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A graphic novel imprint of the ½X
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NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS
CONTENTS
THE STRINGBAGS Based on the Royal Navy’s Swordfish crews, this is an epic tale of young men facing death in an outdated aircraft.
10 ATLAS AT WAR!
Fifty hard-hitting beautifully restored stories from Atlas Comics, the company that became Marvel Comics.
18 THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF
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CHURCHILL A unique depiction that places Churchill’s story in the context of the times while enabling the reader to truly visualize the key moments in his life and career.
14 GREAT NAVAL BATTLES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Plunge into the heart of three of the twentieth century’s greatest naval battles: Tsushima, Jutland, Midway.
22 ONCE UPON A TIME IN FRANCE
MAUTHAUSEN
A Jewish scrap dealer becomes a Nazi collaborator and resistance financier in this true-life crime thriller.
A Spanish photographer finds himself the confidant of an SS officer who is documenting prisoner deaths at the Mauthausen concentration camp.
23 THE NIGHT WITCHES
A female bomber pilot fights Nazis and the prejudices of her own government.
25 TITLES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
ENNIs
badly wounded and exiled from her own people, Anna begins an odyssey that will take her from the killing fields of World
As As
the German army smashes deep into the soviet Union
and the defenders of the Motherland
War II to the horrific soviet punishment
retreat in disarray, a new squadron arrives
camps—and at the top of the world, high
at a Russian forward airbase. Like all
bRAUN
above the freezing Arctic ocean, this Night Witch finds she has one last card to play.
night-bomber units, they will risk fiery death flying obsolete biplanes against the invader—but unlike the rest, these pilots and navigators are women. In the lethal
GARTh ENNIs has been writing
skies above the Eastern Front, they will
comics since 1989. credits include
become a legend—known to friend and
preacher, The boys, and hitman, with
foe alike as the Night Witches.
successful runs on The punisher and Fury With casualties mounting and the
for Marvel comics. As well as his own war series War stories, battlefields, and
conflict devouring more and more of her
dreaming Eagles, he recently revived the
“We live in a
comrades, Lieutenant Anna Kharkova
classic british aviation character Johnny
world where war
quickly grows from a naive teenager to a
Red and has produced two series of World
has become an accepted
hardened combat veteran. The Nazi foe is
of Tanks for Wargaming.net. originally
facet of life, but Ennis and braun
bad enough, but the terrifying power of
from Northern Ireland, Ennis now resides
show how hellish that facet can be. This
her country’s secret police makes death in
in New york city with his wife, Ruth.
title is a riveting read, compelling in its subject
battle almost preferable.
matter and narrative movement.” RUss bRAUN has been working in
— coMIc booK REsoURcEs
comics for almost thirty years, with a seven-year break for a stint with disney Feature Animation. he is best known for
“Few contemporary writers get the psychology of the war story like Garth Ennis. . . . This is definitely worth a look.”
his frequent collaborations with Garth
— NEWsARAMA
Ennis on The boys, battlefields, Where
Monsters dwell, sixpack & dogwelder, and most recently Jimmy’s bastards.
“Ennis writes some of the most powerful, kick-ass women in comics.” — coMIc booK dAILy W W W.dEAd R Ec KoNING.oR G
pRINTEd IN ThE U.s.A.
(coNTINUEd oN bAcK FLAp)
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2020 Dead Reckoning, is a graphic novel imprint of Naval Institute Press with a special focuses on military history, military biography and memoir, general history, as well as tales of the high seas, Dead Reckoning will strike out to the new waters of a bold medium and tell the stories that no one else can.
Available from Diamond Comic Distributors and whre books are sold.
