BATTLE GROUND #17

Sometimes I'll buy an old book based on the cover and the possibility that it might contain an interior story by an artist whose work I admire. So it was this issue of BATTLE GROUND, a war comic published by Atlas Publications, the company that later became known as Marvel Comics. The cover looks to be by John Severin, one of the greats of comic book art, so that was a plus. Also, this issue (#17) came out in 1957, the year of my birth. With all of that, anything inside was just going to be a bonus as far as I'm concerned. But I bought it online and wasn't sure what the interior stories would be.

And as it turned out, I did get lucky. This issue featured a story by Gene Colan, who recently died, one of the best artists of what we know as the Silver Age of comics. He later went on to become the definitive artist for both Sub-Mariner, Iron Man, and Dracula. When this tale was published Colan was already a comic art veteran of thirteen years! I was pleased to discover this story.