Showing posts with label Dick Giordano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dick Giordano. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2026

The Fightin' 5 - The Agents Of Death!


Fighitn' Five Volume 2 #40 is dated November 1966. The Executive Editor is Pat Masulli and the Managing Editor is Dick Giordano. The story was written by Joe Gill with the regular team of Bill Montes and Ernie Bache doing the art. Montes and Rocke Mastroserio did the rather striking cover this issue.

The "5" are Frenchy the Fox, Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, Granite Gallero, Hank Hennessy, and Tom-Tom. Designated according to the first letter of their name, they formed "America's Super Squad" and the word "F.I.G.H.T.", hence Fightin' 5.


"The Agents of D.E.A.T.H." (Dedicated Enemies of And Traitors to Humanity) are five rich international criminals who have banded together to take vengeance on the world for a multitude of reasons. The story opens with the Fightin' 5 taking a day off at Cape Cod with their girlfriends. But a relaxing day at the beach changes suddenly when a mysterious but beautiful woman appears and touches Hank who immediately follows her without explanation. She is Lady Dawn, a member of the Agents of D.E.A.T.H. The other members are Enrico Cuomo - an Italian treasure hunter, Anton Vidrian - appliance manufacturer, Thomas Lash - disgraced U.S. military man and financier, and Hans Muller - former boy genius for the Nazis. Aboard their high-tech and high-speed boat they plot the theft of secret submarines from the New London boatyards. Hank appears to be under Lady Dawn's control.


"Candidate for D.E.A.T.H..." begins with the raid which succeeds with the theft of one nuclear sub. While that one is leaving Lady Death and Hank stay to steal another. The other members of the Fightin' 5 though have figured out what must've happened and get their won submarine and use a steel-twine warhead to trap the escaping sub.


"Murder, My Friends" has the Fightin' 5 infiltrate the New London base and Hank appears to gun them down with gas when they emerge from the water. But it's a ruse as he is actually protecting them from the murderous gang. Hank, Lady Dawn and Enrico Cuomo head off in the other stolen sub to their villainous launch. Once there, they try to escape but Hank looking for an opportunity uses his knife to short-circuit the boat's electronics and quickly defeats Cuomo. As Lady Dawn prepares to shoot him he unleashes a smoke grenade and leaps off the boat. Enrico and Lady Dawn escape but the Five imagine they will return.


Debuting in this issue is The Peacemaker. Created by Joe Gill and Pat Boyette, this is a new hero in Dick Giordano's "Action Hero" regime.

In "Introducing: The Peacemaker" we meet Christopher Smith, international envoy to the Geneva Arms Conference and dedicated man of peace. On his way to the conference, he is waylaid by arms dealer Emil Bork and his henchmen, and his top-secret papers are stolen. Later Smith attends a dinner party with Bork where Smith weighs his options. Seeing no way to stop Bork by negotiation he puts on his Peacemaker gear and using jet takes to the air. Peacemaker then stops Bork's me from kidnapping three of the conference attendees. A twin-jet bomber takes to the air, and Peacemaker takes chase but seems to be shot down as the first half of the story closes.

This comic has not been reprinted to my knowledge.

 Read the actual comic book here

The Fight Continues. 

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Thursday, July 16, 2026

The Fightin' 5 - Five Trails Of Death!


Fightin' Five Volume 2 #39 is dated September, 1966. The Executive Editor is Pat Masulli and assuming duties as Managing Editor is Dick Giordano. The script for this issue was by the always reliable Joe Gill and like the art inside was provided by Bil Montes and Ernie Bache. The cover is by Montes with inks by Rocke Mastroserio.

The "5" are Frenchy the Fox, Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, Granite Gallero, Hank Hennessy, and Tom-Tom. Designated according to the first letter of their name, they formed "America's Super Squad" and the word "F.I.G.H.T.", hence Fightin' 5.


