Arrowsmith: So Smart in Their Fine Uniforms: Volume 1

It may be the same old story of how an innocent learns the horrors of war, but no matter how many times we're told the tale, we are no closer to fixing one of the myriad problems of the human condition. But that's not through any lack of effort on the parts of Messrs. Busiek, Pacheco, et al. Brilliantly imagined and illuminated, the characters are retheal in their responses to war's insanity, culminating in a primal compulsion to reassert the validity of life. The magic tech is intriguing and lovingly realized in charming ways. Those who enjoy Busiek's other work, especially the ASTRO CITY oeuvre, will find much to love here as will readers of Linda Medley, Peter David, the BIG BANG comics, even the alternative history fantasies of Harry Turtledove and Guy Gavriel Kay.

The high concept is easy and powerful: what if World War 1 was fought with magic and not science. Oceanliners become powered by magic instead of steam, werewolves and vampires stalk the battelfields, and wizards concoct new more dangerous spells in a desperate attempt to gain advantage. Everything familiar becomes new. If that isn't enough, the writer and artist create a compelling buildingsroman as nascent hero Fletcher Arrowsmith learns how fleeting human life and its aspirations can be during war. It's exciting. It's vibrant. It's exceptionally made by a great writer and artist. This is the bee's knees for a graphic novel. I hope more books are produced in the near future.

It's 1915 and World War I is raging in Europe while America sits it out, . . . only this is a world where weapons are thaumaturgical, the volunteer Overseas Aero Corps flies without planes, the Bosch call up trolls and demons, and the Northern Gods are becoming disgusted with the whole thing. Fletcher Arrowsmith, son of a small-town blacksmith with isolationist tendencies, seeks not just glory but the chance to *do* something, to take part in the battle against evil. He and a friend leave home, enlist, enter training, and are shipped off to the front -- where they learn what war is really like, and that even the good guys are capable of bad deeds. This graphic novel is a first-rate combination of thoughtful, even profound storytelling, detailed setting (back story courtesy of Lawrence Watt-Evans), and artwork that absolutely glows. There's a hint at the end that Fletch's adventures aren't finished -- they're about to ship out to Verdun -- and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I grabbed this off the racks in my local store, not knowing anything about the series and was hooked by the first few pages - excellent writing, fantastic artwork and a fast paced story guarantees that this story will grab you and keep you reading until the end! I was upset that it wasn't longer and can't wait for the sequel! If you're looking for something a bit different with good art and a world that you can truly sink your teeth into, try this one out - I don't think you'll be disappointed!

I get into such a bad habit with buying, and not buying, Kurt Busiek's comics. Since I do everything by mailorder, I'll forget if THIS month the new Astro City is available or did I miss a month already? So when Arrowsmith was announced, I was skeptical. I knew it would be good, Kurt doesn't disappoint, not even with Spider-Man/X-Factor! I was more worried that I'd forget to order it, miss an issue or two (like I did with Astro City: Local Heroes...the shame...), so I took a calculated risk. I waited for the trade! In a way, I'm glad I did. I didn't have to wait month in, and month out waiting for the next installment. I could read it a few pages here, a few pages there whenever I felt like it, or I could gorge and read the whole thing in one sitting. The price is actually a better deal for TPB than monthly, so that's always a plus. The tricky part is, enough people have to buy the monthly, to make the TPB a viable option. Thanks everyone who bought it monthly, I, and I'm sure Kurt too, appreciated your efforts. The nice thing about Kurt's writing is he writes great story arcs. He's not writing for the TPB, so there is no filler and fluff to make a 4 issue storyline into a 6 issue one. If he does, he's good at pulling the wool over my eyes. :) I suppose I should give a brief synopsis of the book. Imagine a world where magic exists. Where the world of reality and fairytale co-exist. That's right, there are wizards in this world, and things that bump horribly in the night. Now, imagine it's 1915, World War I is raging, and warfare is anything but conventional. Now, get ready to see it through the eyes of young Fletcher Arrowsmith, as he enlists in the Overseas Airborne Corps (typing off 2 week old memory, so I may butcher the division...sorry!) to help save the world from those that do bad things. Ah, but with Kurt Busiek writing it, things can't be that cut and dry, can it? Re-teaming with Carlos Pacheco (Avengers Forever) they redesign the world in a way you've never seen before. Highly recommended for any comic fan's library.