Frontline Combat #9 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

From the letter from the Editor placed on the inside cover, this was to be the first of 7 issues devoted to the American Civil War. Readers had requested the conflict of 1861-1865 be included in EC's war torn title. However, Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines felt that a single issue just wasn't enough space to adequately devoted to this important period in American history.

Frontline Combat was a sister series to the very macho Two-Fisted Tales, which originally focused on adventure stories. The book started off well, but with the end of the Korean War, EC saw a decline in sales. Ultimately, Frontline Combat's last issue would be #15. 

This issue would focus on the start of the war. There are 4 segments, all penned by Kurtzman. The first chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln from childhood to his inauguration as the 16th President of the United States. Readers then experience the first shot of the Civil War with the siege of Fort Sumter. The action heads West to the neutral state of Missouri as both Confederate loyalists and Union soldiers fight over possession of Camp Jackson. Lastly, we witness Union overconfidence turn the battle of Bull Run/Manassas into the Rebels first major victory of the early days of the war. 

While this issue highlights the constitutional crisis of the legality of the succeeding Southern States, slavery is never overtly addressed in this book as the main cause of the Civil War. Yet in true EC twist fashion, the narrator of the opening segment on Lincoln is revealed on the last page as being a black man who lives in Charleston, South Carolina on the eve of the Fort Sumter blockade. 

The artists featured in this issue are Jack Davis, John Severin, and Wally Wood. Cover art by Harvey Kurtzman. The one-page prose story was replaced with excepts of the inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln, featured in the opener titled 'Abe Lincoln!'

Though the full 7 parts of the Civil War series never came about, Two-Fisted Tales did devote a pair of issues to the Civil War before being cancelled in 1955 at issue #35. For those who might wish to follow up on learning more on the Civil War in comics and graphic novel form, check out Battle Lines: A Graphic History of the Civil War by Ari Kelman and Jonathan Fetter-Vorm,  Marvel's 4-issue Epic Battles of the Civil War and the 'Big Bad Ironclad!' and 'The Underground Abductor' entries in the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series for all-ages readers.

Completing this review completes Task #21 (Set in the 1800s) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Piracy #6 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The comic book known as Piracy was produced by EC Comics. It ran for 7 issues from October/November, 1954-October/November, 1955. The timing of Piracy's publication places it at an awkward time during the history of William Gaines' publishing house. 

Piracy was the last New Trend title EC released before the company shifted focus of its publications. That's because from April to June, 1954, the US Senate held several public hearings on juvenile delinquency and comic books were placed under the microscope as being its number one cause. Across America, civic groups lead massive burnings of comic books. 

There's actually a famous photo taken in the Norwalk, Connecticut community of a Catholic League community bonfire composed of thousands of comics going up in flames. And there's my future grandmother-in-law smiling triumphantly over the paper barbecue. Also in the picture is my wife's 7 or 8 year old uncle, frowning despondently as his prized comic book collection went up in smoke. 

Needless to say, comic books were on life support. To prevent the complete extinction of the art form, several publishers got together and formed the self-governed Comics Code Authority. Gaines was initially hesitant to concede to the CCA, instead, opting to cancel most of his controversial line of comic books.

Only 3 books made the cut. The humor comic MAD changed to a larger format and was exempt from CCA rules operating as a magazine. Panic, another humor title, remained comic sized. Piracy, was the third surviving title. 

Piracy still had EC's signature twist endings. But they were no longer sensationalized. Haunt of Fear #19 had for a shock conclusion, a rival baseball team dismembering a baseball player who used poisoned cleats and using the guys entrails for a ballpark foul line. Issue #1 of this series has a boat captain finding the man who shanghaied him decades earlier and getting revenge on him... by thanking him for his cowardly deed. 

There are 4 stories that fill issue #6 of Piracy. Reed Crandall's 'Fit for a King' has a drunkard regaling the patrons of a tavern with the truth about a missing fabled swashbuckler known as The King of the Pirates. 'The Skipper' by George Evans tells of a sailor whose been stuck as first mate for so long, that he secretly begins sabotaging his cargo ship in a twisted plan to have the captain removed from the helm. Then readers head back in time to the seal hunts of the great white north in Graham Ingels' 'Fur Crazy.' Lastly, Jack Davis spins a yarn about a shipmaster haunted by the screams of the crew he lost years prior in 'Solitary.'