"5 Trails to Death" begins with an ending of sorts. The Fightin' 5 team battle aboard a Soviet sub to capture Zero, a weirdly costumed and bald mastermind. They succeed and haul their captive to a U.S. base in the Everglades. But Zeru effects his escape almost immediately by using a foggy gas which incapacitates the whole base. But as Zeru runs through the swamp to find his comrades, he is followed by Frenchy who was using scuba gear during the escape. He follows Zeru to a Soviet sub and tags along until the sub eventually docks at what is called "Death Island". He is detected though and the twin dangers of sharks and scuba-wearing opponents appear to kill Frenchy. Zeru checks with his henchman and learns that the island is fully stocked with deadly creatures such as spiders, crocodiles, insects, and fish in addition to high-tech equipment. Meanwhile the Fighitn' 5 have recovered from the gas and begin a search for Zeru. Irv "The Nerve" flies out in a small plane and finds "Death Island" but is shot down by a deadly missle. 

"The Bicycle Soldier" is a one-page text story which discusses the various ways soldiers have been transported over the centuries, including on foot, the use of camels, and such. The focus though is one the Japanese use of bicycles to effectively wage the war in Malaya.

The remaining Fightin' 5 continue to search for Zeru and to that end Granite uses a jet to reach "Death Island" and parachutes in. He battles some crocodiles and is discovered by enemy soldiers and seems to be killed when he responds with a hand grenade. Hank and Tom-Tom have taken a launch and are too heading for the island when they detect a woman in scuba gear beneath their boat. The capture her and head on to the island but the boat is then blown up by Zeru's forces. With all of the Fightin' 5 seemingly dead, Zeru gives the go ahead to his leader that the United States can now be effectively blackmailed using lethal atomic missles located on the island. Then we see Hank walk out of the surf and he quickly obtains contact with Frenchy, Irv, and Granite, who have all likewise survived despite appearances. Then Tom-Tom emerges carrying the girl enemy agent.  Then the members reveal how they survived. Hank and Tom-Tom had an armored cockpit in the boat which protected them, Frenchy was saved by his nylon armor and shark repellant, Irv used a rocket-belt to escape his plane, and Granite used his nylon armor and a handy ditch to evade the explosion. Reassembled, Hank is then seemingly capture and confronts Zeru. At the last moment he grabs an enemy weapon and destroys the command console for the deadly missiles eliminating the threat to the United States. In a furious counterattack the Five appear to kill all the enemy agents including Zeru, though he is not shown. The Soviet ambassador is summarily kicked out of the office once his threat is rendered harmless.


"Experiment 74" is a three-page story drawn by Montes and Bache which describes a nuclear test which after the first part causes a scientist and his military liaison to check out a cave in the blast zone. The stumble upon a large reptilian creature immune to bullets. The escape, but just as the second part of the nuclear test happens, destroying the cave and the presumably the creature too.

This comic has not been reprinted to my knowledge.

Read the actual comic book here

The Fight Continues as the Fightin' 5 are joined by The Peacemaker.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2026

The Fightin' 5 - Image Of Glory!


Fightin' Five Volume 2 #32 is dated May, 1965. The cover is by Dick Giordano. The lead story was written by Joe Gill and features art by Bill Montes and Ernie Bache. The editor was Pat Masulli.

The "5" are Frenchy the Fox, Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, Granite Gallero, Hank Hennessy, and Tom-Tom. Designated according to the first letter of their name, they formed "America's Super Squad" and the word "F.I.G.H.T.", hence Fightin' 5. 


"Part I Image of Glory" by Gill, Montes and Bache begins with a description of Joshua Forbes, a demagogue who preaches health and has developed a following in the Appalachian Mountains among the economically depressed population there eager for an uplifting message. The story begins at the Fightin' 5 headquarters where the team trains and they watch Forbes in one of his television presentations. At the same time a Forbes follower are keeping the team under surveillance and are discovered by Tom-Tom who promptly pitches him into the river. The team assembles and flies to the Forbes compound in the Appalachians when they come under missile attack. They avoid the missile but barely and are forced to parachute into the mountain terrain where Hank is promptly caught.


"One More Mission " is a three-page story drawn by Bill Molno which tells of the World War II bomber "Ugly Anne" and the final mission behind enemy lines. The crew deliver their deadly cargo and barely return to England having to strip the plane down to its essentials to land safely for the final time.


"Part 2 Forbes' Secret Fort" picks up the action with Hank falling after being grazed by a bullet. Tom-Tom descends on parachute and eliminates one attacker while Frenchy punches another. Hank recovers and dispatches his opponent too. Reassembled the team infiltrate the Forbes estate and defeat the force there. Meanwhile Forbes is on television where the threat he poses to the tranquility of the nation is most evident. He boards a helicopter and heads back to his base.


