Hope Never to See It: A Graphic History of Guerrilla Violence During the American Civil War

Fialka, a history professor at Middle Tennessee State University, teams up with artist Carman (Fear Hunters) for this urgent if overstuffed graphic history of guerrilla warfare in Civil War–era Missouri. Pro-slavery “Bushwhackers” clashed in bloody skirmishes and covert terror operations with the occupying forces of the Union Army. Civilians are depicted both as murdered bystanders and perpetrators of violence. Fialka makes the case that this is not atypical in war, noting that “state and non-state actors” regularly break official rules of combat. The carnage depicted shocks the conscience, as in a bravura sequence that dramatizes the ambush of U.S. soldiers by William “Bloody Bill” Anderson’s guerrilla band. Carman employs tight panel layouts, capturing both the tactical sweep and the zeal of men on the hunt, with close-ups of scalping and other gore. Fialka offers in-depth sourcing and context for every word and image, which illuminates the history. But in a long section involving the trial of a murderous representative of the Union Army, which demonstrates war crimes committed by both sides, the dense blocks of text diminish the drama. Later, the swirl of atrocities in the art juxtaposes sharply with scholarly minutia. The result is a comprehensive treatment of a potent topic that occasionally gets too bogged down in details. (Mar.)