For editorial inquiries, please contact gthompson@usni.org
For media inquiries, please contact jbarnes@usni.org
For ordering information, sales inquiries, or course adoption, please contact jrussell@usni.org
WWW.DEADRECKONING.ORG @deadreckoninggraphicnovels
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Written by Garth ENNIS Drawn by PJ HOLDEN Colored by Kelly FITZPATRICK Lettered by Rob STEEN “This may be the best war comic to come out in years.” —ICv2 If you do the incredible often enough, they’ll want you to do the impossible. Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy began World War II with aircraft that could devastate enemy warships and merchantmen at will. Britain’s Royal Navy squadrons went to war equipped with the Fairey Swordfish. A biplane torpedo bomber in an age of monoplanes, the Swordfish was underpowered and undergunned; an obsolete museum piece, an embarrassment. Its crews fully expected to be shot from the skies. Instead, they flew the ancient “Stringbag” into legend. Writer Garth Ennis and artist PJ Holden present the story of the men who crewed the Swordfish: from their triumphs against the Italian Fleet at Taranto and the mighty German battleship Bismarck in the Atlantic, to the deadly challenge of the Channel Dash in the bleak winter waters of their homeland. They lived as they flew, without a second to lose—and the greatest tributes to their courage would come from the enemy who strove to kill them. Based on the true story of the Royal Navy’s Swordfish crews, The Stringbags is an epic tale of young men facing death in an aircraft almost out of time.
Available Hardcover | 192 Pages ISBN-13: 9781682475034 Price: $29.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL148209
Garth Ennis has been writing comics since 1989. Credits include Preacher, The Boys (both adapted for TV), Hitman and successful runs on The Punisher and Fury for Marvel Comics. He is particularly known for his war comics, including War Stories, Battlefields, Out of the Blue, Sara, and a recent revival of the classic British series Johnny Red. Originally from Northern Ireland, Ennis now lives in New York City. PJ Holden is a Belfast-based comic artist. Best known for his work for 2000AD on Judge Dredd, over the last twenty years he’s also drawn Rogue Trooper, Robocop/Terminator, James Bond: M, World of Tanks, and Battlefields. He is the co-creator of Dept. of Monsterology and Numbercruncher. 3 3
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CHURCHILL A GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY Written by Vincent Delmas; Illustrated by Christophe Regnault and Alessio Cammardella; Foreword by Andrew Roberts Sir Winston Churchill is often referred to as the greatest Briton and is certainly one of the most important and central figures of the 20th century. Containing both his many pitfalls and triumphs, this graphic biography follows Churchill’s 17 upbringing through his military exploits in World War I and beyond. Best known for his role in World War II, Churchill presents the Prime Minister’s part in this world-changing conflict and how his handling of it turned him into a political icon. Leading Churchill historian Andrew Roberts contributes additional insight in the foreword and historian François Kersaudy provides a new English-language introduction to provide greater background and supplementary knowledge. Churchill is a unique depiction of the life of Winston Churchill that places his story in the context of the times while enabling the reader to truly visualize the key moments in his life and career. Vincent Delmas writes for television, film, and comics. Notably, he is co-author of Charlemagne in the collection Ils ont fait l’Histoire and scriptwriter of the series Synchrone, published by Lombard. Christophe Regnault, also known as “Bis”, illustrates role playing games (2d sans face), works for various educational comics (Une Bulle en Plus) and for the gaming publications Dofus Mag and IGMag (Ankama).
Available Paperback 120 Pages ISBN-13: 9781682475287 Price: $19.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL149765
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Summer 1940, Southern England
London
What other planes have we got?
None, sir. All of the available Royal Air Force fighter planes are in the air.
There is considerable damage. 40 British planes have failed to return.
But 56 enemy planes have been downed!
Maybe that’ll make Hitler rethink his invasion strategy.
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The great air battle which has been in progress over this island for the last few weeks has recently attained a high intensity.
The gratitude of every home in our Island . . . goes out to the British airmen . . .
undaunted by odds . . . and mortal danger . . .
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
Sir! A telegram from the White House!
President Roosevelt confirms he will send us the destroyers and other munitions for "our little tiff with Mr Hitler . . . "
He has a sense of humour!
" ‌ in exchange for leases on military bases in the West Indies and Newfoundland." LET’S MAKE THE DEAL!
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Atlas at War!
