Joe Kubert - Star Spangled War Stories #158 - 1971

I'm quite thrilled to add a Joe Kubert original from one of my favorite stories by the master. The page is from Star Spangled War Stories #158, from the story entitled "Totentanz", which was the fictitious name of a concentration camp. The 1971 story features The Unknown Soldier, as he purposely makes his way into the concentration camp, so that he can help Berengaria, a leader of the underground movement, make her escape from the camp.

For me, this is Kubert at his expressionistic best. The pen & brushwork is quite powerful, especially in the top two panels, but what really strikes me is the narrative sequence, as the old man gets shot right in front of the viewer. It's almost as if he's jammed into the panel as the bullets hit. The use of the thin-to-thick lettering is quite effective as well.

When I saw this page up on Steve Robertson's site, I had to act on it. In my article on Kubert, done way back in 1991, in the 22nd issue of the CFA-APA, I used the top two panels as an example of Kubert's fine narrative work. It's not often that one can find a page from his or her favorite story, and I thank Steve and Pete Koch for working with me on it.