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M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War
Dark Horse is proud to present a collection of rare material from one of the greatest artists to ever illustrate science fiction comics, the legendary Wally Wood's M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War. Reprinting the first three issues of the Gold Key science fiction epic, this collection represents Wood's total contribution to the series and is a must for any fan of Wally Wood or collector of comic book or science fiction classics.
112 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2004
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About the author
Wallace Wood
758 books37 followersWallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he claimed to dislike. Within the comics community, he was also known as Woody, a name he sometimes used as a signature.
He was the first inductee into the comic book's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, in 1989, and was inducted into the subequent Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame three years later.
In addition to Wood's hundreds of comic book pages, he illustrated for books and magazines while also working in a variety of other areas — advertising; packaging and product illustrations; gag cartoons; record album covers; posters; syndicated comic strips; and trading cards, including work on Topps' landmark Mars Attacks set.
For much of his adult life, Wood suffered from chronic, unexplainable headaches. In the 1970s, following bouts with alcoholism, Wood suffered from kidney failure. A stroke in 1978 caused a loss of vision in one eye. Faced with declining health and career prospects, he committed suicide by gunshot three years later.
Wood was married three times. His first marriage was to artist Tatjana Wood, who later did extensive work as a comic-book colorist.
EC editor Harvey Kurtzman, who had worked closely with Wood during the 1950s, once commented, "Wally had a tension in him, an intensity that he locked away in an internal steam boiler. I think it ate away his insides, and the work really used him up. I think he delivered some of the finest work that was ever drawn, and I think it's to his credit that he put so much intensity into his work at great sacrifice to himself".
EC publisher William Gaines once stated, "Wally may have been our most troubled artist... I'm not suggesting any connection, but he may have been our most brilliant".
He was the first inductee into the comic book's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, in 1989, and was inducted into the subequent Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame three years later.
In addition to Wood's hundreds of comic book pages, he illustrated for books and magazines while also working in a variety of other areas — advertising; packaging and product illustrations; gag cartoons; record album covers; posters; syndicated comic strips; and trading cards, including work on Topps' landmark Mars Attacks set.
For much of his adult life, Wood suffered from chronic, unexplainable headaches. In the 1970s, following bouts with alcoholism, Wood suffered from kidney failure. A stroke in 1978 caused a loss of vision in one eye. Faced with declining health and career prospects, he committed suicide by gunshot three years later.
Wood was married three times. His first marriage was to artist Tatjana Wood, who later did extensive work as a comic-book colorist.
EC editor Harvey Kurtzman, who had worked closely with Wood during the 1950s, once commented, "Wally had a tension in him, an intensity that he locked away in an internal steam boiler. I think it ate away his insides, and the work really used him up. I think he delivered some of the finest work that was ever drawn, and I think it's to his credit that he put so much intensity into his work at great sacrifice to himself".
EC publisher William Gaines once stated, "Wally may have been our most troubled artist... I'm not suggesting any connection, but he may have been our most brilliant".
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 23, 2019
What a bad collection. MARS Patrol has a reputation as being a great sci-fi/war comic, with US forces fighting off a Soviet-like invader that uses advanced weapons. The stories themselves are reasonably well told, though all the stories have a sameness that does not reward reading them close together. The biggest problem is the lack of characterization, which is near-total. This prevents readers from having any interest in the success or failure of the protagonists beyond wanting the US side to win on principle. The art is beautiful rendered by Wally Wood, so I understand partly why this comic book, and by extension this collected edition, have a good reputation, but beyond that this is a bad comic and a bad book. Save your money.
February 7, 2013
Wally Wood came up with this "Red Menace" storyline in 1965 about invaders from another world. The art is fantastic although I have to agree with one of the other viewers that it is lacking in characterization-it has that late 50's "We'll smash those martians but good!" I wish that wally had made the aliens more alien as this comes off as a GI Joe plot although I suspect he was going for a Rod Serling morality tale. I recommend this but it is not up to par with the EC material.
January 7, 2016
Dull as dishwater, this collection could only be recommended to a comic book historian. It was written for 12 year old boys living in the 1960s and could never really appeal to anyone else. The characters have no personality outside of the Asian guy that makes off-color self deprecating racist jokes. I really bought this because I found it cheap and it had Wally Wood's name on it. However, after reading the afterword, I'm not sure that Wood even drew this.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews