Last Day in Vietnam

Synopsis: This is a series of short stories, set around the Korean and Vietnam wars. In the titular opening saga, we meet a Major on his last day in Vietnam, where he escorts a civilian bigwig into a hot landing zone.

In The Periphery we meet a group of reporters talking in Saigon when a couple more reporters come in from the field with fresh news of hostilities in Khe Sanh.

The Casualty tells the story of a soldier wounded by a Vietnamese prostitute.

In A Dull Day in Korea we meet a Lieutenant behind the lines with an itchy trigger finger.

Hard Duty shows a roughneck soldier with a tender side.

Finally, A Purple Heart for George tells the story of a rear echelon soldier with a penchant for getting drunk and filing for a transfer to the front lines, while his buddies make sure to destroy the application before it gets to the commanding officer.

Good Stuff: Will Eisner is justifiably revered as a master of his craft. He’s a consummate storyteller, and it shows in each story in this collection. The standouts of the lot are easily A Purple Heart for George and the titular offering, although The Periphery definitely hits home.

Not so Good Stuff: You get so used to the great stories that Eisner tells that when one of them isn’t great, you’re tremendously disappointed. I do wonder if the disappointment is due to the length of these stories (most of them are quite short). Also, some of them end strangely (for instance, A Dull Day in Korea) or simply don’t have the impact of the others.

I give this book 7/10.