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Arrowsmith:
So Smart in their Fine Uniforms
[Reprints 1-6 of the mini series]
AUG/2004
Publisher: Wildstorm
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Carlos Pacheco
Inks: Jesus Merino
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Comicraft
Price: $14.95 US/R169.00 SA
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From the men who brought us amazing runs on major superhero teams
such as The Avengers, JLA and
JSA comes a different kind of tale. Kurt Busiek
and Carlos Pacheco tell the story of one man against the world...at
war!
Fletcher Arrowsmith lives in a world where magic mixes with
the mundane and where dragons and men fight side by side in the
trenches. It’s 1915 and World War One [WWI] rages
throughout Europe. Fletcher has decided to sign up to become an
Airman, an elite group of soldiers/wizards that battle the enemy
from the skies. What starts off as a heroic adventure ends very
differently in the blood-stained mud of Europe’s battlefields.
I was looking for something to read the other day and this trade
paperback [a collection of single issues or an entire mini-series
collected in a graphic novel format] caught my eye. Due to its amazing
visual style and original viewpoint of the topic of war I snapped
it up. After finishing reading it I was blown away. The idea of
mixing magic, fantasy creatures and a WWI era setting just seemed
like a campy and somewhat forced idea when I first heard of this
series. Now that I’ve read it I don’t know how to start
explaining to you just how well it’s been thought out and
brought across.
Kurt Busiek [JLA/Avengers, Avenger
Forever] is a stickler for detail and Arrowsmith’s
world is perfectly thought out to the N-th degree. From the way
magic is used in the war to the nuances of the day and age, it all
works seamlessly together to forge one of the best ‘new’
comic universes that I have seen in a long time. With enduring
characters and great imagination shown by both writer and artist
this book stands out as a highly original work in a genre in which
I thought we had pretty much seen it all.
You can expect to see Mages inventing cruel and amazing weapons
of mass destruction. Rock Trolls and Vampires
are used as special units in the army and men fly through the skies
of Europe instead of biplanes. All of the above ideas are beautifully
realized and Busiek implements them in a marvelously subtle and
suitable way in order for them to not come across as campy or ‘B
Grade Movie’ in style.
Once you’ve read through this whole book you will soon realize
that what started out as a splendidly magical tale of ‘Harry
Potter meets WWI’ has turned into a vital commentary on war
and its place in the world yesterday, today and tomorrow. Busiek
weaves in a social commentary on the effects of war and
how pointless and manipulative it is of its soldiers. This is a
critical look at war and the effects that atrocities/war crimes
have through the ranks from high command right down to the common
soldier who has to implement these horrific undertakings. The futility
of war is also raised, how it’s a game of ‘fight and
fight back’ and how no one is in charge of a war but rather
it lays charge over us. I was actually quite amazed at how Busiek
managed to weave such hard hitting ideas into such a ‘far
out’ war story and still get it to work without it coming
across as feeling forced and false.
Via his closing scene Busiek writes a letter to the world around
him asking for peace and an end to war and the final pages are a
testament to this theme. For all the vibrant ideas and the
fresh sights and sounds of this fantastic and magical new world,
at its core this comic is a commentary and reflection on the horror
of war.
The artwork by Carlos Pacheco [Superman/Batman,
Avengers Forever] is a perfect fit for this story
as he manages to envision Busiek’s masterful and magical ideas
and seamlessly blend them into an early 1900’s European setting.
Pacheco excels at drawing some awesome European architecture as
he renders Paris, Germany and a host of foreign locales. These towns
and cities come complete with painstakingly detailed Churches, courtyards
and fountain squares of yesteryear. The costumes and character design
are second to none and have the ‘big production’ feel
of a Lord of The Rings scale film. With great character
design for not only Fletcher and his fellow Airmen but also ‘Rocky’
the Rock Troll, Hilda and the rest of the Dragonets and a bunch
more original and heartwarming characters. I am reminded of the
kind of imagination and scope that we see in many of Miyazakis
[Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke]
films. The visual style of this book is bright, fresh and positive
and at the same time has a magical quality thanks to the great imagination
of Mr. Pacheco, a job well done.
The use of the bright colour palette by Alex Sinclair
[Superman, Batman: Hush] keeps
an essentially sad and depressing tale positive. Sinclair uses lighting
effects perfectly as he subtly changes hair colour and skin tone
as characters enter into the shadows or have a different light source
cast on them.
The lettering and graphic design of this collection help to round
off a great overall artistic impression. The cover and interior
graphic design sold me on this book, complete with spot varnishes,
introduction pages, sketches and great font choices this is a gorgeous
collection to behold, hats off to all involved.
A must read for any fantasy or war genre fans. A book that will
amaze you and make you think at the same time, a true modern comic
work of genius.
Score 10/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
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Comic Reviews