Edited by Michael J. Vassallo; Art Restoration by Allan Harvey Atlas at War! collects fifty hard-hitting stories from Atlas Comics, the company that became Marvel Comics and published more war titles than anyone in the industry between the years 1951 and 1960. Comics historian Dr. Michael J. Vassallo has chosen the best of the best, many of which are coming back into print for the first time, from sixteen different Atlas war titles and featuring the artwork of twenty different artists—giants of the genre, including Russ Heath, John Severin, Bernie Krigstein, Joe Maneely, Jerry Robinson, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby. Each page has been meticulously restored from its first printing by comic art restorer Allan Harvey.
Dr. Michael J. Vassallo is a noted comics historian and a world-renowned authority on the Timely/Atlas period of Marvel’s history. He is the co-author of The Secret History of Marvel Comics and has written twenty introductions to Marvel’s Timely and Atlas Age Masterworks volumes. A frequent contributor to comic history publications, Dr. Vassallo has provided writing and editorial support to Taschen Publishing (75 Years of Marvel, The Stan Lee Story) and maintains his own TimelyAtlas-Comics blog. He resides in Westchester County, New York, and is currently researching and writing an art biography of Atlas giant, Joe Maneely.
Atlas at War! covers the brutal pre-code period where graphic depictions of war action were rendered by artists who were World War II veterans themselves, as well as the post-code period, where code restrictions forced creators to tell stories without graphic violence but produced some of the most beautiful comic art of the genre. In addition to the artists, stories cover all aspects of war—from famous campaigns, weaponry, and personal soldier stories to political topics, Nazi atrocities, and even one story tinged with pre-code horror! Often overlooked in favor of its competitors, Atlas at War! will finally show that Atlas’ war titles were second to no one.
Welsh graphic artist Allan Harvey specializes in digital restoration, breathing new life into vintage comic artwork. Previous restoration projects include Colleen Doran’s A Distant Soil, Stan Lee’s Amazing Fantastic Incredible, and a host of Sam Glanzman war comic reprints for It’s Alive Press. Available September 9, 2020 Hardcover | 272 Pages ISBN-13: 9781682474709 Price: $65.00
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GREAT NAVAL BATTLES OF THE
TWENTIETH CENTURY By Jean-Yves Delitte and Giuseppe Beiguera In the history of civilizations, sea power has always played a preponderant role. This symbol of a nation’s scientific and military genius has very often been the deciding factor during major conflicts, putting the names of several clashes down into legend. With this collection, Jean-Yves Delitte and Giuseppe Baiguera plunge you into the heart of three of the twentieth century’s greatest naval battles. TSUSHIMA, May 1905. Japan’s expansionist policies clashed with the Russian Empire’s over Korea. Japan is poised to flex its muscle and stun the world using the same naval supremacy that opened its borders half a century earlier.
JUTLAND, May 1916. After waiting more than two years and with several missed opportunities, the British Royal Navy and the German Kaiserliche Marine are preparing to confront one another in the North Sea, off the Danish coast of Jutland.
MIDWAY, in June 1942. In the middle of the Pacific, on the minuscule, isolated atoll of Midway, the most extraordinary carrier battle will unfold. The might of the Imperial Japanese Navy will be stopped dead by the bravery of U.S. Navy airmen.
Giuseppe Baiguera has been teaching at the Scuola Internazionale du Comics (Academy of Visual Arts and New Media) in Brescia, Italy, since 2009. In 2011, he published Ecoguard, a volume distributed in schools to build ecological awareness. In 2012, he contracted with Kawama Editions for Mozambique Blues, a tribute to classic adventure comic books.
Jean-Yves Delitte is an architect and designer by training. His first comic book stories appeared in the legendary weekly magazine Tintin. His great love for the open seas allows him to display the entirety of his talent through the creation of veritable naval frescoes.
Available October 21, 2020 Paperback | 176 Pages ISBN-13: 9781682475249 Price: $24.95 15 15
I’m telling you all, we deliberately kept the aircraft carriers’ presence secret to fool the Japanese…they’re watching us and we have only three aircraft carriers…we’re playing a helluva lying game of poker!
it’s suicide! Our planes are shot up like skimmers!