The cover was illustrated by Bernard Krigstein.

EC Comics launched 7 new titles in early 1954 as part of its New Trend line of titles. Because Gaines refused to issue a CCA stamp on the cover of his books, newsstands refused to carry them. Gaines would eventually acquiesce later in the year. But at that point, the financial damage was done and most titles were cancelled with issue #5 (Nov/Dec, 1955). A controversial ruling by the CCA for the powerful anti-racism story 'Judgment Day' in Incredible Science Fiction #33 led to William Gaines turning his back on comic books, devoting himself as publisher of MAD Magazine until his death in 1992.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #33 (An EC Comic (Reprints are allowed)) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Essential Rawhide Kid, Volume 1

Though I am very much a bit of a city mouse, I do have some down-home roots. I spent many a summer working on my grandparents' farm. I've run barefoot in fields and creeks. And I have a fondness for a good country western story. 

Legendary writer Louis L'amour is a good go-to for such a need. But when you don't have time to sit down and read a lengthy adventure tale, you can't go wrong with the Western comics of Marvel! 

This volume collects issues #17-35 of the Silver Age adventures of the Rawhide Kid. Retooled from a fledgling 1950s cowpoke who was pretty forgettable, this iteration of the character is a rough-and-tumble loner who's not quite a teen anymore but barely a man. 

After the death of his adoptive father-figure, the Rawhide Kid travels the Old West in search of peace and quiet. But more often than not, the Kid runs afoul of varmints, Indians and gunslingers looking to make a name for themselves. As the Rawhide Kid leaves his mark of Justice and fairness on the cities and towns of the Western frontier, his legend grows...

These stories were crafted by a group of legends in their own right. Stan Lee crafted all of the tales in this book. Jack Kirby penciled all except the last 2 or 3 issues of this book. His work is adeptly inked by Dick Ayers. Finishing out this volume is Jack Davis. Known for his work on the EC Comics of the 1950s, Davis adds a whimsical flare to the Rawhide Kid.

Each reprinted issue features an extra Western tale that often ends with an EC Comics style twist ending. More often than not, the hero's of these adventures turn out to be legends such as Doc Holiday, or----uh,uh,uh! SPOILERS!

These issues also had a prose story. These 2-pagers were early 60's postal requirements for comic books to maintain their status as first-rate mail. They're actually pretty good reads but they're anonymous. Stan Lee got his chops in the comic book industry penning such tales in the pages of Captain America in the 1940s. He might have wrote some of these epics. Or someone else might have got their unsung start writing them. I just don't know.

On at least 3 occasions, stories are retold. It's interesting seeing Stan and Jack remake their own works. (Davis retools one Rawhide yarn as well with Stan's able pen.) But where Western stories that hard to think up? Obviously, this wasn't one of Stan Lee's most verbose titles as the words 'owlhoot' and 'hombre' were used to mind-numbing effect and there's quite a bit of poor vocabulary and grammar spoken on the rustic plains.

With the Rawhide Kid just wanting to be left alone, I'm wondering if this comic book was the inspiration for another Marvel creation- the Incredible Hulk! Coincidentally, the first appearances of the Hulk are advertised frequently in the pages of this book. Should the Rawhide Kid have been a forefather to the big green machine, it would add all that much more to the mystique of that all encompassing world known as the Marvel Universe that was brilliantly brought to use by Stan the Man and Jack the King!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars!

Sadly, only one volume was ever 

Aces High #1

   In an attempt to placate critics, brought forth by the witchhunt of Dr. Frederic Wertham, EC Comics canceled many of it's most controversial (but ultimately popular)  titles. In their stead were several more 'family friendly' titles that still contained the shock ending that was EC's signature. This approach was called EC's NEW DIRECTION- and it was a colossal failure.

    One such title was called 'Aces High.' It was a war comic devoted to the aerial maneuvers of World War I. While stories about the bi-planes of the War to End All Wars would've made for some interesting additions to EC's previous war titles such as 'Two-Fisted Tales' or 'Frontline Combat' t to have an entire 48-page comic devoted to Sopwith Camels and Spitfires while trying to shock the reader with a twist ending just didn't work on paper.  The title only lasting 5-issues was such proof of the formula not working. By issue 3, the publisher allowed for the title to also include stories about the infantrymen and land wars of WWI but it still couldn't save the title from an early extinction.

