Book excerpt: The small town of Elk’s Ridge was founded as a closed haven, dreamt up by Vietnam veterans looking to create a utopia: a home without violence, chaos, or corruption. And in the beginning, it seemed like it might actually work. However, years later, the town has become a powder keg. When a desperate bid for freedom results in the accidental death of a child, the town must decide what terrible acts they are willing to commit in order to preserve their way of life. And the youth of the sleepy town—those who never chose to live that life—must forsake all they know in order to stand up for what is right. A vividly and viscerally illustrated tale of small town horror, Elk’s Run takes its place among the most chilling and affecting works of graphic fiction. The debut collaboration of Eisner, Harvey, and Emmy nominated writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and Harvey and Eisner nominated artist Noel Tuazon is back a decade later and even more relevant.