The Complete Peacemaker: New Expanded Edition - Now Includes his Earliest Appearances from Fightin' 5!! Over 150 Pages -- All Stories -- No Ads

*Note: this review is of "The Complete Peacemaker" a reprint published by Classic Comics Library. Other reprint volumes of The Peacemaker may have different contents.This volume contains the all of the major "Silver Age (1960's)" appearances of the hero the Peacemaker. The Peacemaker started off at Charlton Comics and, along with the Blue Beetle, the Question, Judomaster, etc., was later sold to DC Comics.Alan Moore, author of the modern comic masterpiece "Watchmen," has said that the Peacemaker was the inspiration for his Watchmen character The Comedian. This makes sense, as the Peacemaker's first appearance describes him as a man who, "loves peace...so much so that he is willing to fight for it!" A dichotomy of ethos that could certainly apply equally to the Comedian.This volume starts with a reprint of the Peacemaker's first appearance in "Fightin' 5" #40, a comic that is now going for upwards of $700 (BTW, this volume only reprints the Peacemaker backup stories from "Fightin' 5," not the full issues of that title). Here, we get a story that logically explains the Peacemaker's reason for being a hero. I won't spoil it, but it is as logical as it is Machiavellian. We also get to see his "private retreat, high in the Swiss Alps." The strip picks up in its next installment with a reprint from "Fightin' 5" #41, also a very valuable comic now. This is the last of "The Peacemaker" strip as a backup and the story sets the stage for the character to branch out into this own title, which he does with his next adventure.It is with the reprints of Peacemaker's own title that this volume really differentiates itself from other public domain reprints available on amazon. This volume reprints "The Peacemaker" issues 1-5 in their entirety. Everything...minus the ads, of course! Even the special columns containing background on Pat Boyette, Joe Gill and Ernie Bache are included. Also, letter pages are reprinted and these are really amazing, as a few have letters to Charlton from fans who would one day become comic legends: notably Rich Buckler (in issue 3) and Bill Mantlo (in issue 4)! Further, each issue of "The Peacemaker" contains a back-up tale of "The Fightin' 5." Certainly a lot of bang for your buck.The stories themselves move along at a brisk pace and the Peacemaker character is very easy to like and understand. It was only later, as DC Comics tried to figure out what to do with him in the 80's, that he became a sort of dime-store version of Marvel's then wildly popular Punisher character. Comics are also a visual forum and in my opinion, Pat Boyette's art is excellent. Boyette reminds me of Milt Caniff or Frank Robbins: "cartoony," but at the same time realistic. Boyette's drawings of aircraft are particularly well-done and perhaps that explains the inspiration for his design of the Peacemaker's signature metal helmet (which actually gets turned to the side [for a plot purpose] in issue #5).The images for the reprints are obviously taken from scans of old comic issues, but the reproductions are really well executed. There are very little yellows noticeable in the reprinted pages and the pages in this volume are probably 20% larger than a typical comic book page, making the art all that more enjoyable.I purchased this volume for $25 USD (with free Prime shipping) and it is worth every cent. I would recommend this volume to anyone interested in the Charlton Heroes, the Watchmen or the new (2021) Suicide Squad movie. Some may find these old Peacemaker stories outdated, but I believe fans of comics would be forced to admit that the tales provide an impressive foundation for all future interpretations of the character.

Possibly illegal bootleg edition of the classic comic book series, but not available any other way, since DC Comics has been remiss in issuing their own reprint. It seems that the original art stats from Charlton Comics were never recovered when DC bought the rights back in the 1980s. And there may be some legal question as to whether DC ever got full title to this material, if work-for-hire contracts were not signed with the original creators. Those worthy gentleman are all passed away now, so they cannot be harmed by this bootleg reprint. This volume is apparently scanned from old original copies of the comic books, so all the quirky printing errors and mis-registered colors are faithfully reproduced. The charmingly daffy writing by Joe Gill and wonderful Pat Boyette art are well represented here.

Grandson wanted it

The cover and half the pages were bent and creased as if it came used from Half Price Books. It's a gift and I don't have time to return it. Peacemaker would not be cool with this.

This is an affordable way to get some key Charlton books if you don’t have thousands of dollars lying around. The reprint quality is good and the stories are fun. It’s not as good as the DC reinvention of the character but the building blocks are all there. Worth your time and money if you’re a fan of the character.