When John Severin became editor of Two-Fisted Tales, he expanded the
scope of its stories beyond its traditional war stories to head off to
far-flung times and places, searching for adventure. This volume
collects all those stories -- the EC stories that Severin had the most
control over. Severin wrote and drew the title story, about an
old-fashioned Southern "gentleman" who sees grievance at every turn and
regularly challenges those who are less skilled than he is to pistol
duels. Is it murder when a man is defending his honor?
The other tales range from action and intrigue in the Old West to
exploring for a lost city in the jungles of Peru, to facing danger in
the Khyber Pass, to a Cold War chiller about the "ultimate weapon," to
EC's only Vietnam story, "Dien Bien Phu!" Plus -- the complete run of
Severin's stories of globe-trotting two-fisted news photographer Steve
Rampart, from the pages of Extra!. Severin was a master of detail,
emotion, and reaction thanks to his precise, detailed line; it brought
such realism to the page, it seems as if he is reporting from the
scene.
BONUS: This volume also delves into the EC Pre-Trend era with a sampling
of the work of lesser-known EC artists Lee J. Ames, Stan Ash, Ann
Brewster, H.C. Kiefer, and Ed Waldman. Code of Honor And Other
Stories, like its companion volumes, features extensive story notes and
a Severin biography.