    This issue featured 4 stories. The first tale is called 'The Way it Was.' With the art by George Evans, it features a grandfatherly type character giving an overview of the war to a young boy. It's actually a clever way to start the series.

   The next story is a Wally Wood work titled 'The Outsider' and it involves a newcomer to a fighter squadron and the prejudice he occurs as he tries to fit into the unit. Only once he's baptized by fire is he finally considered one of the guys. It's a powerful tale.

   The third adventure was my favorite. 'The Mascot' involves a puppy that can tell when one of the pilot's of a squad isn't going to make it back from their mission. Call it a sixth sense but when the mascot refuses to acknowledge the demise of a pilot listed as Missing In Action, his buddies conduct a hi-flying rescue mission that would've made a great addition to Speilberg's short-lived 80's TV series 'Amazing Stories.'

   Lastly, we meet 'The New C.O.' He's a take no prisoners type and he's got a tough mission ahead of him. His new assignment is known as a bunch of goof-offs and now Uncle Sam expects him to make them into aerial killing machines. Featuring art by the great Jack Davis, it's a poignant story about the horrors of war- not just physical but the psychological effects as well.

    Along with these four EC gems was a short story called 'The Stork With Talons.' In was a jumbled mess but it was necessary for EC to include in this book in  order to qualify this title as first-class mail. Lastly, this reprint included something that wasn't in the original publication. It's the first part of an interview with artist George Evans. It included some very interesting inside info about EC during the 1950s. I hate that I don't have issue #2 in order to read the rest of this interview, but I have something to look forward to someday.

      While this isn't my ideal EC title, it was an enjoyable read. The classic art was worth the cover price alone. But even with a weak premise, the stories themselves were quite good. Plus, these 'New Direction' titles are important parts of comic book history and they show the sad progression of EC's ultimate demise.

Darn you, Dr. Wertham!!!

Worth Consuming

  Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

   

The Goon, Volume 13: For Want of Whiskey & Blood

  

I had waited a long time for the next volume of the Goon to pop up at my local library. Too long! But sadly, my wait wasn't quite worth it.

The volume started off really well. The Goon fights some monsters, performs some seedy shenanigans (like rigging a boxing match), and faces off with the Zombie Priest. Then the legendary Billy the Kid (now an old man) comes to town, leading a travelling show of oddities. One of the oddities, a petrified toddler, bears an ancient curse in which if it's not feed a special blend of mother's milk and goat's blood every Halloween, it will spell doom for those involved. Low and behold, it just happens to be All Hallow's Eve and baby hasn't had his bottle.

 But then the book went south. Literally. When the Goon and Franky go down Mexico way, they look to sell some cheap booze hidden in some cheap clocks. But the goods have all been consumed by that pint-sized Godzilla, El Hombre Lagarto.

    Lagarto is funny but in small doses. See he speaks only Spanish and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just that I cannot for the life of me speak or read any Spanish that isn't food related. Lord knows I've tried. Eric Powell never interprets what this lizard has to say. I could sometimes figure out what Lagarto was communicating through Goon and Franky's responses, but it was hit and miss at times.  I'm sure it's hilarious, but it's like an inside joke that everybody but myself knows and I don't like being held in the dark.

   If ever a story needed subtitles this was it. (It's also why I hate the movie 'Stargate.")

Lastly, there's a reprint of a one-shot titled Goon: One For the Road. It was a tribute to the work of Jack Davis of EC Comics and MAD Magazine fame. The story involves a sailor on leave searching for his lost buddy before their passes expire. The Goon knows that the perfect place to find a seaman in at one of the endless bars in town. As Goon, Franky, and the sailor go on an epic bar crawl they are meet with insanity after insanity. There were some really funny moments here, but it just wasn't a classic Goon story to me. I'm all for homages but sometimes less is more.

   Hopefully, volume 14 will be a return to the insanity that is Franky and the Goon. And written in a language I can understand (Note to Mr. Powell- I took French in college!)

Worth Consuming

  Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.