Men of War

"The Three Faces of Death"

Cover Date November 1977
Issue #3
Pages 6
Type Original Story
Cover Price 35¢
Featured Character Hans von Hammer
Also Featuring The Wild Boar; Leutnant Kessel; Schultz; The Black Wolf

Synopsis

The escalating late-1970s serial reaches a devastating turning point over the Western Front as the rookie replacement pilot, Leutnant Kessel, is ruthlessly shot down and killed in combat by the merciless British ace The Wild Boar. This tragic loss completely shatters the morale of the Jagdstaffel, forcing Hans von Hammer to confront the agonizing reality of commanding green young aviators who are entirely ill-equipped to survive the unpredictable savagery of the air war. On the ground below, the loyal orderly Schultz anchors the airfield operations while the solitary Black Wolf observes from the forest margins as a silent witness to the mounting casualties.

Collector Notes

The tragic death of Leutnant Kessel serves as a powerful, structurally unexpected moment that highlights the rapid attrition rate of novice World War I aviators. Robert Kanigher uses 'The Wild Boar' not as a conventional comic book nemesis, but as a terrifying vector of pure chaos to show that the war's brutality spares no one, regardless of their family pedigree or military legacy. Artists Ed Davis and Juan Ortiz deliver deeply atmospheric, clean line art panel layouts, while master colorist Carl Gafford establishes an excellent, mud-and-smoke palette that grounds the late-1970s war anthology era

Creative Team

Writer Robert Kanigher
Penciler Ed Davis
Inker Juan Ortiz
Letterer Jerry Serpe