It’s the fall of 1942 and it is wartime in America. Like almost every other form of media, comic books are doing their part. Over in Batman #12 (Aug-Sep 1942) Batman and Robin are racing by in a Jeep smiling grandly as they remind everyone to support War Bonds.

That issue began a series of covers which finally culminated in the famous image of Batman manning a machine gun on the beach while Robin feeds the ammunition to him (Batman #15, Feb-Mar 1943).

In Action Comics #52 (Sep 1942) Superman can be seen leading a cadre of DC characters out of a bright spotlight as war planes fly overhead. In the corner there is the stamp of a flag reminding everyone to “Keep It Flying!”

Timely, Marvel’s predecessor, was displaying their patriotism right out of the gate with Jack Kirby and Joe Simon’s immortal portrayal of Captain America slugging Hitler on the jaw in Cap’s first issue (Captain America Comics #1, March 1941). By the time the summer and fall of 1942 rolled around America’s Soldier was taking on his own grotesque distortion of the enemy on the cover of issue #18 (Sept 1942).

Every one of these covers is a classic of the era. The action is grand and in each case the message is clear, America needs your support. While these covers deservedly capture the hearts and wallets of collectors and fans everywhere, there is another classic war cover that deserves to join these others in the ranks of wartime classics.

Compared to so many of the other covers that came out at roughly the same time, Blackhawk #12 (Autumn 1942) is almost reflective. A near silent meditation on what was happening around the world at the time.

The black-jacketed leader of the troop that bears his name stands with a look of determination and support on his brow. He is looking to the sky as a squadron flies into the heavens. Their return uncertain, their fate unknown and their destination unspoken, the men piloting those aircraft seem to stand for all of America at the time.

The challenge has been laid down across the globe, the attacks have taken place and now we rise to the occasion. We are flying off to victory!

Blackhawk’s gaze follows the planes as they fly upward and for a brief second, if we let ourselves, we can detect a hint of concern in his eyes. Despite Blackhawk’s firm brow and the strength of his resolve, there might be a slight sense of melancholy about his demeanor.

Blackhawk #12 is a subtle image that holds none of the wild violence seen on almost any issue of Captain America. Nor does it hold the mechanical terror seen on the cover of Batman #15, a terror being dealt out by a smiling man in a bat costume with a devilishly grinning circus acrobat by his side.

The message on Blackhawk #12 is simple. Blackhawk and his team are going to war. There is nothing glamorous or fake about what they are doing. The only real hint of violence on the cover is the plumes of dark pink-tinted clouds that seem to pile up behind the planes.

Or are those clouds really the smoke of a city they just bombed and destroyed as they now fly onto victory…

Contrast the proud but thoughtful image of Blackhawk on this cover with the one found just a month or two earlier on Military Comics #10 (June 1942). This time Blackhawk, injured and bleeding with a weariness that slips across his gaze as he aims, is holding a sniper’s rifle. He is pointing it straight at the reader.

Both covers speak loudly about the contrasting nature of war.

Blackhawk knew war. He, like Sgt. Rock a few years later, actually met the enemy. Blackhawk has fought in trees, trenches and in the air. He has tasted blood and without a doubt, killed his share of the enemy.

Compare his covers with DC and Marvel from the same time. He makes Batman and Superman look like Hollywood stars on a movie set. Captain America looks exactly like what he was, a cartoon exaggeration of the world around him.

Many claim that for a few years during wartime Blackhawk was one of the three largest selling comic books. Only Superman and possibly Captain Marvel could best him on the newsstand. It seems that fans wanted a sense of reality in addition to their men in capes.

Many who love the Quality line of comics associate Blackhawk with either Will Eisner or Reed Crandall. Both men created some exceptional art over the long run of the series. In fact Eisner is credited with the cover to Military Comics #10.

But the cover art for #12 was drawn by artist Al Bryant. Unlike others, his career in comics was relatively brief.

As an artist he began working for Quality almost straight out of college. (He graduated in 1940). For close to eight years he created covers and stories for Doll Man, Blackhawk, Feature Comics, Plastic Man and Kid Eternity.

By the end of the forties he had left the field. Eventually he ended up working in Civil Service, eventually moving to Georgia in 1976 and working at a military base until his retirement. He passed away in September of 1993.

There were many other memorable war covers, but today Bryant’s work on Blackhawk #12 stands out. His pencils are clear and there is no mistaking his skill at conveying a real emotion or thought in a character’s appearance. Not an ounce of space is wasted and the amount of cover that he chooses to leave open reminds us of not only the vastness of the sky itself but how big the mission of the war really was.

Thoughtful, real and clear in its mission, Bryant’s art exemplifies the nobility of war in the individual while reminding us that it is a massive team effort. At the same time he is quietly making us think about what we are doing.