Men of War

"Death is a Wild Beast"

Name: Death is a Wild Beast
Author: Robert Kanigher

Cover Date August 1977

Issue #1

Pages 6

Type Original Story

Cover Price 35¢

Featured Character Hans von Hammer

Also Featuring Leutnant Kessel (first appearance, pilot in von Hammer's Jagdstaffel); "The Wild Boar" (first appearance, unknown English pilot who sports a flight helmet with horns); Schultze

Synopsis

Enemy Ace returns in a new anthology title, and the skies introduce two new presences: Leutnant Kessel, a pilot in von Hammer's own Jagdstaffel, and the mystery of the Wild Boar, an English ace whose horned flight helmet makes him instantly recognizable and impossible to read. Von Hammer studies the newcomer the way he studies everything: from a position of controlled distance.

Collector Notes

Men of War marked the beginning of the post-SSWS Enemy Ace stories and a deliberate expansion of the supporting cast. Ed Davis's art lacks Kubert's expressive power but handles the period hardware and uniforms with solid competence. The Wild Boar is an effective new antagonist, theatrical in a way that contrasts with von Hammer's austerity.

Creative Team

Writer Robert Kanigher

Penciler Ed Davis

Inker Juan Ortiz

Letterer Jerry Serpe