comic about a superhero.
There is an intelligence in the design, layout, narrative, and dialogue that capture war and make it a worthwhile read that's different from a DC comic about a superhero.
December 16, 2014
Another solid collection of war stories by Fantagraphics Books. Perhaps the most enjoyable is the variety of stories collected here: American revolution, Korea, WW II, War of Northern Aggression, etc...
June 16, 2019
Another EC artists collection. The are is good. There are pages that make you stop and really look at the pictures.
The only issue I have with this volume is its organization. I am sure it makes sense to the editor and comic nerds but for me, I would have preferred the Korean comics to be together, and Civil War, WW1, etc...
All in all, a pretty good volume. Quicker to read than some of the Eerie and Creepy ones. Love the work that Fantagraphics does and this doesn't disappoint either.
The only issue I have with this volume is its organization. I am sure it makes sense to the editor and comic nerds but for me, I would have preferred the Korean comics to be together, and Civil War, WW1, etc...
All in all, a pretty good volume. Quicker to read than some of the Eerie and Creepy ones. Love the work that Fantagraphics does and this doesn't disappoint either.
November 28, 2022
Quick impressions: A volume I would recommend for libraries with graphic novel and comics collections. One I really liked, and would suggest it to folks who like war comics.
(Full review on my blog soon.)
(Full review on my blog soon.)
September 26, 2019
Currently on page 196
Hero Schmidt’s Review
Summary
The book Bomb Run is a short story collection which consists of many short war stories that are organized through chronological order.
Description
The collection of stories revolve around a single person, group, or battle. Although the stories are classified as short stories the stories are very descriptive and the plot moves very smoothly.
Cons
The only thing I don’t like about this collection is that the stories are hard to read and the illustrations of the characters are confusing as most of the soldiers look the same.
Pros
I like that the book goes into description about the facts and the people included in the story. The stories are also written to attract readers.
Review
The top 3 stories I recommend for you to read are: Ace, Red Sky, and Bombers. These three are all air stories and I find these the most exciting because the ending is very unpredictable and the story is suspenseful. I recommend these stories over the others because they stood out as more adventurous. The rest of the book is good and I really appreciate the fact that the stories are chronologically ordered.
Hero Schmidt’s Review
Summary
The book Bomb Run is a short story collection which consists of many short war stories that are organized through chronological order.
Description
The collection of stories revolve around a single person, group, or battle. Although the stories are classified as short stories the stories are very descriptive and the plot moves very smoothly.
Cons
The only thing I don’t like about this collection is that the stories are hard to read and the illustrations of the characters are confusing as most of the soldiers look the same.
Pros
I like that the book goes into description about the facts and the people included in the story. The stories are also written to attract readers.
Review
The top 3 stories I recommend for you to read are: Ace, Red Sky, and Bombers. These three are all air stories and I find these the most exciting because the ending is very unpredictable and the story is suspenseful. I recommend these stories over the others because they stood out as more adventurous. The rest of the book is good and I really appreciate the fact that the stories are chronologically ordered.
June 23, 2014
Comic book war stories never looked as good as those drawn by John Severin.
July 13, 2015
Fantagraphics' artists editions are among the absolute best reproductions of EC comics out there ... essential series.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews