The Enemy Ace Archives, Vol. 2 (DC Archive Editions)
Enemy Aceis unique among American war comics in that its star, Rittmeister Hans von Hammer, fought for Germany. The risky concept was made more palatable by the fact that the stories were set during World War I, a half-century before their late 1960s-early 1970s publication, as well as by the antiwar sentiment of the times. The tales were rather formulaic--squadron leader von Hammer flies "the killer skies," battling his foes mercilessly though within a strict code of honor while brooding over the young pilots he sends to their deaths--yet remain compelling thanks to the talent behind them. After more than a decade of writingSgt.Rock and the like, Kanigher was ready for the challenge of something a bit more ambitious; and premier war comics artist Joe Kubert adeptly portrayed the excitement of aerial dogfights and the poignancy of von Hammer's internal conflicts. If it never transcends its genre as Harvey Kurtzman's early fifties EC Comics war stories did,Enemy Aceis still one of the best comics of its era.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved