M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War

Rating:
Summary: Whiz-Bang Action Series from Legend Wally Wood
Review: Dark Horse initiated their archive program with "M.A.R.S. Patrol: Total War", a Gold Key series from 1965. It was work that genius Wally Wood did in between redesigning Daredevil at Marvel and creating "T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents" for Tower. As such, it can be seen as a precursor to that more famous work.

The basic plot is very simple. Invaders of unknown origin appear and attack nearly every country. While we learn that several places on Earth are attacked (including Moscow), most of the action takes place on the eastern sea-board of the U.S. The invaders are swift and brutal, murdering everyone in their path, with the only goal appearing to be conquest. It's up to the M.A.R.S. (Marine Attack Rescue Service) Patrol, an elite team of specialists, to stem the tide of invaders and win the day. Each member has their own specialty that come to bear as the plot requires. Cy Adams is the leader, and quite the pilot. Russ Stacey is one of the best weapon designers in the country. Joe Stryker, along with having the coolest name, is a demolitions expert. Ken Hiro is a frogman, as well has a skilled martial artist. Interestingly, the team is ethnically diverse. Stryker is African-American. Hiro is Japanese-American. While Hiro often cracks wise by playing on people's expectations of Asian stereotypes, not a whole lot is made of the teams diversity.

This volume collects the first three issues of the series. The fact that there were only ten issues altogether probably explains why this series was archived in trade paperback rather than in hardcover like "Magnus, Robot Fighter". But the three issues are pretty lengthy, and each feature all manner of whiz-bang action as M.A.R.S. Patrol fends off the invaders' attacks on New York City, Niagra Falls, and other attempts to take America.

One thing that surprised me was just how violent this series is. While both DC and Marvel had a certain amount of mayhem in their respective super-hero lines, most people tend not to think of Silver Age comics as violent. But in this series, right from the get-go, we know that the invaders are playing for keeps as they mow down soldier and civilian alike, giving no quarter, and asking for none. In this regard, "M.A.R.S. Patrol: Total War" would easily fit into today's market, in an era where we are constantly aware of the threat of stateless ideologues who want to kill us.

While its not clear if Wood created this series, there are certain elements which suggest Wood might have been playing around with a "T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents" prototype. The acronym team-name, the team full of experts, and the mysterious invaders, all found their way into the later, better known series. It's a shame that this series doesn't get as much recognition as Wood's other work.

Again, like "Magnus", I was left to wonder if maybe Dark Horse could have spent some money on reproduction. Again, Gold Key's coloring process wasn't too spectacular, and Dark Horse must have made the best of it. Still, the quality does nothing to distract from the content of great Wood art and entertaining stories. I eagerly await the remainder of series.