This is a feature called "Nothing is Better." I have a feature called "Reason to Get Excited," where I spotlight aspects of current comic books that have particularly impressed me. I had started to expand it to older comics, but it just didn't feel right. I really think "Reason to Get Excited" should be reserved for current comic books. Therefore, this is the equivalent column for older comic books, "Nothing is Better," where I spotlight aspects of classic comic books that have particularly impressed me.

I continue a month of "Nothing is Better" by spotlighting a short-lived but excellent feature in Star Spangled War Stories by Robert Kanigher and Mort Drucker called Mademoiselle Marie.

Now, let me say right up front that I am a HUGE fan of Jerry Grandenetti. He was an excellent artist. However, despite Grandenetti actually co-creating Mademoiselle Marie with Kanigher, I think the feature really stepped things up to a whole new level when Mort Drucker took the feature over two issues after her debut as the cover feature in 1959's Star Spangled War Stories #84.

Grandenetti actually continued on covers even as Drucker drew the interior story, so that likely shows you a lot about what DC felt about Jerry Grandenetti, as well.

However, at the same time, you can see the difference in the urgency of Marie from the sort of calm, collected Grandenetti Marie to the "Holy shit, this is a scary situation!" Marie from Drucker's interior story...

Marie is supposed to notify a bomber of a target, but there is a tank so close that if she responds, they'll hear her and attack her (of course, it doesn't exactly explain why the bombers on other side of the radio don't alter the tank) and so she is freaking out over the situation and it causes her to think back to her father and grandfather, who were both war heroes...

Eventually, their memories inspire her to notify the bomber, but the tank attacks and the radio is destroyed and Marie is thrown for a loop...

She recovers and realizes that the only way to notify the bomber is to destroy the tank to make a loud noise...

How amazing is that medal?

The next issue, we see how Marie is basically treated like a superhero by both the French and the Nazis and so a Nazi commander decides to force Marie's hand and try to push her into a no-win situation, but Marie doesn't believe in them!

Wow, what a great character. There weren't a ton of female heroes in comics period in the 1950s, but especially in the war comics and yet Kanigher and Drucker delivered a classic one here.

Sadly, they only did two more stories together and then Marie was dropped from the cover feature and a different creative team handled her last feature story.

Drucker is, of course, best known for his comedic work at Mad Magazine, but he was so good on this dramatic feature.

Okay, folks, this is a feature that is a BIT less conducive to suggestions (as it really is about stories that spoke to me, ya know?), but hey, feel free to still send suggestions in to brianc@cbr.com! Maybe you and I have the same take on things and I'll use your idea! Also, I have to fill a month of these, so it would probably help to have some extra ideas!