"The war arrived in our village on the 18th of January. Obviously there were other wars going on, but they didn't have anything to do with us. There were wars for blacks. Wars for Arabs. Wars for Slavs. Our war started on the 18th of January, and in a few days, everything had changed."

So recounts Giuliano, a loner among outsiders, one of threeyoungdrifters caught up in the whirlwind of a war in the Balkans.The threeboys arelike passing shadows; theylive in abandoned houses, dodge the occasional bomb, and steal car parts for money.Meeting Felix--a powerful, fast-talking mercenary--changes everything for them.Felix is an expert manipulator; he speaks to their ambition andto their desires forpower, wealth, and purpose.They're instantly hooked, especially the trio's unofficial leader, Stefano, and they soon escalate from petty crime to working on behalf of a mafia-style militia, bullying and extorting money in Felix's name.But as Giuliano comes to realize, they don't know what they're fighting for--if they're even fighting for anything. Notes for a War Story is an astonishinglook atlife in a lawless, war-torn nation, heightened by theharsh, moving,pencil and watercolor artwork of Italy's bestgraphic novel author.