I, Rene Tardi, Prisoner of War in Stalag IIB HC (2018-2020 FB) comic books

Includes Vol. 1-3 (with Slipcase) - Printings May Vary. Story and art by Jacques Tardi. The complete three-part saga of French comics master Jacques Tardi's gripping and humane biographical portrait of his father's life as a soldier during WWII. When French tank crewman René Tardi was captured by the Germans on May 22, 1940, his life was forever changed. He is shipped off to a P.O.W. camp, Stalag IIB, where he endures a brutal day-to-day existence for nearly five years. Once the war winds down, he faces a long, grueling journey back to France, buoyed only by the vision of his wife Henriette awaiting him at home. The final act finds René struggling to adapt to civilian life, begrudgingly re-enlisting, and returning to Germany to help rebuild the country that imprisoned him. In THE COMPLETE I, RENE TARDI, P.O.W., cartoonist Jacques Tardi vividly renders his father's harrowing story, a story enriched with his own childhood memories. Both an homage to his father and a testament to the silent suffering of a generation of men scarred by war, Tardi's graphic novel trilogy is a personal and artistic triumph. This box set also features a slew of fascinating contextual features, including reference photographs, excerpts of René's notebooks, and several illuminating essays. Hardcover (3 Volumes with Slipcase), 9-in. x 12-in., 528 pages (Total), B&W. Cover price $99.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $14.00

Add to cart Near Mint $14.00

Volume 1 - 1st printing.

Story and art by Jacques Tardi.

In September 1939, René Tardi went to war. Less than a year later, the French army was defeated and he was a prisoner of war, like 1.6 million other French soldiers. After 4 years and 8 months in a POW camp, René returned home, bitter and ashamed. Stalag IIB is Jacques Tardi's homage to his father and a testimony to the silent suffering of a generation of men.

Based on René's memories, Stalag IIB - the first of two volumes - recounts brutal years of captivity under the Nazis and the POWs' attempts to reclaim moments of humanity. René recalls the roll calls in sub-zero temperatures, daily acts of resistance, crushing boredom - and especially the omnipresent hunger. With four decades of cartooning and almost two dozen graphic novels behind him, Jacques Tardi masterfully recreates historical and personal details with remarkable fidelity, guided by extensive research and his father's notes. Featuring some of Tardi's most intense and meticulous drawing, punctuated by somber greys and punches of red and blue rendered beautifully by Rachel Tardi, Stalag IIB is a personal and artistic triumph.

Hardcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 192 pages, B&W.

Cover price $29.99.

Volume 2 - 1st printing.

Story and art by Jacques Tardi.

The conclusion to a Magnum Opus from one of our greatest contemporary cartoonists.

Picking up where Vol. 1 left off, the second volume of Stalag IIB begins when captured French soldier Ren. Tardi finally gets a taste of freedom, as prisoners and German officers alike are forced to evacuate the POW camp he has languished in for the past four years. Thus begins the long, grueling journey eastward, where Tardi and his fellow POWs must evade the pursuing Russian Army, stave off their gnawing hunger, and contend with the increasingly illtempered and vicious German soldiers accompanying them. Throughout this harrowing odyssey, the only thing that keeps him going is the hope that he'll one day return home to France, where his wife Henriette patiently awaits him.

Featuring meticulous line work punctuated by stunning splashes of color, Jacques Tardi's grim yet heartening biographical portrait of his father's life as a soldier during WWII is a personal and artistic triumph.

Hardcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 192 pages, B&W.

Cover price $29.99.

Volume 3 - 1st printing.

Story and art by Jacques Tardi.

In the final volume of this intergenerational memoir, a powerful tribute to a lost generation of WWII POWs, the author's father, French soldier Rene, comes home.

After five agonizing years as a prisoner of war and five months on a grueling march homeward, Rene Tardi, the legendary cartoonist's father, is awarded fifteen days of military leave. Rene struggles to rebuild his health, reconnect with his family, and imagine his future. With limited job opportunities, Rene re-enlists as a soldier, despite his disgust. After the birth of his son, Jacques, Rene receives new orders: return to Germany and help rebuild the country that imprisoned him. The story takes an autobiographical turn as the focus shifts to Jacques' recreated childhood memories and an exploration of the traumatic effects of war that ripple through the generations.

Hardcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 144 pages, B&W.

Cover price $29.99.