Trade Marks: Wally Wood's M.A.R.S. Patrol - Total War

I really dig the fact that Dark Horse seems dedicated in their efforts to reprint so many nearly forgotten classics. This volume is slim (only 4 issues), and is therefore quite affordable. Dark Horse is likely banking on Wally Wood's notoriety amongst comic book fans, and that's just fine with me. Overall, it's a fun read - nothing groundbreaking but good, chaotic fun. The chaos is present from the outset - an attack by an unknown enemy on American soil leads to non-stop action. The pace never really let's up, so if you're looking for character development - this is not the book for you. Woody worked with many assistants during the 60s, and it's evident here as some pages have little to no trace of that Wood touch. There are also decent intro pieces by Dan Adkins and Batton Lash - but I was really left wanting two things. First, I had hoped that someone had the full story of how this series was concocted and executed. Secondly, I thought that they should have just run the table and reprinted the non-Wood issues. All of that aside, it's a fireball of fun and decent bang for your buck. Trade Mark: B