Davidson, you’re a fighter pilot… You’re not trained in dive bombing!
One bomb is all it takes…a bomb lands in the right spot, and the biggest ship will sink!
Eight are in flying shape! We can arm them!
Then let us be part of it!
Sir!
You are crazy!
Damn, Pops, I wonder what got into me to come along with you! This is a suicide mission!
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For once it’ll be me telling you not to grumble!
Bakugekiki!!!*
*Bakugeki-ki: bombers.
Doug, I don’t see any planes…not even a smoke trail to guide us!
God alone knows where the battle’s happening and…
Patience, those goddamned Japs gotta be somewhere!
Oh…there! At five o’clock! I don’t believe my eyes!
Damn! An aircraft carrier! A Jap one! By itself!
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The Photographer of Mauthausen Written by Salva Rubio; Drawn by Pedro J. Colombo; Colored by Aintzane Landa SALVA RUBIO is a Spanish author and historian who has been recognized multiple times for his scriptwriting, ranging from short films to featurelength films and graphic novels. Rubio made his debut in the comics field in 2017 with two striking and very different projects: Monet: Itinerant of Light and The Photographer of Mauthausen, both of which have met with critical acclaim.
This is a dramatic retelling of true events in the life of Francisco Boix, a Spanish press photographer and communist who fled to France at the beginning of World War II. But there, he found himself handed over by the French to the Nazis, who sent him to the notorious Mauthausen concentration camp, where he spent the war among thousands of other Spaniards and other prisoners. More than half of them would lose their lives there. Through an odd turn of events, Boix finds himself the confidante of an SS officer who is documenting prisoner deaths at the camp. Boix realizes that he has a chance to prove Nazi war crimes by stealing the negatives of these perverse photos—but only at the risk of his own life, that of a young Spanish boy he has sworn to protect, and, indeed, that of every prisoner in the camp.
PEDRO COLOMBO is a Spanish artist who was born just outside of Barcelona in 1978. With a passion for drawing dating back to his childhood, he went on to attend Escuela Joso, Spain’s most renowned comics institute. Colombo is the creator of Sangre Noctambula and co-creator of Trois . . . et l’ange. Available November 11, 2020 Paperback | 112 Pages ISBN-13: 9781682476277 Price: $19.95 Now a major motion picture on Netflix
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my job was to translate the insults the germans hurled at the spaniards. | didn’t like the job but | had my own way of handling it…
tell him he’s a piece of shit communist! tell him to get back to work or |'LL beat him to death!
sometimes my compatriots were too exhausted to continue.
translate! <come on, pal. get up or this bastard’s gonna kill you. believe me, you can do it! come on!>
at auschwitz, they used gas; at mauthausen, it was “extermination through labor.” | wanted to help my fellow prisoners, but | also knew | needed to get out of that quarry as quick as possible if | didn’t want to die there.
one day, an opportunity arose.
|'VE had it up to here with you, you dirty bastard!
spaniaker!
| don’t know why | intervened. but | did.
<In Spanish>
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<come on! get up, buddy!>
you goodfor-no—
<but… but… what’s the use…?>
what the—?
<listen! |'M going to hit you and then | want you to run off, okay?>
what is—?
<better a fist than a bullet, right?>
<but… |… | can’t take any more…> <okay, go ahead!>
<no problem.> pfft, these stupid spaniards…
<sorry!>
<that was close, thanks…>
you two! get to work, or else!