"Part 3 The Fate of the World" begins with a counterattack by Forbes and his forces who capture the Fightin' 5 but then lose control when Hank openly attacks Forbes himself. Forbes tries to flee in his helicopter but Hank catches hold of a stray safety rope and climbs up where he confronts Forbes again. Fearing for his safety Forbes has the pilot descend and Hank then knocks out the demagogue once and for all. Forbes is turned over the proper authorities where he is committed to an asylum, the last image of the great leader showing him playing with paper dolls.

"Always Alert" is a one-page text piece which gives lots of solid technical information on the TOW missile.


"Fightin' Facts" is a two-page story drawn by Rocke "Rocko" Mastroserio where Uncle Sam himself appears to talk about the sundry skills and attitudes it takes to succeed in the Special Forces.

 The main Fightin' 5 story has never been reprinted to my knowledge. The "Fightin' Facts" piece was reprinted in Fightin' 5 Volume 3 #46 dated June, 1982.


I've noticed that some of the Fightin' 5 stories have very strong premises, but wrap up so quickly that they undermine the climax. This one a bit of that problem sadly. Still, it was a stirring adventure.

Read the actual comic book here

The Fight Continues.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2026

The Fightin' 5 - The Many Masks Of Doom!


Fightin' Five Volume 2 #31 is dated February, 1965. The cover is by Dick Giordano, and the main story is written by Joe Gill with art by the regular team of Bill Montes and Ernie Bache. The issue was edited by Pat Masulli.

The "5" are Frenchy the Fox, Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, Granite Gallero, Hank Hennessy, and Tom-Tom. Designated according to the first letter of their name, they formed "America's Super Squad" and the word "F.I.G.H.T.", hence Fightin' 5.


"The Many Masks of Doom" begins at the Virginia headquarters of the Fightin' 5 with the members training when a State Department representative arrives and gives the team orders to head to an unnamed Eastern country which they get to by way of Tokyo aboard a B-58. Aboard a connecting plane they meet another State Department official who tells them that a local leader named General Winh is acting out of character and is leading a coup of his country's government. The official suspects the nefarious involvement of Duc Du Mort, a mysterious enemy who has worked with the Nazis, the Soviets, and now seems to be operating in the Eastern bloc. The team meet Winh and things seem normal, but soon they are attacked on the road and later outside their hotel. Using their technology, especially their rocket packs they fight back and some success.


"The Meuse-Argonne Battle" drawn by Sam Glanzman is a one-page story giving the basic facts of that important World War I battle.


"Part II The First Encounter" starts with the Fightin' 5 confronting General Winh and his men, but using gas the team is subdued and locked in cells. They quickly escape using gas bombs embedded in their own uniforms while Irv picks the lock. The battle the enemy and find the real Winh also in a cell. They free him and race to capture Duc Du Mort but come under attack by a jet fighter.

"Two Heroes" is a two-page text story detailing the contributions of Thomas Boyd and a soldier named Parker to the ultimate victory during the Revolutionary War.


"The Loners" is a one-page story drawn by Bill Molno showing how one-man units contributed to the U.S. victory on Guadalcanal and later in Korea.


"Part III A Friendly Face" picks up the action with the Fightin' 5 fending off the jet attack at the United States embassy. They come under fire and then realize the military units and the ambassador himself are frauds. The ambassador, who is really Duc Du Mort in disguise sends out a radio broadcast announcing the surrender of the U.S. forces much to the surprise of all other officials. The Fighitn' 5 penetrate the embassy and using grenades fend off the enemy, but see Duc Du Mort escape in a helicopter.


"O.S.S." is a three-page story drawn by Bill Molno detailing some of the contributions made to the U.S. war effort in Europe and how the members of the O.S.S. must remain silent about their secret operations.


"Part IV The Last Role" finds the Fighitn' 5 having rescued the real ambassador and planning to capture Duc Du Mort who meanwhile has returned disguised as Hank Hennessy himself. But the other members realize the deception defeat him with a solid uppercut, though the real solider guarding the embassy are not at first convinced. There is some discussion about Du Mort's motives with the suggestion he was most likely looting the treasury of the country. The status quo returned, the Fightin' 5 return in triumph to their Virginia headquarters and await their next mission.


The story was reprinted in Fightin' 5 Volume 3 #45 dated April, 1982.

