Arrowsmith: So Smart in Their Fine Uniforms by Kurt Busiek, Carlos Pacheco

Publishers Weekly

In the first of a proposed series of Arrowsmith books, Astro City writer Busiek builds a clever extended metaphor to play with the tropes of smalltown-boy-learns-that-war-is-hell stories. It's 1915, and Fletcher Arrowsmith is a Connecticut farm boy who heads to Europe to learn to fly and fight the Prussians. It's all pretty normal-except that in this world, magic has taken the place of technology, Connecticut is part of the United States of Columbia, Fletcher's actually learning to fly on his own (with the aid of a miniature dragon), the aerial battles are fought with swords (when they don't involve "incendiary bolts" or monsters), Fletcher's hometown buddy is a Lothingarian troll with a thick foreign accent, the deadly gas that the Prussians and Tyrolians use turns people into flesh-eating demons and Fletcher must search his soul after he discovers he has helped destroy Holbruck by dropping fire elementals on it. Arrowsmith's mixture of WWI aesthetics and sword-and-sorcery elements must've been tricky to pull off visually, but Pacheco holds his own, drawing with a slick-lined grace and understating the witty variations he's devised for everything from the soldiers' outfits to European architecture. Everything proceeds precisely according to the traditions of the genre, but the setup's ingenious enough to make the cliches tolerable. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

This is the first volume of a superb new alternate history series by Busiek (Astro City). Fletcher Arrowsmith, a small-town Connecticut boy, leaves home to fight in the European war of 1915, even though the United States of Columbia has not offially joined the fight. He trains as an airman-but in this world where magic is used side-by-side with technology, an airman uses spells and charms to borrow his dragon's ability to fly. While trolls and dwarves build the sewers under New York, the war is fought using not only guns, but also zombies, vampires, and the deadliest magic that sorcerers can invent. The story follows Fletcher's coming of age, as he trains, ships out, and sees the horrors of war first-hand. Busiek's script hits all the right notes, and prose fantasy writer Lawrence Watt-Evans, as "alternity consultant," helped build the world's background and history. With its highly accomplished artwork, lush coloring, and not-quite-earthly setting, this is just the thing for fans lamenting the seeming demise of the CrossGen line. There's some gore and minor nudity. Suitable for mid-teens and up, this is recommended for all libraries. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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