COMIC DETAILS
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Comic Description:
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Showcase 57
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Grade:
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9.4
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Page Quality:
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OFF-WHITE TO WHITE
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Pedigree:
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Don/Maggie Thompson Collection
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Certification #:
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1198481002
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Owner:
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Mississippi Mudcats
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SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
Issue #57 marks the first Showcase appearance of Enemy Ace (German: Feindliches Ass), a skilled but troubled German anti-hero and flying ace in World War I and World War II, Hans von Hammer, known to the world as "The Hammer of Hell". Debuting in 1965, the comic was written by Robert Kanigher and drawn by Joe Kubert and the character has been revived several times since by other writers and artists.
Enemy Ace first appeared in Our Army at War #151 (February 1965), in a backup story that quickly gained popularity. As a World War I pilot flying for the Germans, his stories told the German side of the war, in which Hans von Hammer was a man of honor and chivalry, a flying knight in his Fokker Dr.I, but he was haunted by his duties and the constant death surrounding them.
The black cover makes this an exceptionally tough book to find in high grade, as our 9.4 is tied for highest graded among blue (Universal) label books. It also hails from the Don & Maggie Thompson Pedigree Collection. The Thompsons were responsible for several publications and writings during the '60s that helped bring together comic book fandom as we know it today. Already adults when Fantastic Four #1 was released in 1961, the Thompsons carefully stored away copies of most Marvel and DC comics throughout the '60s and '70s. Don passed away in 1994, and in 2013 Maggie decided to sell the collection through Heritage, resulting in nearly $1 million in sales, thanks to the pristine condition of their comics, which included an Avengers #1 and Tales of Suspense #39 in 9.4, a Journey into Mystery #83 in 9.2 and a Hulk #1 in 8.5.
We acquired the Don & Maggie book from Sam I Am in January 2026. FWIW, we also own the sole 9.6 copy of this issue, which unfortunately is Qualified because of a detached staple.
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