The action in this adventure was very cohesive in this one, with the members of the team fighting effectively together. All the members contribute.

Read the actual comic book here

The Fight Continues! 

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Monday, July 6, 2026

The Fightin' 5 - The Ransom Of Big D!


Fightin' Five Volume 2 #30 is dated December, 1964 and sports a very dramatic Dick Giordano cover. The lead story was written by Joe Gill and drawn by Bill Montes and Ernie Bache, and whole shebang was edited by Pat Masulli.

The "5" are Frenchy the Fox, Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, Granite Gallero, Hank Hennessy, and Tom-Tom. Designated according to the first letter of their name, they formed "America's Super Squad" and the word "F.I.G.H.T.", hence Fightin' 5.


"The Ransom of 'Big-D'" begins when three members of the Fightin' 5 run into problems with products manufactured by General Dynamoters Ltd., a huge firm responsible for much of the equipment produced in the United States. Called "Big D" by most folks, this is a corporation which has touched the lives of most everyone on the planet. Trouble starts when Hank Hennessy, leader of the F5 and his girlfried Bridget Darbot find the new sports car he's bought is unreliable and causes them to wreck. Hank is hurt a little and Darbot is hosptialized. Meanwhile Irv "The Nerve" Haganah is testing a parachute that fails to perform but he saves himself barely. Also Granite Gallero runs into trouble with a tank he's testing which fails dramatically. All three members share notes and realize something must be wrong at "Big D". Hank is a stockholder, so on that pretext they gather the team (Frenchy the Fox and Tom-Tom) and plan to infiltrate the mammoth plant to find out what's the issue. But they are intercepted by a "Big D" jet when they approach the plant.


"The Decadent Democracy" is a one-page story drawn by Bill Molno which showcases a drama at the Berlin Wall when an American, derided as soft helps a girl escape then he helps guard who failed to stop her.


"The Big-D Battlerground" picks up the action as the jet attacks the Fightin' 5 but is repelled when they switch on their electronic force field. They shoot down the jet and the pilot ejects. On the ground, Hank and Granite drive through the main gate while Irv, Frenchy, and Tom-Tom inflitrate the plant using the underground sewer systems. Hank and Granite bluff and force their way into a board meeting where they encounter Mr.Luckens, a well-known gangster and and his henchmen who have blackmailed their way into control of the mammoth company. Luckens tries to have the two heroes killed and put aboard a rocket which will dispose of their bodies by taking them into orbit.

"The Indian Wars" is a two-page text article detailing the battles the United States government has had with the various Indian tribes over the decades, with a particular emphasis on military tactics.


"The Instant Army" drawn by Bill Molno is a one-page story about how the U.S. military has changed and become much more mobile thanks to air support like troop transports and helicopters.


"Stolen Empire" begins when Frenchy, Irv, and Tom-Tom attack the "Big-D" plant and save Hank and Granite from being shot into orbit. Then the combined might of the Fightin' 5 battle the forces of the gangsters who have taken over Big D forcing Luckens to escape in a bomber. He plans to drop an atomic bomb on the plant eliminating his enemies but is shot down by Hank in his jet fighter. The gangsters are gathered up and arrested and authorities promise Hank that things will get back to normal at General Dynamotors and even offer him a new sports car.


"The Phantom of the Sahara" is a three-page story drawn by Bill Molno which offers a rather glowing reprise of the career of Nazi Field Marshall Rommell.



The comic was reprinted in Fightin' 5 Volume 3 #44 dated February, 1982.

I found this story very timely given the relatively recent scandals rocking the clear inspiration for "Big D", General Motors. It would be nice on some level to think the nigh-criminal neglect and cover ups which have been going at GM were in fact the result of the company having been taken over by gangsters, but alas it's sadly true they result from mere businessmen looking out for profits in the nearest quarterly report. Greed pure and simple and not out and out gangster-style criminality, though sometimes the difference is hard to detect.

This is a solid Fightin' 5 adventure, well written and well drawn by Montes and Bache who do a much better job on the storytelling in this one. Hank has emerged as the dominant member of the team, his wealth giving them access to places they'd be hard pressed to access otherwise. Their status apart from the United States government is somewhat in play here, as they seemed to pick their own mission with little consultation with the authorities.

Read the actual comic book here

The Fight continues. 

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Friday, July 3, 2026

The Fightin' 5 - The Aztec Destroyers!