<in spanish>
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ONCE UPON A TIME NURY IN FRANCE BYANDFABIEN SYLVAIN VALLÉE “Reminiscent of the best novels of John Le Carré, but based on true events, this is an absolutely riveting thriller that asks difficult questions about good and evil and whether actions taken in the heat of battle can be fairly adjudicated in peacetime. It’s easy to see why this work has already won the coveted Angoulême Award and sold over one million copies internationally.” —Library Journal, Starred Review and Editor’s Pick Fall 2019
O
nce Upon a Time in France is based on the true story of Joseph Joanovici, a Romanian Jew who immigrated to France in the 1920s and became one of the richest men in Europe as a scrap-metal magnate. During World War II Joanovici becomes a Nazi collaborator and war profiteer who provides the Nazi regime with the metals it needs. Secretly, he uses his wealth and influence to finance the French Resistance and free fellow Jews from Nazi hands. Due to his tactics he was one of the three Jews who were denied Israeli citizenship. For some, he was a villain. For others, a hero. Fabien Nury has scripted more than fifteen comics series, including The Death of Stalin, which was adapted to the film with Steve Buscemi.
Available Paperback | 368 Pages ISBN-13: 9781682474716 $29.95 Diamond Stock Code: 127923
Sylvain Vallée graduated from the Saint-Luc School of Brussels. 23 23
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As As
the German army smashes THE NIGHT WITCHES deep into the soviet Union
By Garth Ennis and Russ Braun
“With ction, [Ennis] doesMotherland a remarkable service to women’s history. . . . Braun and andthis thefidefenders of the and Aviña’s work is downright glorious. Scenes of ferocious dogfights, with planes pepretreat in disarray, a new squadron arrives pered by bullets or exploding in midair, are as gripping as they are beautiful. Back on a Russian forward Likeformal all theatground, Braun draws airbase. people with precision and an almost frozen quality that makes every panelunits, iconic.they Aviña’s are gorgeously versatile, ranging from subtly night-bomber will colors risk fiery enameled tones for the people to flat, bright hues for the action in the sky.” death flying obsolete biplanes against the —NPR invader—but unlike the rest, these pilots s the German Army smashes deep into Garth Ennis has been writing comics since and navigators are women. In the lethal the Soviet Union and the defenders of 1989. Credits include Preacher, The Boys and theabove Motherland retreatFront, in disarray, a Hitman, with successful runs on The Punisher skies the Eastern they will new squadron arrives at a Russian forward and Fury for Marvel Comics. As well as his become legend—known friend and own war series War Stories, Battlefields, airbase. Likea all night bombertounits, they will foe risk alike fiery as death ying obsolete the flNight Witches.biplanes and Dreaming Eagles, he recently revived against the invader—but unlike the rest, the classic British aviation character Johnny these pilots and navigators are women. In Red, and has produced two series of World the lethal skies above the Eastern Front, they of Tanks for Wargaming.net. With casualties mounting and the will become a legend—known to friend and foe alike as the Night Witches. conflict devouring more and more of her Russ Braun has been working in comics for almost thirty years, with a seven-year break comrades, Lieutenant Kharkova Lieutenant Anna KharkovaAnna quickly grows for a stint with Disney Feature Animation. from a naive teenager to a hardened Best known for his frequent collaborations quickly grows from a naive teenager to a combat veteran. The Nazi foe is bad with Garth Ennis on The Boys, Battlefields, enough, but the terrifying power of her hardened combat veteran. The Nazi foe isWhere Monsters Dwell, Sixpack & Dogwelder country’s secret police makes death in and most recently Jimmy’s Bastards. badalmost enough,preferable. but the terrifying battle In Thepower Nightof Witches, Anna begins odyssey thatdeath will in her country’s secretanpolice makes take her from the killing fields of World preferable. Warbattle II to almost the horrifi c Soviet punishment camps—and to the top of the world.
(coNTINUEd oN bAcK FLAp)
A
Available Paperback ISBN-13: 9781682473900 $24.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL110563
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TITLES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-68247-323-8 $29.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL089960
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-333-7 $24.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL119754
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-425-9 $36.00 Diamond Stock Code: STL115282
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-100-5 $18.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL089979 30 30
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-387-0 $24.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL112953
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-276-7 $26.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL132534
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-393-1 $19.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL 115283
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-098-5 $16.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL089974
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68247-233-0 $18.95 Diamond Stock Code: STL089964 31 31
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