Fantagraphics presents two experimental， early works by the French cartooning legend Tardi。 These comics， created in the mid-'70s， provide a fascinating preview of the masterworks of his prolific career。 While they are not narratively linked， an eerie sense of foreboding suffuses stories in this collection: they both depict sex and brutal violence and condemn the horrors of war。

The True Story of the Unknown Soldier follows a pulp novelist turned soldier who， driven to delirium amidst the trenches of WWI， becomes tormented by visions of his own seedy creations。 This stream-of-consciousness tale visualizes the tortured psyche of its protagonist through dazzling dreamscapes and surreal scenarios。 In The National Razor， a soldier returns from war a shattered man。 Drowning himself in drink， he wanders the streets of Paris without purpose; in this numb stupor， he finds himself caught up in strange situations， lashes out in unexpectedly violent ways， and ultimately meets with a bloody end。 At once a visceral depiction of the trauma wrought by war and a powerful denunciation of the death penalty and France's iconic guillotine。