War Is Hell (comics)

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War is Hell
War Is Hell #9, the first issue with original content, art by Gil Kane and Ernie Chan[1]
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
FormatOngoing series
Limited series
Genre
Publication dateJanuary 1973-October 1975
May–September 2008 (The First Flight of Phantom Eagle)
Main character(s)John Kowalski
ISBN 0-7851-1643-5

War Is Hell was a

invasion of Poland, to die countless deaths from other lives. A War Is Hell limited series featuring Phantom Eagle
appeared in 2008.

John Kowalski

During the series, Kowalski inhabits bodies of those about to die, not necessarily of the same side or sex, during World War II, including both the European and Pacific theatres, and needs to change things for the better before he is killed. Death summons him from the nether regions each story, and Kowalski wonders how many times he will have to do so. The series was created by writer Tony Isabella, but after successfully pitching the series and submitting his plot for the first issue, his new position as editor ate up a lot of his writing time.[1] Isabella recalled that "Roy [Thomas, Marvel editor] wanted to give Dick Ayers a series to replace "It! The Living Colossus" and asked me to come up with a new series for War Is Hell. Dick and I had worked together on a number of things and enjoyed working with each other."[1]

Chris Claremont, a former political theorist and historian, took over as the series's writer for the remainder of its run. According to Claremont, "The parameters were that we were going sequentially through the war. The rest was up to me."[1]

"My Love Must Die", a story published in War Is Hell #12 in which Kowalski is brought together with his lost love and son, is generally considered the high point of the series. Penciller Don Perlin kept the original art for page 16 from the story in his home as one of his favorites.[1]

The series was canceled with issue #15, which Claremont said was no surprise: "Nobody thought it would last more than six issues."

Thog the Nether-Spawn, who is using Fate and Daltry as his pawns in another gambit to take over Earth-616. Other stories which Claremont had plans for before the series was cancelled included a story based in Vietnam as the U. S. troops were attempting to push back the Japanese invaders, and a story set in the Nazi concentration camps with a young Magneto playing a role.[1]

Kowalski later appeared with

John Ridgway (artist) in Solo Avengers
#5.

Bibliography

  • War Is Hell #9 – "War Is Hell!" Isabella, Thomas, Claremont, Gerber,[2] Ayers, Springer (19 pp)
  • War Is Hell #10 – "The Corridor" Isabella, Claremont, Ayers, Springer (18 pp)
  • War Is Hell #11 – "Winter Kill" Claremont, Perlin, Trapani (18 pp)
  • War Is Hell #12 – "My Love Must Die" Claremont, Perlin, Hunt (19 pp)
  • War Is Hell #13 – "Today Is a Lovely Day to Die" Claremont and Trimpe (17 pp)
  • War Is Hell #14 – "The Duty of a Man" Claremont and Evans (17 pp)
  • War Is Hell #15 – "A Christmas Eve in Hell" Claremont and Trimpe (17 pp)
  • Man-Thing vol. 2 #10 – "Came the Dark Man, Walkin', Walkin'..." Claremont, Perlin, Wiacek (22 pp)
  • Man-Thing vol. 2 #11 – "Hell's Gate!" Claremont, Mayerik, Wiacek (22 pp)
  • Solo Avengers #5 – "A Love That Never Dies" Mallonee and Ridgway (11 pp)

Phantom Eagle

Main article: Phantom Eagle

In 2008, a new five-issue

MAX imprint. Phantom Eagle (Lt. Karl Kaufman) was a World War I hero created by Gary Friedrich and artist Herb Trimpe (artist) in 1968, and the new story was by Garth Ennis (writer) and Howard Chaykin (artist).[3][4]

Reprints

The series began as a reprint book, mostly from Atlas Comics-era war comics, adding Sgt. Fury for its last two issues before printing new material. The first six issues contained four stories an issue, each around five pages:

  1. Reprinting stories from Battle #30 (1 story) and #55 (3 stories)
  2. Reprinting stories from
    Battle Action
     #30, (1 story) Battlefront #30 (2 stories), and Battle #55 (1 story)
  3. Reprinting stories from Battle Action #15 (1 story) and G.I. Tales #5 (3 stories)
  4. Reprinting stories from Battleground #15 (3 stories), and War Comics #17 (1 story)
  5. Reprinting stories from Battlefront #34 (1 story), and Battleground #20 (1 story) and # 18 (2 stories)
  6. Reprinting stories from War Comics #30, "Court Martial" by Werner Roth, Battleground #15, and War Comics #17
  7. Reprinting Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #17
  8. Reprinting Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #18

Collected editions

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Catto, Ed (June 2021). "Beyond Capes: War Is Hell". Back Issue!. No. 127. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 35–41.
  2. ^ Letter column of War Is Hell #12
  3. ^ Nick Lowe on Marvel Max's War is Hell series, Newsarama, January 7, 2008
  4. ^ Laura Hudson, Ennis Moves from Punisher to Phantom Eagle, Publishers Weekly, February 19, 2008

External links

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