Three new Fleetway Picture Library Classics from Book Palace Books – Jorge Luis Moliterni’s Psycho War Stories, By the Sword and Dogfight Dixon have just been published – with further titles from the companion Fleetway Comics Archive series on their way later this year also announced.
As with other titles in both series, these limited edition books are the work of diligent digital restoration work from printed originals, the art, sadly long destroyed. A tip of the hat, then, to the design team, because the quality of their work is remarkable, as anyone who owns copies of these Picture Library titles will surely confirm.
Introduced by Peter Richardson, Fleetway Picture Library Classics: Jorge Luis Moliterni’s Psycho War Stories offers up four cracking adventures featuring the art of Argentinian artist Jorge Luis Moliterni, who began working for Fleetway in the UK in the 1960s, alongside continued work in his home country, where his credits include the “Watami” series, written by Hector German Oesterheld for Misterix.
Born in 1933 (or 1938, depending on which sources you consult), he’s perhaps best known here for his war comics work (although in the late 1960s, he also worked in other genres, including the “Nita Nobody” strip for the girls’ comic, Princess Tina). In addition to his work for various Fleetway Picture Library titles, he also drew episodes of “Codename: Warlord” for DC Thomson’s weekly title Warlord in the 1970s.
For the Italian market, his later work included the adventures of Davy Crockett’s son, “Bob Crockett” for Il Corriere dei Regazzi, from 1972 onwards. Shortly before his death, he drew several new episodes of “Watami” and “Los Professinales” for Ediciones Record. He had just been announced as the regular artist on Jonah Hex for American publisher DC Comics, when he unexpectedly passed away on 18th April 1979.
Presented here, in black and white throughout, are a selection of his stories: “Zero Hour“, one his earliest British strips, originally published in War Picture Library No. 71 in 1960, written by “Jeff Hawke” writer Willie Patterson; “Day of Wrath”, from Battle Picture Library No. 23 (writer unknown); “Blaze of Glory“, from Battle Picture Library No. 32 (writer unknown); and “The Brave and the Damned“, from War Picture Library No. 167, the writer identified as Justin Long by archivist Steve Holland.
Moliterni’s art on all four stories have all the style, energy and creativity that must have first brought his work to the attention of the editorial team led by Ted Bensberg. He proves adept at delivering on land and in the air; the brief dogfight scene in “Blaze of Glory” superbly rendered. But it’s his gripping ability to lead the eye in combat scenes, utilising background detail to push the story forward (the eyes of a doll, for example, in one panel “Day of Wrath”, seemingly reacting to blazing foreground action) that helps make Moliterni’s art.
That his work is so fluid, so energetic and so suite to war comics belies the quality of all four scripts; often the underestimated element of “war comics”, despite that without strong characterisation and an engaging plot, even the best of art will fail to hold a reader’s attention. In this, Patterson, who was also co-creator of the brilliant “Phantom Patrol” for Swift, recently collected by Bear Alley Books, proves a master; it’s shame we don’t, as yet, know who wrote two of the stories in this collection, but they are both brilliantly scripted.
Fleetway Picture Library Classics: Jorge Luis Moliterni’s Psycho War Stories is, then, an absolutely terrific collection of war tales, in terms of story and art. Since, like all Fleetway Picture Library Classics titles, the print run is limited to just 500 copies, you may just want to lay your hands on a copy as soon as possible. Recomended.
John Freeman
• Order Fleetway Picture Library Classics: Jorge Luis Moliterni’s Psycho War Stories direct from Book Palace Books here
Also Out Now…
Available to preorder from Book Palace Books – direct links included below
• Fleetway Picture Library Classics: By the Sword
Six “Flashing Swords” tales from Thriller Picture Library, featuring art by Graham Coton, Cecil Doughty, Patrick Nicolle, Horowicz and Reg Bunn
• Fleetway Picture Library Classics: Dogfight Dixon
Featuring four war action tales from Dogfight Dixon, from issues Thriller Picture Library featuring art by Dino Battaglia, Pollack, Garcia, and Puig
Coming Soon…
Available to preorder from Book Palace Books – direct links included below
• Fleetway Comics Archives: Buffalo Bill (Limited Edition) – featuring art by Jesus Blasco (Autumn 2025, limited to just 300 copies)
Presenting some of the finest pen and ink work by Jesus Blasco from 1954 and 1955. Unusually for that time, the Indian adversaries were conveyed with understanding and admiration.
• Fleetway Comics Archives: Arturo Del Castillo‘s The Three Musketeers (Limited Edition) – featuring art by Arturo Del Castillo (Autumn 2025, limited to just 300 copies)
Arturo Del Castillo was one of the greatest masters of the comic strip. His artistic skill is recognised internationally and his great artistry on “The Three Musketeers”, “The Man in the Iron Mask”, and “The King’s Musketeers” (all included in this collection) is regarded as some of the finest pen and ink work ever created for comic strips.
These three comic strips originally appeared in Film Fun and Lion in the early 1960s. This is the first time they have ever been reprinted in this complete form. The quality of his penmanship is simply stunning on these strips. Also included here are 14 pages of rare reproductions of original del Castillo artwork.
• Fleetway Comics Archives: War Eagle (Limited Edition) – featuring art Ferdinando Tacconi (Autumn 2025, limited to just 300 copies)
The complete World War Two adventure “War Eagle” from The Comet 498 to 518 February 1958 to June 1958. Plus short stories from the ground breaking magazine Top Spot from 1958, including “The Wind in His Hair”, “The Pipes of Pan”, “Abdul the Damned”, “Yusuf the Lionhearted”, “60 Minutes of Glory” and “Death Was One Wave Away”.
• Fleetway Picture Library Classics: Flash of Steel (Winter 2025)
Knights in Armour from Thriller Picture Library, Comet and Robin Hood Annual, featuring art by Pat Nicolle and Eduardo Teixeira Coelho
• Fleetway Picture Library Classics: Western Tales (Winter 2025)
Western Tales from Lone Rider Picture Library and Cowboy Picture Library, featuring art by Mario Uggeri
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Collections, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Reviews
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