The second issue of Fightin' Five was Volume 2 #30 and dated October, 1964. It's the first adventure of the assembled team following their organization in the previous issue. Edited by Pat Masulli and written by Joe Gill and drawn by Bill Montes and Ernie Bache with a cover by Dick Giordano,

The "5" are Frenchy the Fox, Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, Granite Gallero, Hank Hennessy, and Tom-Tom. Designated according to the first letter of their name, they formed "America's Super Squad" and the word "F.I.G.H.T.", hence Fightin' 5.

This story has the assembled team pitted against a "college of sabotage" which was located in the Sierra Madre mountain range in Mexico. Specifically, the threat is Lev, a Soviet trainer is preparing Aztec warriors as saboteurs who will penetrate U.S. defenses and wreak havoc. Since the "college" is located in another country the United States cannot respond in an official capacity, but calls on the Fightin' 5 to solve the problem.


"The Aztec Warriors" begins when an Aztec warrior sets off a bomb aboard a U.S. ship in Seatle. Information from the surviving warrior leads the Fightin' 5 to Arizona from their Montana base where they plan to infiltrate Mexico in secret. They uncover evidence of Aztec and Soviet collaboration and confront Princess Malaxtl who eludes Hennessy and Frenchy the Fox.


"The Evil Teacher" begins after Malaxtl's disappearance when Aztec warriors appear and capture Hank as Frenchy escapes. Hank is taken to Lev but Malaxtl wishes to sacrifice the handsome leader of the Fightin' 5 in classic Aztec style. Meanwhile the other members of the team are waging a battle above ground when  Tom-Tom too is captured. After a furious struggle Tom-Tom is selected for the sacrifce.


"Allies of Hate" opens as Tom-Tom manages to escape sacrifice by breaking the traditional chains, which are interpreted by Malaxtl as a sign that gods wish the Aztecs to change their ways. She turns on Lev and the Soviets and gunfire erupts which strikes Malaxtl while Hank and Tom-Tom regroup with the other members of the Fightin' 5. Lev and his helpers have taken refuge in the giant head of a local tomb and are planning to launch atomic weapons.


"The Eyes of Death" opens as the launch is underway despite the objections by some of the Soviet agents that Lev goes too far. The Fightin' 5 penetrate the fortress head and alongside the Aztec warriors destroy the atomic missles. Granite Gallego finds the torso armor from an ancient conquistador and puts it on. This proves beneficial when the metal is able to deflect Lev's bullets and Lev finds himself trapped then killed in an Aztec trap. Princess Malaxtl has recoverd though and wants Hank to stay but the Fightin' 5 must stay together to face the next threat.

"Ballistics Talking" is a two-page text piece on the science of ballistics with a great deal of detail offered up.


"The Space Warriors" features art by Bill Molno and tells in a single page what space war might like, and suggests that soldiers will be fewer in number and the battles will last hours and not days.


"The Made a Man" is also drawn by Molno and this three-page story tells how the Philadelphia born Billy Cleve finds success as a Special Forces soldier in Vietnam.


"American Pioneer" is a one-page reprise of the history of the great Kentuckian Daniel Boone.


The majority of this comic was reprinted many years later in Fightin' 5 Volume 3 #43 dated December, 1981.

I was most struck in this story how modern the threat was. Despite the trappings of the Cold War, the idea that saboteurs (substitute "terrorists") being given special training in a remote part of the world so that they can infiltrate and destroy vital U.S. sites seems like something taken from modern headlines.

Read the actual comic book here

The Fight Continues!   

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Thursday, July 2, 2026

The Fightin' 5 - America's Super Squad!


Charlton comics was looking for new avenues and genres to conquer in 1964 (the previous month had seen the debut of a new Blue Beetle comic) and the spy genre was red hot with the success of the James Bond movies and The Avengers TV show among many other things.


In classic Charlton fashion, the title Space War had its title changed to Fighin' 5 (Charlton had a squadron of books in the war genre featuring the word "Fightin'") and the number continued. So the debut issue of Fightin' Five is Volume 2 #28 dated July, 1964. In the debut story edited by Pat Masulli, written by Joe Gill, and drawn by Bill Montes and Ernie Bache with a cover by Dick Giordano, we meet the members of the new squad which are to wage a clandestine war against America's enemies across the globe.

