Cover of the Week. Air Ace Picture Library 411 The Wolf's Head.

Nazis are a funny lot you know. They say they want all the attention and then when they get it they can't help but look the other way. I've been trying to interpret Air Ace Picture Library 411 The Wolf's Head for some time. The more I look the more I get confused. Yes I agree there's a moral let loose somewhere in here yet it doesn't reach out and grab me. Good beats evil. Yes I get that one. After that I don't know where to go. Is it not wearing seat belts is a bad thing? I'm still tying to figure out how "He tried to settle a personal score - but the price was sky high". If it's about killing Nazis the ledger appears by all accounts to be running in the black on this one.

The drama is all there of course. With cars at obscure angles and strafing aircraft at even obscurer altitudes. I even think there's an intentional link to party logos and busted hazard signs. As dramatic comic book art it makes a lot of sense - however the tag line doesn't seem to match every thing else that's going on. Argue with me if you dare but 8/10 (just) for this one.

Cover of the Week War Picture Library 17 Commandos Die Hard

Before Bruce baby had a crack at it and made it his own - Die Hard belonged to another bunch of blokes. These guys are so tough they don't even need weapons to fight the enemy let alone a sneaky bloke called Hans. So when the going gets tough the tough clearly have the right idea about where they need to be.

For me the best member of this trio is the figure obscuring his face with his hand. Has he suffered a wound or is he merely making sure his tin hat is staying where it should? I enjoy the ambiguity whether it is intentional or not. Our friend in the middle has a fair degree of being manic about him, nicely supported by his colleague trying to restrain him.

This is a nice example of early War Picture Library cover artwork - so old that it is published by AP and not Fleetway. It doesn't have the edge of later pocket war comics - but it does carry charm, if that is the right word for it. So there is a story going on here. Why is the man in the middle being restrained? Why are their weapons on the ground and not in their hands? I can't quite pick the quality that pegs this as a pre 1960s piece of art but it clearly is because it was published in 1959. Perhaps it's a combination of the colour range and the rather flat faces. So in that context I'm going 8/10.

Cover of the Week War Picture Library 8 Wings Over The Navy

If it's war you want then it's war you're going to get! And what do we get from the cover of War Picture Library 8 Wings Over the Navy? We get plenty of action!

To start with there's an aircraft carrier under attack. A British Swordfish is doing its best to get into the air, a stoic gun crew is giving it all they've got and the incoming nasties are looking to do some more damage. The sky is full of flak bursts and smoke trails of downed aircraft, meanwhile on the flight there's no where to hide for a few unfortunate good guys.

There's so much going on in War Picture Library 8 Wings Over the Navy I'm not sure where to look.

There's not a lot of subtlety in this picture.

There's also a bit of awkwardness as my eye keeps on getting drawn to that damn 652 that's just not siting in the right perspective.

On thing is for certain - the story had better live up to the promise that the cover is trying to make.

Amalgamated Press published this great looking story just in time for Christmas back in 1958. As covers go it doesn't have the sophistication of later editions. However style has to start somewhere. The colours are great and I like the way that lumbering biplane is coming off the deck and up out of the cover. This is one of the first War Picture Libraries and I feel honour bound to give it an 8/10.

Cover of the Week War Picture Library 131 Line of Fire

The enemy bullets plough the field. It's very clear what's going on here! Do or die! on War Picture Library 131 Line of Fire. The Brits are making their way up that hill, they are being shelled, they are taking loses, their Captain is down but on they come!
There's a lot of good foreground detail going on. There are those blades of grass, the tear in the netting of the downed officer's helmet cover and have a look at that Sergeant's hand. But then there's just a touch too much detail for my liking, the smoking Sten and the bullets (spandau no doubt) stitching up the turf. Also the placement of that lovingly drawn Sergeant's hand looks like it's about to swat the Fire off the cover. However despite my prejudices this cover is a 8/10.