Fightin' Army #43

Charlton's Fightin' Army #43 from 1961 presents a vivid, multi-panel cover — penciled by Jack Abel and inked by Dick Giordano — that traces what the cover itself bills as "the making of a man." From a fresh-faced civilian boy watching a U.S. Army recruiting poster, to a fully geared soldier advancing under fire, to tense moments in the jungle and a dramatic combat explosion complete with a resounding "BAM!", the cover maps out a soldier's journey in bold, energetic snapshots. It's a solid slice of early-'60s military comics storytelling, with the interior tale "Operation Boomerang" crafted by writer Joe Gill and artist Bill Molno promising plenty of battlefield drama within.