The EC Reign Month by Month 1950-1956
66: August 1955 Part II
Evans |
"The Rules"★★★★
Story by Jack Oleck
Art by George Evans
"The Spy"★★★
Story Uncredited
Art by Bernie Krigstein
"Greasemonkey"★★★1/2
Story Uncredited
Art by Wally Wood
"The Case of Champagne"★★1/2
Story by Carl Wessler
Art by Jack Davis
When Lt. Edward Dale joins the 95th Pursuit Squadron in WWI, he is determined to make a name for himself and become an ace by shooting down as many German planes as he can. He ignores "The Rules" of chivalry and decency and pads his total by shooting down every plane he sees, even if the pilot is waving a white flag of surrender. His own men shun him and there is talk of grounding him. After he shoots down a German plane that had assisted a damaged Allied plane in landing, the Germans issue an ultimatum: Lt. Dale is no longer subject to the rules of decency and they will do whatever it takes to shoot him down. He is alone in the skies when he falls for a decoy trap and a group of planes descend from above to end his career.
"The Rules" |
The men of the 17th Aero Squadron believe that there is a spy in their midst and they are convinced it's Klaus Ritter, due to his German name and heritage. Ritter was nowhere to be found when German planes blew up gasoline storage tanks! When German planes intercept an Allied mission to bomb a German ammo dump, Ritter is the first one suspected of being "The Spy," especially when he doesn't fire on a German plane that downs an Allied flier. Though Ritter protests his innocence, the men of his squadron shun him. Soon, a dangerous mission to bomb a well-guarded German target is announced and Ritter runs off and flies away on his own. The men of his squadron are convinced that he is off to warn the Germans, but when word comes back that the ammo dump was destroyed and Ritter killed, they know the truth.
"Greasemonkey" |
Sergeant Stuart Warner is content to be a "Greasemonkey," repairing other men's planes, ever since an incident right at the end of his pilot training. He let his friend Smitty take his place on a night solo flight so Stuart could keep a hot date but Smitty was killed and Warner was consumed with guilt and thrown out of the pilot corps. Now, when a pilot captain reports that his wife has just given birth to a baby boy (as had the late Smitty's wife right before his death), Warner jumps into the captain's plane and completes a dangerous mission on his behalf. When he returns, the captain reveals that he's Smitty's brother!
"The Case of Champagne" |
Scotty returns to the 47th Squadron after being on leave in Paris and brings some fine booze with him, but he refuses to open "The Case of Champagne" despite the entreaties of new flier Nick Blaine, who remarks that "people die in wars" and suggests that they seize the day. Scotty's plane crash-lands after the next patrol but he ignores Blaine's suggestion to open the case and drink the champagne. Scotty grows obsessed with a particular German plane and is furious when Blaine downs the same plane while out on patrol with Scotty. Blaine ends up saving Scotty's life and they both return to base safely and finally crack open the champagne.
"The Spy" |
Peter: I loved "The Rules" but why does it seem so familiar? Haven't we seen that plot before? Regardless, George Evans makes anything he illustrates into a great war story."The Spy" is a bit on the obvious side, don't you think? Bernie's definitely on his game this time, though. It's amazing when you contrast "The Spy" with "The Pyramid" (from Valor, below); Krigstein seemingly could change styles with a flick of his wrist. Talk about obvious, how about the maudlin "Greasemonkey?" It's just plain bad, until that final groaner pushes it into "awful" territory. Sheesh! At least Wally gives it a go despite being saddled with one of the dopiest scripts he'd ever been handed. "The Case of Champagne" is a lot like one of Hank Chapman's war stories--long and stuck on the same riff.
Craig |
"Dateline: Algiers" ★★★
Story and Art by Johnny Craig
"Steve Rampart" ★★
Story uncredited
Art by John Severin
"Geri Hamilton" ★
Story uncredited
Art by Reed Crandall
"Dateline: Paris" ★★
Story and Art by Johnny Craig
Crack World Press reporter Keith Michaels is in Algiers when he bumps into someone dressed in a Legionnaire uniform, someone who looks very familiar. The man excuses himself, insisting they don't know each other but, as he walks away, it dawns on Keith: the guy's a Fed. Oh well, shrugs Keith, on to the real story at the oil field that's been bombed. The supervisor insists that the explosion was the work of a saboteur and Keith drives back into town to type up his report. On the way, Michaels notices a commotion in the street and pulls over. Pushing through a crowd, he discovers the body of the Legionnaire. Beside it, visible only to Michaels' well-trained eye, is an envelope with a perfume odor and an earring bearing the name, "Shira." Keith wanders into a nearby cafe and (I mean, what a coincidence!) eyeballs the belly dancer on stage, a gorgeous dame by the handle of Shira, who happens to be missing one earring! The girl heads out the back door and Steve chases her down to hear her tell a sob story of an American FBI agent and true love. Keith's soaking it in with a reporter's ear when that ear is clubbed from behind and he loses consciousness.
"Dateline: Algiers" |
"Dateline:Algiers" |
Our favorite news photographer, Steve Rampart, is in Algiers (isn't everybody?), covering the oil field disaster when he bumps into his best bud, Keith Michaels, still cleaning egg off his face. Michaels gives Rampart the lowdown on his adventure and then the two board a flight to Paris, where Steve is to catch a connecting flight to New York. The two super-dudes say their goodbyes at the gate and Keith heads off into Paris where he'll . . . (oh, but that would be telling!) . . . and Steve hops his over-nighter. On board, Rampart uses his manly ways, good looks, and charm to win over a gorgeous brunette sitting next to him. The two head down below for a drink but when Steve offers to take the lovely girl's pic, things get frosty.
