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War Is Hell (comics)

War Is Hell is a horror/war comic book series released by Marvel Comics from 1973 to 1975. For its first six issues, it featured reprints of Marvel war comics, followed by two issues of reprints of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. Beginning in issue #9, the series featured new material; the star of the series became Death, who forces a dishonorably discharged Polish-American soldier named John Kowalski, killed in the invasion of Poland, to die countless deaths in other lives. A War Is Hell limited series featuring Phantom Eagle appeared in 2008.

John Kowalski
During the series, Kowalski inhabits bodies of those about to die, not necessarily of the same side or sex, during World War II, including both the European and Pacific theatres, and needs to change things for the better before he is killed. Death summons him from the nether regions each story, and Kowalski wonders how many times he will have to do so. The series was created by writer Tony Isabella, but after successfully pitching the series and submitting his plot for the first issue, his new position as editor ate up a lot of his writing time. Isabella recalled that "Roy [Thomas, Marvel editor] wanted to give Dick Ayers a series to replace "It! The Living Colossus" and asked me to come up with a new series for War Is Hell. Dick and I had worked together on a number of things and enjoyed working with each other." Ayers, Springer (19 pp) • War Is Hell #10 – "The Corridor" Isabella, Claremont, Ayers, Springer (18 pp) • War Is Hell #11 – "Winter Kill" Claremont, Perlin, Trapani (18 pp) • War Is Hell #12 – "My Love Must Die" Claremont, Perlin, Hunt (19 pp) • War Is Hell #13 – "Today Is a Lovely Day to Die" Claremont and Trimpe (17 pp) • War Is Hell #14 – "The Duty of a Man" Claremont and Evans (17 pp) • War Is Hell #15 – "A Christmas Eve in Hell" Claremont and Trimpe (17 pp) • Man-Thing vol. 2 #10 – "Came the Dark Man, Walkin', Walkin'..." Claremont, Perlin, Wiacek (22 pp) • Man-Thing vol. 2 #11 – "Hell's Gate!" Claremont, Mayerik, Wiacek (22 pp) • Solo Avengers #5 – "A Love That Never Dies" Mallonee and Ridgway (11 pp) ==Phantom Eagle==
Phantom Eagle
In 2008, a new five-issue limited series, titled War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle, appeared under the MAX imprint. Phantom Eagle (Lt. Karl Kaufman) was a World War I hero created by Gary Friedrich and artist Herb Trimpe (artist) in 1968, and the new story was by Garth Ennis (writer) and Howard Chaykin (artist). ==Reprints==
Reprints
The series began as a reprint book, mostly from Atlas Comics-era war comics, adding Sgt. Fury for its last two issues before printing new material. The first six issues contained four stories an issue, each around five pages: • Reprinting stories from Battle #30 (1 story) and #55 (3 stories) • Reprinting stories from Battle Action #30, (1 story) Battlefront #30 (2 stories), and Battle #55 (1 story) • Reprinting stories from Battle Action #15 (1 story) and G.I. Tales #5 (3 stories) • Reprinting stories from Battleground #15 (3 stories), and War Comics #17 (1 story) • Reprinting stories from Battlefront #34 (1 story), and Battleground #20 (1 story) and # 18 (2 stories) • Reprinting stories from War Comics #30, "Court Martial" by Werner Roth, Battleground #15, and War Comics #17 • Reprinting Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #17 • Reprinting Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #18 ==Collected editions==
Collected editions
War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle collects War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1-5 (Marvel Max, hardcover, 120 pages, November 2008, ) • Marvel Ghost Stories includes War is Hell #9 (176 pages, October 2011, ) • Marvel Universe by Chris Claremont includes War is Hell #9-15 (1144 pages, August 2017, ) • Lost Marvels: Howard Chaykin Vol. 1: Dominic Fortune/Monark Starstalker/Phantom Eagle includes War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1-5 (Fantagraphics, hardcover, 256 pages, August 2025, ) ==References==
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