The Atlas Comics Library No. 4: War Comics Vol. 1

by Joe Maneely, Dr. Michael J. Vassallo (Series Editor), Gene Colan

Continuing Fantagraphics' project to reprint Marvel Comics' 1950s genre titles, this compiles the first of what became the industry's largest line of war books. Produced by veterans of WWII, the eight issues here feature future mainstream comics stalwarts such as Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Joe Maneely, and more. Forged in the crucible of the Korean War, and produced by veterans of the Second World War, this volume's eight issues present the brutality and grimness of armed combat by some of Atlas' most notable war artists and future comics stars including Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Joe Maneely, Dave Berg, Jay Scott Pike, Mike Sekowsky, Vern Henkel, Allen Bellman, Pete Morisi and Norman Steinberg. Propaganda abounds from the very first story, published in War Comics #1 in September 1950: "Peril in Korea," a primer explaining why we joined the conflict. Other highlights include Colan's "The Chips are Down" and "Victory," Heath's "Alone" and "No Survivors," Maneely's "Stormy Weather," Henkel's "Total Destruction," and Berg's “The Infantry's War." Originally a trial spun off from the publisher's "Men's Adventure" publications, in the nine years to follow Atlas went on to produce 533 comic book issues with war content, across 34 different titles. War Comics is where it all unseen in decades, scanned from the original books, restored and packaged as one large, beautiful hardcover volume. Full-color illustrations throughout

180 pages, Hardcover

Published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Bill Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally finished this volume of the Atlas Comics Library, and it was a bit of a slog, though any war comic, especially from the 1950s, can be compared to Kurtzman’s Two-Fisted Tales and found sadly wanting. The presentation here is excellent but the original material is pretty weak stuff.

I always enjoy the opportunity to read reprints of entire comics and series, and Russ Heath’s gorgeous work in the later issues is worth the grind of the early, formulaic and mostly badly drawn stories. It’s interesting to see the development of the artists and writers as they spread their wings – and try to imitate EC.

[Paul Sutter]

In the 1950’s the comic market was definitely hot and heavy. There were a wide assortment of companies all striving to get the consumer dollars. There were a variety of topics that went over well, whether it was horror, war, westerns, superheroes, humor, or other areas of interest. Atlas Comics was a major player in the comics world, and they were certainly a company that released sought-after titles.
War Comics were a popular part of their library, and in ATLAS COMICS LIBRARY NO. 4 WAR COMICS VOLUME 1, we get to see the first eight issues of War Comics reproduced just the way they were when released. These were definitely collector’s items, and this volume certainly is a must-read for Comics fans. The introduction by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, is almost worth the price of admission to the book. He is an expert on comics, and he goes over the history of many comics and magazines, especially those in the Atlas line. He looks at the stories in this volume, talking about the writers and illustrators of these classics.
There were many such writers and illustrators who were well-known in the comics world, later going on to work for Marvel, which Atlas morphed into. Such people as Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Joe Maneely, Vern Henkel, Dave Berg, Pete Morosi, Norman Steinberg, and others, are featured here, with some of their best works, a prime example of why Atlas War Comics was so well-received and popular. Some of the stories in the book were based on real war episodes, brought to the forefront, and the soldiers involved given the recognition they deserved. The stories here are taken from both World War Two and the Korean War, showing the highlights and the lesser moments of what soldiers had to encounter.
There are stories that show raw courage, some that showed heroism beyond belief, but the main thread of the book is how American soldiers fought to the death, even sacrificing their lives to save others in their unit. Standout stories include:Sergeant Storm’s Mission, Tank Trap, Cross Fire, The Hounds of Death, The Chips Are Down, Brass Hat, Total Destruction and many others. It is awe-inspiring to view these stories nearly seventy-five years after they were published between December 1950 and February 1952. Fantagraphics is again to be commended for caring enough to bring such classic comics back to the forefront again.

[Gary Sassaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I still love this series, I’m getting a little burned out on it. This is—I believe—the fourth book this year and I guess I’m realizing it’s not really the format I’d prefer. I’d rather see a kind of “Best of” series of anthologies, dealing with the genres they’ve concentrated on: Horror, sci-fi, and now war, in addition to the other Atlas ones (Western, romance, crime, etc.). To be honest, most of these stories are unreadable and the art is mediocre at best, definitely tied to the era—the 1950s—in which it was published. There is some great art in this volume, though, mainly towards the end of it, since it reprints War Comics 1-8, and most of the good stuff is by Russ Heath and Joe Maneely. There are flashes here of Heath’s later brilliance in the DC war books and his Warren and National Lampoon stories. And, as always, Dr. Michael J. Vassallo’s learned and always entertaining introductions and history lessons on the Atlas books are great … so great, in fact, that I wish Fantagraphics would publish a kind of “Atlas Fan Addict Fanzine”—or a dedicated Atlas Comics history book—collecting all the good doctor’s intros alongside new articles. I feel Atlas is both underappreciated and undocumented, and I’m very happy to see these reprints, but I’m not sure I need to see all 8 issues of War Comics. At least four more volumes have been announced (and coming out almost monthly in April-May-June and then August 2024), covering crime, romance, and a reprinting of Stan Lee’s mid-50s humor book, Snafu, alongside another horror volume. I’m still interested, but we’ll have to take each volume one at a time, I guess, especially at their $39.95-44.95 price points.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another nice collection of the early Atlas Comics from Fantagraphics, with this volume collecting the first eight issues of War Comics, a series that would run for 49 issues from 1950-57. Centered primarily on the contemporary conflicts of the time, WWII and the Korean War, various pieces here reflect the gallantry and brutality of war. Featuring the immense talents of icons like Gene Colon, Joe Maneely, and more, the short comics filling up each issue of War Comics do a nice job of showcasing the propagandization of war, the grimness of the soldier's lives, and at times, the senselessness of it all. They aren't quite up to scratch with the EC Comics centered around war, with more of the comics here being a little more dry or thin, but the overall presentation of these comics are great.