▁when ▁trying ▁to ▁stop ▁crim inals . ▁ ▁Ham mer ▁is ▁also ▁patri otic ▁and ▁anti - comm un ist . ▁The ▁nov els ▁are ▁pe pper ed ▁with ▁remarks ▁by ▁Ham mer ▁supporting ▁American ▁troops ▁in ▁Korea , ▁and ▁in ▁Sur v ival ... Zero ▁Vietnam . ▁In ▁One ▁L on ely ▁Night , ▁where ▁Ham mer ▁att ends ▁a ▁commun ist ▁meeting ▁in ▁a ▁park , ▁his ▁reaction ▁to ▁the ▁speaker ' s ▁propag anda ▁is ▁a ▁sar cast ic ▁" Y e ah ." ▁ ▁So ▁far ▁as ▁violence ▁is ▁concerned , ▁the ▁Ham mer ▁nov els ▁leave ▁little ▁to ▁the ▁imagination . ▁Writ ten ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁person , ▁Ham mer ▁describes ▁his ▁violent ▁enc oun ters ▁with ▁rel ish . ▁In ▁all ▁but ▁a ▁few ▁nov els , ▁Ham mer ' s ▁vict ims ▁are ▁often ▁left ▁vom iting ▁after ▁a ▁blow ▁to ▁the ▁st om ach ▁or ▁gro in . ▁ ▁Ham mer ▁is ▁an ▁ag eless ▁character . ▁Sp ill ane ▁said ▁of ▁his ▁character : ▁" See , ▁hero es ▁never ▁die . ▁John ▁Wayne ▁isn ' t ▁dead , ▁El vis ▁isn ' t ▁dead . ▁Otherwise ▁you ▁don ' t ▁have ▁a ▁hero . ▁You ▁can ' t ▁kill ▁a ▁hero . ▁That ' s ▁why ▁I ▁never ▁let ▁him ▁get ▁older ." ▁ ▁The ▁Washington ▁Times ▁ob itu ary ▁of ▁Sp ill ane ▁said ▁of ▁Ham mer , ▁" In ▁a ▁manner ▁similar ▁to ▁Cl int ▁East wood ' s ▁D irty