Valor (EC Comics) explained

Valor
Schedule:Bimonthly
Format:Anthology
Publisher:EC Comics
Date:March/April 1955 - November/December 1955
Issues:Five
Creators:William Gaines
Al Feldstein

Valor was a comic book published by EC Comics in 1955 as a title in its New Direction line.[1] The bi-monthly comic was published by Bill Gaines and edited by Al Feldstein. It lasted a total of five issues before being cancelled, along with EC's other New Direction comics.

Valor was dedicated to tales of action and adventure in various period settings, including Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Crusades, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic era. It was similar in vein to the historical stories that previously appeared in EC's Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat from 1950 through 1954.

Artists included Reed Crandall, George Evans, Gardner Fox, Graham Ingels, Bernard Krigstein, Joe Orlando, Angelo Torres, Al Williamson and Wally Wood.

Valor was reprinted as part of publisher Russ Cochran's Complete EC Library in 1988. Between October 1998 and February 1999, Cochran (in association with Gemstone Publishing) reprinted all five individual issues. This complete run was later rebound, with covers included, in a single softcover EC Annual. Dark Horse reprinted Valor as part of the EC Archives series in 2017.

Issue guide

Date Cover Artist Story Story Artist
1 March/April 1955 The Arena
Strategy
Revolution
The Return of King Arthur
2 May/June 1955 The Champion
Poetic Justice
The Colonel's Son
The King's Service
3 July/Aug 1955 The Cloak of Command
Gentle As A Whisper
The Pyramid
Debt of Honor
4 Sept/Oct 1955 Gratitude
The Know-Nothing
The Taste of Freedom
A Knight's Dream
5 Nov/Dec 1955 Dangerous Animal
Important Man
Treasure from Xanadu
Day of Reckoning

Notes and References

  1. Brislin . Tom . Autumn 1995 . EXTRA! the comic book journalist survives the censors of 1955 . Journalism History . 21 . 123–130 . EBSCOHost.