Man Comics #19

From the Atlas Comics war anthology that kept Korean War-era readers riveted, Man Comics #19 (October 1952) promises "Dangerous Battles… Breathless Suspense!" right from its bold masthead. Sol Brodsky's cover puts you right in the thick of it — a determined American GI in helmet and combat gear levels his pistol at close range over a prone enemy soldier marked with a red star, the whole scene crackling with close-quarters tension. The cover teaser "Bring Back a Red!" sets up the mission stakes perfectly, and inside, Hank Chapman's story "Shock Troops" — illustrated by Russ Heath — delivers the gritty front-line drama this series did so well at a dime a copy.