Battle #4

This September 1951 Atlas/Marvel war anthology delivers exactly what its tagline promises — "Battle Adventures of Troops in Combat!" — with Joe Maneely's cover depicting a helmeted American GI driving his bayoneted rifle into an enemy soldier, explosions and fellow troops visible in the chaotic background behind them. A speech bubble on the cover cheekily taunts the fallen foe about believing his own propaganda, giving the scene a gritty, darkly humorous edge. The cover starburst also promises readers they'll "Meet Two-Fisted Buck Private O'Toole!" inside, making this a fine snapshot of the raw, hard-hitting war comics Marvel was producing in the early 1950s.