"Steve Rampart" |
Though I'm all for a little cross-over action now and then, this installment of "Steve Rampart" isn't the ticket. It follows the formula to the tee: Steve romances a dame (probably not one you'd take home to Ma), gets clobbered a few times, threatens to take a lot of pictures, and ends up staving off world domination by the Commies. Like our other World Press employee, Keith Michaels, Steve doesn't do much in the way of providing material for the company, instead flying around the world on their dime. The guy should be a Fed. I love Severin's graphics, though; that "Steve Canyon" vibe grows stronger every chapter.
"Geri Hamilton" |
"Dateline: Paris" |
In our second Keith Michaels adventure this issue, "Dateline: Paris," our favorite reporter travels to the city of love to check on a "rift in the French Cabinet" and uncovers what might be a case of adultery between one cabinet member and his rival's wife. But the suspected philanderer is found dead and suspicion falls on his lover. Since the police in every country Keith visits are morons, it's up to our hero to scratch at the doors and sniff out the facts. Back to the doldrums of Keith Michaels, Super Spy/Detective/ Romancer/Fashion Example, the boredom of which is inescapable. Only a sense of duty pushes me to read every panel carefully, looking for nuggets of zzzzzzzz . . .-Peter
"Dateline: Paris" |
Orlando |
"The Cloak of Command" ★★
Story Uncredited
Art by Al Williamson
"Gentle as a Whisper" ★1/2
Story Uncredited
Art by Joe Orlando
"The Pyramid" ★★★
Story by Otto Binder
Art by Bernie Krigstein
"Debt of Honor" ★★★1/2
Story by E. Toomey
Art by Reed Crandall
Hoping to become as great a warrior as his father, Gaius Augustus marches a group of Roman soldiers through occupied Iberia, but arrogance and pride lead him down the wrong path into an ambush. Only the quick thinking of his father's advisor, Flavius, helps him avoid complete catastrophe after most of his men are run through. But, in the end, his complete 180-degree flip from mocking young stud to appreciative learner transforms Gaius into a man ready to ascend to greatness.
"The Cloak of Command" |
"Gentle as a Whisper" |
Thousands of slaves toil in the blazing hot sun of an Egyptian desert, all for their pharaoh, Amra. His royal physician by his side, the pharaoh sits in a tent, observes the work, and hopes it can be completed by sundown. For that is all the time his physician gives him. Feeling helpless, Amra takes his chariot out to beg his slaves to work faster, eventually offering them water, food from his palace, and then gold. The sun sinks lower and it becomes evident that the task is just too much when a worker cries out that they have finally uncovered a passage to "The Pyramid" where Amra's son had wandered in and become lost. The relieved father hugs his son and explains that the rest of the pyramid ("this folly") will be dismantled later. Without cheating one bit, Otto Binder steers you to an obvious conclusion (that Amra is sick and must be interred in a new pyramid by sundown) and then throws a very clever slider your way at the conclusion. Having a pharaoh feed his slaves is a nice change of pace as well. Bernie's art is a little on the doodly side here and there but, overall, it's nicely done.
"The Pyramid" |
"Debt of Honor" |
An absorbing quasi-history lesson from page one right through its ironic climax (which would be echoed in a notorious scene from the first season of Game of Thrones), "Debt of Honor" is the best kind of history lesson. No dry sermons, packed with action, light on expository and stuffy dialogue, and beautifully drawn by Reed Crandall. -Peter
Jack-I agree that "Debt of Honor" is the best story this issue and I would give it four stars. I recently read a book on the Crusades and this story rings true, with an excellent, subtle twist ending and superb art by Crandall. Next in line for me is "The Cloak of Command," since I have an interest in Roman history. The young commander's hubris is well-portrayed and the exciting battle is drawn well by Williamson, though I prefer his science fiction work. "Gentle as a Whisper" features above-average art by Orlando, with none of the ugly caricatures that often mar his stories, while "The Pyramid" once again leaves me wondering what all the fuss is about in regard to Bernie Krigstein.
In Our 139th Issue of Star Spangled DC War Stories . . . A death in The Haunted Tank crew! Fer reals! |
Although the Orlando cover doesn't do much for me, Valor #3 is the latest in date of the most-loved EC comics of my youth. It's the end of an era -- the last of the stories of Ancient Rome that contains gorgeous Williamson art and the last really quirky Krigstein story for EC (although some of the stories he illustrated for Atlas before leaving the industry are interesting). "Debt of Honor" is excellent, and the writer at least captures the spirit of Saladin's personality, but you can never rely on Valor for history. The writer was no doubt influenced by Sir Walter Scott's entertaining but completely fictitious story about Richard III and Saladin meeting in his novel The Talisman, but of course the two men never met in real life.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading Aces High along with you guys. What a good comic book it was! I should have read it decades ago. I have always been very familiar with George Evans' airplane stories in TFT and Frontline Combat and was really impressed, but other than the two that he wrote himself for the last two issues of TFT ("Flaming Coffins" in TFT #30 and "Yellow" in TFT #31), the stories themselves that he illustrated -- detailed Kurtzman-penned history lessons about famous combat fighters in TFT #34 and FC ## 11, 13, 14, and 15 and a modern-day propaganda piece in FC #12 -- all left me pretty cold. In this title, with the more dramatic World War I stories in this title, Evans repeatedly reaches that heights that he had achieved in "Yellow."
Best --
Jim
I suppose Aces High and Valor had access to more interesting subject matter.
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