A True Classic from the Father of the Graphic Novel: Will Eisner’s ‘Last Day in Vietnam, A Memory’ Reviewed

Title: Last Day in Vietnam, A Memory

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Will Eisner (foreword by Matt Fraction)

Artist: Will Eisner

Cover Art: Will Eisner

Pages: 80

Format: Hardcover

Retail Price: $17.99

Available: March 6th, 2013

Dark Horse synopsis: Last Day in Vietnam recounts Will Eisner’s own experiences with soldiers engaged not only in the daily hostilities of war but also in larger, more personal combat. Some of the stories in this novel are comical, some heartrending, some frightening, yet all display the incredible insight into humanity characteristic of Eisner’s entire oeuvre.

As Eisner Week has arrived – March 1-10, 2013 – comic writer Matt Fraction (Immortal Iron Fist and numerous other Marvel titles) provides the foreword to this new hardcover edition of one the last pieces created by the late and great Will Eisner. Personally, this comic hit home by way of two separate worlds for me: First, as a comic lover, I’m always grateful to read something from one of the great comic pioneers. Secondly, and certainly not least, I’m the son a 6 tour/5 purple heart Vietnam veteran. Through my dad’s many, many stories I have a good understanding of the Vietnam era. Even though many of us may have an “understanding” none of us who weren’t in country will ever truly ‘know’ the times. My dad to this day still has his inner demon battles stemming from his experiences there. By way of Eisner’s experiences you’ll get a better understanding as he literally shows you through his own eyes, as well as others’ perspectives, Vietnam as he witnessed it to be…

Here are the stories included in the hardcover:

Last Day in Vietnam

Set from Will Eisner’s POV, as a newspaper field reporter, he arrives at camp Bearcat where he meets his escort, a cheerful, talkative Army major; a major made so cheerful because this is the last day of his flawless tour of Vietnam. They board a helicopter and, while heading to the base, pick up three snipers and their dog. The dog seems to have more to say then the snipers. The pair drop them off en route and finally arrive at the camp. From there things quickly get out of hand as the Viet Cong begin attacking the perimeter of the base. The major’s cheerful mood quickly turns to despair, as he believes his tour will not end as he’d hoped. Unable to leave, the major and Eisner rush into a nearby shack in hopes of weathering the storm of the Viet Cong’s assault….

The Periphery

Set in Saigon this short piece is narrated by a “Native” guide. The guide gives you a sense how reporters behave in Saigon, where they are only ‘observers’ and impassively exchange rumors and news (similar to the ‘Associated Press’ we know today). That is until two reporters Chuck and Curley come in from Khe Sanh and tell it like it is from their accounts. One tells the others about the action, the other sits by himself, drinking, obvious the war became much more real to him other than to those just observing…

The Casualty

This is a silent and dramatic piece which needs no words. A wounded soldier appears with many bandages, the most noticeable around a missing left hand, as sits at a table having a smoke and a drink. A flashback is shown in the cigarette smoke above him, where you’ll come to find he wasn’t even in battle…

A Dull Day in Korea

Eisner stands before a bored West Virginian lieutenant who’s just itching for some real action. The lieutenant’s only duty is to patrol his area, several miles from the Korean DMZ. After telling tales of hunting and his father, he sees an innocent woman cutting wood on the far hillside. He takes a shot and misses. While attempting to take another, his gun is quickly confiscated by another officer… and he can’t figure out why.

Hard Duty

Another tale set in Korea, as Eisner comes across a monstrous combat solider who simply loves “killin.” …maybe a little too much. Due to his dysfunction, command has transferred the soldier to shop duty. As he’s about to take an afternoon off, he invites Eisner to follow him up the hill for some “hard duty”. I don’t think he ever saw the ending coming while involving such a “killin” machine.

A Purple Heart for George

Every Sunday night a solider named George – who regrets being a lowly clerk – gets drunk and composes a letter requesting a transfer to a combat unit. His friends at camp know George only gets like this when he drinks. When he’s sober, he never wants a transfer nor even remembers writing a letter requesting one. Before the letter gets into the wrong hands (the captain who approves all requests), the friends collectively make sure the transfer request is torn up. Suddenly both his friends are called to be away for weeks due to training so they enlist another clerk, Hal, to keep an eye on George and his transfer letters. When the friends get back, they come to find George has been shipped out to a combat unit and the news out of Burma isn’t good….

I have to say this book blew my socks right off! Eisner provides so many of his wonderful perceptions and they draw true ‘feeling’ out of each scenario and every person Eisner encountered; I was hooked beginning with Fraction’s foreward and Eisner’s introduction all the way to the very end. The historical photographs between each of the stories only add to the overall heft of nostalgia.

Even though the artist was 83 years old when he created this book, Eisner was still clearly at the top of his game; artistically his technique never fails to take my breath away. He provided those little things within the drawings to make you “know” what it was about, just as if were right there with the men in Vietnam or Korea. Eisner showed he cared about this era as he dominates the panels and entire composition. You’ll be amazed how he’s able to take what could have been simple short stories and brings them to greater levels of depth and detail.

Last Day In Vietnam is a must have for anyone looking to collect Eisner’s work as well as for those interested in wartime perspectives. Or even simply those who are fans of the original comic art form at its finest…