Veritable gods among men to us comics fans, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created many of the greatest legends of our time, not least of whom is the soon-to-be movie icon Captain America. Actually, he was packing 'em in at the movie houses back in the 1940s, not to mention selling more comics than today's most heavily-hyped events.

But then the war ended, and superheroes fell out of style as comics embraced crime and horror, which worked out very well for them... until it didn't.

In any event, Cap's title was canceled by the publisher that would come to be known as Marvel, then years later it returned in the early days of the Cold War - without Simon and Kirby.

"It won't be like when we did it," said the prescient Kirby, as recounted in Joe Simon's introduction, to which Simon replied "There's no reason we can't do our own character again."

An so Fighting American was born, and yes, in case you've been wondering, the many similarities ARE intentional. One of greatest teams in comics history re-teamed for a fun, patriotic romp, as Fighting American and Speedboy protected postwar America from spies, saboteurs, and Soviets.

Fighting American started its run as serious with a side of silly, and soon Simon and Kirby embraced the goofiness inherent to a star-spangled hero protecting a nation in the grip of more paranoia than actual menace, and while never actually poking fun at itself, it certainly developed a sense of humor about itself, making it all the more charming.

Fighting American stands to this day as one of the greatest titles of the 20th century - it could hardly help it, it's a Simon and Kirby book. Titan Books has been doing a spectacular job collecting the many books created by the duo not published by Marvel or DC, saving them from being lost to history and releasing remastered collections for connoisseurs and completists.

Their new Fighting American collection should please both, with beautifully restored pages, the aforementioned introduction by Simon himself, and it literally has it all - with the exception of a single page from a singel story ('The Mad Inker'), it has every Fighting American story ever produced by Simon and Kirby.

Titan has made it a mission to do Simon and Kirby fans right, and they're doing a fine job of it. Fighting American sits beside their Best of Simon and Kirby and The Simon and Kirby Superheroes (and Joe's autobiography, My Life in Comics), and I hope there's more coming soon.

Captain America is fantastic - but as you read his current title, and follow his adventures in Fear Itself and at the movies, keep in mind, these guys created him. Fighting American has all of Cap's action, adventure and patriotism, with an added dose of levity - our secret weapon against the RED MENACE!

Fighting American from Titan Books hits stores May 31 in the US, May 27 in the UK.

Titan Books has been busy collecting the much-loved British classic Battle Picture Weekly, a showcase of some of comics' greatest talents tackling the horrors of war with complex, deep, and often brutal serials that were favorites of future comic scribes like Garth Ennis, who provides the introduction to Darkie's Mob.

Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner has another immortal anti-hero in the form of Captain Joe Darkie, as fearsome a leader as you could want in war and then some. Unfortunately Darkie is equally as horrific to his men, who fear his madness is leading them into Hell, as he is to the enemy forces he takes such delight in sending there. The hot, squalid jungles of Burma are Darkie's killing fields as he and his mob deep into occupied Japanese territory and take the fight to the enemy with a zeal that marks a man who has lost himself in bloodlust.

The reader's stand-in is narrator Pvt. Richard Shortland, who, along the visceral art provided by Mike Western, keeps the reader engrossed in the story, which for all it's seemingly over-the-top battle action is in fact a thoroughly researched wartime epic, excellent fiction firmly rooted in the all-too-real drama of World War II history.

A good deal darker than the World War I tale Charley's War (also being collected in remastered hardcovers by Titan), Darkie's Mob is as real as it gets, and not for the faint of heart. For fans of gritty, realistic wartime action that pull no punches, or anyone who wants a first-hand master class in characterization, pacing and dialogue in comics, however, it's a must.

Darkie's Mob is a ripping good read, and a timely reminder that war is Hell.

Titan Books are at it again with another prestige hardcover collecting some of the finest comics in Europe's illustrative history. 

Hot on the heels of the latest installment of Charley's War, they are releasing the first volume of Johnny Red. The series, originally serialized in Battle Picture Weekly, follows the story of Johny Redburn, dishonorably discharged from the RAF and finds himself fighting with the Russians.

Johnny Red Vol. 1: Falcon's First Flight is war drama of the highest quality, a mix of classic comic book action and historical accuracy that is as breathtaking today as it was groundbreaking when it first saw release in the '70s. Books like this entranced young readers who make up the best of today's war comics creators, such as Garth Ennis, who provides one of two introductions (the other, appropriately enough, is written by a historian).

The series is written by the excellent Tom Tully, and fans of Charley's War will immediately recognize the artwork of Joe Colquhoun, whose ability to pack so much action and detail into the small, static square that is the traditional comic book panel that his technique should be analyzed and taught to budding comic artists. It's nothing short of astonishing.

Long before American newspapers were begrudgingly acknowledging that comics were, in fact, art and literature, with condescending headlines of the "Bang! Pow! Aren't Just For Kids Anymore!" variety, Europe had no such need to justify the medium. Comics Comics anthologies like Battle and series like Johnny Red spoke for themselves quite eloquently, and to this day they stand out as examples of the best of what comics has to offer in art, storytelling, characterization, and - oh yeah - action-packed fun. 

It's wonderful to see these classics collected in gorgeous hardcover trades, and I can't wait to see more of Johnny Red, a compelling protagonist fighting wars on many fronts - against his superiors in the RAF, power-mad Russian commissars, and of course Wold War II. 

A true classic, and a must-read. 

Johnny Red Vol. 1: Falcon's First Flight is available in the US on February 22.