The "5" are Frenchy the Fox (Last name never revealed), Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, Granite Gallero, Hank Hennessy, and Tom-Tom (Real name never revealed). Designated "FF1", "FF2", "FF3", "FF4", and "FF5" according to the first letter of their name, they formed "America's Super Squad" and the word "F.I.G.H.T.", hence Fightin' 5. It was a bit tortured but in tune with an era which gave us S.P.E.C.T.R.E., U.N.C.L.E., S.H.I.E.L.D., and T.H.U.N.D.E.R.


The debut story titled "Introducing The Fightin' 5 - America's Super Squad" begins with a brief intro to each of the five members. They are introduced in the order in which they fit into the F.I.G.H.T. code name. 


Then with Chapter I "Frenchy is Found!" introduces Frenchy the Fox who is skin diving on the Riviera where his mission is to reclaim a stolen necklace. The CIA show up to offer him a job. 


Chapter II "The Private Eye" shows Irv the Nerve David (not yet "Haganah - more below) who is in an unnamed city rounding up some art thieves. He too is contacted by the CIA. 


Chapter III "Granite Gallero Joins" takes us to a U.S. weapons proving ground where Gallero is showcasing some new potent weapons for the military when the CIA shows up. 


Chapter IV "Hank Hennessy...Special Forces U.S. Army" introduces Hank who is a devoted soldier in Vietnam and a rich playboy who handles a masher than quickly answers the call when the CIA asks.


Finally in Chapter V "The Retiring Wrestler" we meet Tom-Tom who is in a bout as the bad guy and makes contact with the mat and the CIA simultaneously.


Chapter VI "The Assignment" shows the team in uniform and firing on a castle. We quickly then learn the back story which involves the abduction of former German scientist Ernst Von Essen by the Eastern Block. The Fightin' 5 are briefed and swiftly fly to Europe to get him back. The attack is swift and well= coordinated and each team member is required to show his special skills, especially the ultra-strong Tom-Tom who bends the bars of Von Essen's cell with is bare hands. Using specially designed rocket-packs the team safely get the scientist to safety aboard a helicopter which gets him out of harm's way. The team return to the U.S. aboard a B-58 and the story closes at their hidden base discussing their next mission since they've decided to stay together as a team.

"The Looter" is a text story which tells of a former Nazi named Eric Wanderman who sneaked out of the fallen Reich with a hoard of stolen loot. An agent is sent with the help of a woman who can identify Wanderman. After some intrigue and betrayal, the Nazi is killed.


"Jungle Death" is a two-page war story drawn by Bill Molno which tells of the heroic sacrifice of a soldier named Simms who clears out a Japanese machine-gun nest with a grenade and the cost of his own life.


"The Story of the Medal" is a three-page story with art by Molno again and relates how medals have been traditionally the province of the nobility but have in more recent years been made available to all soldiers to recognize their dedication and sacrifice.


This story has been reprinted twice. The first time in Fightin' 5 Volume 3 #42 dated October, 1982 which picked up the original numbering of the series after many years.


The story is also reprinted in 1998's The Power of 5 from ACG Comics in glorious black and white.

This is a rock-solid debut installment for the series. The story takes pains to carefully introduce our five heroes and points out the special talents of each. The story by Joe Gill is typically well crafted and the artwork by the hard-working team of Montes and Bache has their virtues and their weaknesses. They had a flair with finishes which was very handsome, but the storytelling is alas suspect in several places. Without captions the action would be hard to follow at times.

One oddity is the naming of Irv "The Nerve" Haganah, who in the first story is actually presented as having the last name of "David" and is listed as having served with the "Haganah" (Hebrew for " Defense"), part of the Israeli military. At some point in the story "Haganah" becomes his last name and serves as such for the rest of the run. Joe Gill wrote them fast, and I guess he lost track.

The Fightin' 5 also have the international flavor most famously demonstrated by the Blackhawks. But based on their personalities, I'd say the 5 owe more to the Howling Commandos than the Blackhawks. Tom-Tom in particular evokes the sound of Dum-Dum as in Dugan, the strongman of the team.

The Fightin' 5 is a series which has a good grounding in the real world with several topical references, but also had some shout outs to the science fiction crowd with the rocket belts. A super-spy saga with a real Charlton flavor.

The actual comic book here

The Fight Continues.

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