THE ENEMY ACE ARCHIVES VOL. 1 (DC, Second Printing, 2002; Hardcover)
Collects
Our
Army At War
Nos. 151, 153, 155, Showcase
Nos. 57, 58, and Star
Spangled War Stories
Nos. 139-142 (cover
dates February, 1965- January, 1969)
Writer:
Bob Kanigher
Artist:
Joe Kubert
DC
was liquidating their Archives stock a couple of years ago. It
was not uncommon to find boxes of them at comic conventions or in
comic shops selling sealed copies for $20. I grabbed
both of these Enemy Ace Archives with no real knowledge of the
title. One of the greatest joys of collecting comics, especially the
collected edition variety, is that all comics from all eras exist
simultaneously. I can just as easily discover Enemy Ace in
2014 as I can The Sixth Gun. It is the relative affordability
of collected editions that has leveled the playing field in terms of
access to vintage material such as this.
Enemy Ace is the story of Rittmeister Von Hammer, “The Hammer of Hell”, a “human killing machine” Germain airplane pilot in the days of World War I. He flies his tri-wing crimson fokker in battle against French and English airplane fighter pilots. The fact that this book is written with the German as the hero a mere twenty odd years after World War II is curious. Hogan's Heroes was a television series around this time that made Nazis seem almost palatable to people. I wonder if there were some Anti-Semitic leanings in the country at the time. It just seems strange to have the star of the series be the enemy of our country. Or maybe I am reading something when there is nothing.
While I have no interest in World War I or dogfights in the sky, the writing and artwork are of such high quality that the material transcended my perceived limitations of the genre. Indeed, Von Hammer is a man of honor and filled with guilt and regret. His only friend is a black wolf that he sees whenever he goes into the forest for shooting practice. If not for one encounter with a woman it would almost seem as if the wolf was a figment of his imagination, which would be infinitely more interesting.
The original batch of issues were published in 1964 and 1965. The strip was resurrected in 1968 due to popular demand. The first batch was set in 1917, while the second batch mentions 1914. There are no occurrences that would disrupt the continuity if this is indeed the case.
There
is a recurring antagonist called the Hangman who is eerily similar in
appearance to Hooded Justice in Watchmen. Seeing as how Alan
Moore based most of the characters on 1960s Charlton heroes it is not
a stretch to think that Hooded Justice may be an
homage to the Hangman.
While this was a very enjoyable read it is apparent how out of step with the times that DC was. Marvel was so much hipper than DC during the '60s.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- DC Archives are wonderful books with really high
production values. It makes many of DC's current collected editions
choices all the more frustrating. DC knows how to make quality books
and chooses not to.
The
covers to Our Army At War #153 and 155 are not included.
DVD-style
Extras included in this book: Foreword by
Joe Kubert (2 pages)
Linework
and Color restoration rating: 4 out of 5. Most of the linework
looks really good, but Showcase #58 is somewhat murky. There
is also some pixelation in that issue.
The
original color palette is maintained for the most part. The problems
I have with it mostly stem from the occasional lazy airbrush gradient
blends. While the spirit of the original comics is maintained the
blends are sometimes harsh and unpleasant to look at if you have
original comics (or scans of them) to compare side by side. It should
be noted that this critique is being done with “2014 eyes”. There
have been leaps and bounds in the technology and techniques used to
restore these books since this book was released. This was a
perfectly serviceable restoration job for the time that the book was
published. Comparing this book's restoration to modern collections
would be a lot like taking a mastering job done for a 2002 DVD and
playing it on a modern high definition television and pointing out
the limitations in the resolution compared to a Blu-Ray. It is not an
entirely fair comparison. It should also be noted that DC's
restoration techniques were the gold standard at the time of
publication.
Paper
rating: 5 out of 5. This paper is the ultimate. Dull matte finish
coated stock with a slightly creamy color to it, like the original
pulp paper had when the book was brand new. I love the look of pulp
paper when it is mint. I loathe it when it is yellowed or browned.
This paper is the best of both worlds.
Binding
rating: 5 out of 5. Smyth sewn binding, 8 stitches per signature.
Book lays completely flat. Again, the quality of this book only makes
the cost saves DC has done on so many modern collections even more
maddening.
