Single Issue Hall of Fame: Star Spangled War Stories #183

This is a book that should be in every one's collection. This isn't simply one of the finest war stories of the 70s, it is one of the finest stories of the 70s. This issue marks the beginning of the Dave Michelinie/Gerry Talaoc run on the Unknown Solider, one of the most underappreciated collaborations of the Bronze Age. They managed to breath new life into a character whose adventures were getting a bit stale, which is odd because he was still fairly new and the possibilities for a 'Man of a Thousand Faces' characters are endless. Michelinie focused on the moral and ethical murkiness of war and the tough choices that sometimes must be faced. This issue features '8,000 to 1', in which the bandaged one must allow one person to be sacrificed for the greater good. The way Talaoc tells the story panel by panel, you really get the feeling that the war is eating away at the Soldier's soul. Oh, by the way - you also get a short Enemy Ace/Balloon Buster dust up with Frank Thorne art. A Hall of Famer, if I've ever seen one.