Take That, Adolf!

Between 1941 and 1945, the greatest super villain to adorn a comic book cover was not the Red Skull or The Joker — it was Adolf Hitler! Yes, Hitler was featured on more comic book covers than any other villain — being pummeled by everyone from Captain America to Wonder Woman, until he was beaten for real by the Allied forces. Take That, Adolf! is a compilation of more than 500 stunningly restored comics covers published during World War II featuring America’s greatest super-villain curated by Mark Fertig, who also contributes an introductory essay examining comics’ coming-of-age amidst the greatest cataclysm in modern history. This magnificent oversized volume offers an unprecedented look at the moment when a bunch of talented dreamers and hustlers, most of them Jewish kids in New York, created iconic characters who battled it out with Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito while the fate of the world hung in the balance. From Superman and Captain America to propaganda and racism, Take That, Adolf! is a fascinating look at how legendary creators such as Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Alex Schomburg, Will Eisner, and Lou Fine entertained millions of kids on the home front and buoyed the spirits of GIs fighting overseas by using Adolf Hitler as a punching bag. Ouch!