A fascinating collection of 50 stories from the Atlas (precursor to Marvel) range of 1950s war titles. These short stories (ranging from two to eight pages each) depict the unglamorous side of war. They are dark, violent, and brutal not shying away from showing the horrors, fear, drudgery, as well as the physical and psychological impact of combat.

To be honest it got a little relentless at times and I ended up skimming some of the tales. The propaganda aspects and the racist caricatured depiction of enemy soldiers also is a little uncomfortable from today’s perspective.

But it works as what it’s designed to be - a retrospective collection of some of the most impactful war tales told in the comics medium by notable masters of the craft. ( )