Blazing Combat - Hardcover

Goodwin, Archie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1560979658 ISBN 13: 9781560979654

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books, 2009

Synopsis

A comic-book classic with timely resonance. Blazing Combat was an American war-comics magazine published by Warren Publishing from 1965 to 1966. 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. What proved to be the most controversial were stories set during the then-contemporary Vietnam War; one such story caused key distributors to stop sellling the title. Fantagraphics is proud to present a deluxe, hardcover edition, magnificently printed and bound, of these stories, superbly reproduced for the original printer's film negatives.

About this title

Review

Poignant and tragic, inspiring and depressing, Blazing Combat give an insightful glimpse into the bloody battles that have plagued this world. -- Marc Mason

Adam Grano's bold design cover design is the perfect complement to Fantagraphics' comprehensive collection... with a stellar team of artists that included Frank Frazetta, Wally Wood, John Severin, Alex Toth, Al Williamson, Russ Heath, Reed Crandall, and Gene Colan. It's remarkable how little these stories have aged, as many cover thematic ground that resonates to this day.... Even the more straightforward "war comics" that are presented in this volume have an unusual gravitas that fits naturally over the proceedings, making the stories collected stand out, and the interviews with Archie Goodwin and Jim Warren provide an in-depth and fascinating look at the pressures that the controversial comic magazine faced. -- Kevin Church

Packed with gloriously miserable... war stories covering everything from the battle of Thermopylae to Vietnam... all beautifully captured by comics legends like Archie Goodwin, Alex Toth, Joe Orlando, and Gene Colan in appropriately murky grays... Fantagraphics has slapped together a nice, hefty... hardbound collection that's worth a read, whether you're a comic nerd, war buff, one-legged veteran, or one of those snooty I-only-read-graphic-novels types. -- Jonah Spangenthal-Lee

[F]eatures a collection of some of the most beautiful black and white comic art you have ever seen... It also features interviews and some of the most beautiful printing I have seen. Honestly, put down those monthly comics for a week and buy something you will enjoy a lifetime. From cover to cover, this book is what keeps me in comics. -- Jimmy Palmiotti

[O]nce again, I'm engaged in Blazing Combat. What a thrill! And the art!... Highly recommended. Don't argue! Just buy it! -- David McDonnell

This collection of the 1965-66 Blazing Combat war comic magazine is a stellar publication... It's a master class on how to tell a short story, and I highly recommend checking it out. -- Sandy Bilus

Astounding...The art is reproduced from 'the original printer's films,' so the work is clear and detailed, with the washes and shading providing depth and a feeling of realism...The stories are still timely. -- Johanna Draper Carlson

Blazing Combat's...issues constitute a high-water mark of the war-comics genre. -- Gordon Flagg

Although the subject matter is bleak, the presentation it's been given is beautiful. This is as good as war comics get. -- Rob Lott

Each panel is a stunning work of art, beautifully preserved on heavy paper. Just as relevant as when they were first published, the stories should still draw an emotional reaction. -- Rachelle Goguen

About the Author

Archie Goodwin(1937-1998, b. Kansas City, Missouri) is best known as an editor and writer for Warren, DC, and Marvel Comics. He co-created, with Walter Simonson, Luke Cage and Spider-Woman, and rebooted the Vampirella character. He also wrote newspaper comic strips, notably Star Wars, drawn by Al Williamson. He won multiple awards and authored the first graphic novel on the NYT Best-Seller list.

Edition details

• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1560979658
• ISBN 13: 9781560979654
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 200