Fightin' Army #69

Charlton's Fightin' Army #69 puts raw human emotion front and center, with a battle-worn soldier — helmet on, rifle and grenades in hand — caught in a moment of stark honesty as explosions erupt around him and the words "Lord help me... I'm scared!" burst from the cover. It's a surprisingly candid look at fear on the battlefield, teased further by the promise of a story called "The Look of a Hero" and the question of whether this so-called "hero" might really be one of the biggest cowards in the Army. Cover artist Rocke Mastroserio brings genuine dramatic tension to the scene, and with writer Joe Gill and the art team of Bill Fraccio and Vince Alascia inside, this 12-cent 1966 issue delivers the kind of gritty war storytelling Charlton did so well.