The Enemy Ace Archives, Vol. 2 by Robert KanigherMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Enemy Ace Archives, Vol. 2 collects the Enemy Ace stories from Star Spangled War Stories 143-145, 147-150, 152, 158, 181-183, and 200.
The first Enemy Ace Archives was great so I grabbed this one once it fell onto my cheapness radar.
The stories are pretty much par for the course for Enemy Ace. Hans Von Hammer battles pilots of other nations but his biggest enemy is the futility of war. And he briefly adopts a puppy. The final story was a perfect way to cap off the collection, with Enemy Ace seeing his way of life go the way of the dodo. I don't recommend reading the stories all in one go as they can blend together due to the World War I setting.
The real star of the show is the artwork. Joe Kubert knows his way around a tri-plane. The panel arrangements give the flying sequences life. Much like Enemy Ace himself, Kubert didn't fuck around where aerial combat is concerned. For my money, Kubert's work from this time period has more life to it than Neal Adams'. No offense to the Russ Heath and Frank Thorne issues but Enemy Ace doesn't feel right unless it's a Joe Kubert production.
Was Enemy Ace one of the best books DC put out during the 1970s? Yes. Was it chronically overlooked due to not being a super hero book? Also yes.
As good as the first Enemy Ace Archives was, the second one is even better. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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