PT 109 #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

During the Summer of 1942, in the Pacific Theater, young John Fitzgerald Kennedy is given his first command. The aging patrol torpedo boat PT-109 is in need of massive doses of TLC. The 3 engines are considered really 'tired.' There's rust everywhere. And there might not be enough guns on the deck. 

Lt. (JG) Kennedy has 1 week to get the boat operable or else he'll be assigned somewhere else, probably as a lower ranking crew member. With an eager crew, Kennedy manages to get PT-109 ready for its first mission, assisting in the evacuation of some marines pinned down by Imperial Japanese forces. That first assignment becomes a rescue mission as one of the barges used transport troops capsizes in the choppy tropical waters.

After that first mission, Kennedy's crew are transferred to the isle of Rendova. Due to its ideal location near Japanese naval routes, the patrol ship operates as a floating David against Japanese Goliath's, attempting to poke holes in the massive fleet. On one moonless night, PT-109 is rammed by a destroyer. Sliced in half, the crew is thrown into the water. What transpires next is a week worth of Lt. Kennedy led his men between nearby islands in hopes of rescue. Avoiding Japanese patrols,angry natives, and the limits of his physical body, Kennedy fights the unyielding elements without losing another member of his crew. 

PT 109 was a 1964 copyrighted comic book based on the 1963 film of the same name. Both versions lack the hyphen in their titles. The accounts of young Jack Kennedy are based on Robert J. Donovan's 1961 work PT-109: John F. Kennedy and World War II. The semi-autobiographical film was produced by Warner Bros. and starred Cliff Robertson (Charly) as JFK. 

This Gold Key adaptation was illustrated by Dan Spiegle (Space Family Robinson). Spiegle was noted for his eerily exact representations of famous people in the pages of numerous Gold Key and Dell works. The artist's Kennedy looks amazingly lifelike. Only sometimes the lieutenant looks like the real thing and sometimes Kennedy looks like actor Robertson. So there is realism, just not consistency in the renderings.

The cover, which depicts the patrol boat being eviscerated by that Japanese destroyer, was painted by Frank McCarthy. McCarthy first achieved notoriety for having painted a number of realistic covers for the pulp mag True Western Adventures. He was also behind the artwork of many theatrical posters in the 1960s and 70s, including The Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare. The image used on this comic's cover was taken from the theatrical poster.

After World War II, John F. Kennedy would enter the world of politics. A member of the powerful Kennedy family of Massachusetts, the newly established war hero would serve his home state as both a congressman and senator. In 1960, JFK was elected the 35th president of the United States. Kennedy did manage to watch PT-109 at least once in his lifetime. He called the film 'a good product' but with a nearly 2.5 hour run time, the President thought it was a bit long. With the Sept. 1964 publication date, Kennedy likely never saw the comic adaptation as an assassin's bullet would take his life in November, 1963.

PT 109 was a commercial failure. But the film can be seen in regular rotation during certain holiday weekends on AMC and TCM.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #6 (Based on a True Story) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.