Star Spangled DC War Stories Part 16: September 1960

By Corporals Enfantino and Seabrook

Joe Kubert

Our Army at War 98

"Soldiers Never Die!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Joe Kubert

"Last Bell for a Jet!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

"A Patrol Lasts Forever"
Story by Hank Chapman
Art by Jack Abel

Jack: A Nazi sniper ambushes Easy Co. in the woods and a soldier named Willie goes down in the line of duty. Sgt. Rock tells Willie's distraught pal, Midge, that "Soldiers Never Die!" and drags him on along with the rest of the men. Midge holds a grudge as Easy battles a series of Nazi strongholds; each time, Rock attacks and cries out that "this one is for Arch" or another soldier left behind. Finally, Midge gets the idea and saves Rock, understanding that soldiers never die as long as they are remembered by their friends. Wow! I thought this was the best Rock adventure in quite a while. Kubert's art is extra sharp, Kanigher's script is emotionally satisfying, and it all works together to add up to a moving story. I especially like the cover, with the vibrant yellow background.

"Soldiers Never Die!"

Peter: I enjoyed "Soldiers Never Die" despite its repetitive nature but I'm not sure what exactly turned Midge's attitude around in the end. An off-panel epiphany? He's just suddenly bought into Rock's mantra. Mighty fine art by Mister Kubert--some of the best we've yet seen (and that's saying a lot, isn't it?).

Jack: Jet Ace Bill Buckley is shot down by Korean Ace Ro-Kan. He lands in a friendly village and notices that Ro-Kan shoots up everything except a large bell that stands in the town center. It seems that Ro-Kan hails from this very village and is bitter that they would never ring the bell for his deeds, since it only rings for a hero. Bill gets back in the air and barely escapes Ro-Kan again; this time, the villagers ring the bell for the US Ace as he succeeds in defeating the Korean. This story has a little more meat than usual for a six-pager and the interaction with the villagers is well done.

"Last Bell for a Jet!"

Peter: An odd story this one, almost has a superhero feel to it possibly because of the origin story sandwiched in its midsection. Ro-Kan's hatred for the village and its people and his goal to wipe them both out makes for very compelling reading. I really liked this script despite its brevity and Andru and Esposito turn in a rare B+ in the art column as well.

Jack: When Pfc. Ballard joins Baker Co., he longs to go on patrol, having heard that a patrol lasts a few hours and then the soldiers get a five day break. When he finally does go on patrol, the fighting is so intense and dangerous that it seems to go on much longer than it actually does. At the end, he hears another green soldier longing for the easy way out on patrol, and he comments that "A Patrol Lasts Forever!" Jack Abel's art is up and down in quality in this tale, but the story by Hank Chapman is most effective. He does not repeat the title over and over. Instead, he demonstrates how time can pass agonizingly slowly when one is under fire.

Peter: The weakest of this issue's trio, "A Patrol" does indeed seem like it "Lasts Forever," due to Hank Chapman hanging his script on yet another of the cliche templates--the green soldier (in this case, one who thinks patrols are easy money) who becomes a grizzled vet by story's end. The usual final image--the latest recruit who approaches our protagonist with the same line that began the story---only solidifies that feeling that we've read this a dozen times before. Still, two very good stories and one mediocre time-waster make for a very solid issue.

"A Patrol Lasts Forever"

Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

Star Spangled War Stories 92

"Last Battle of the Dinosaur Age!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

"Buddy for a Mustang!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Mort Drucker

"You'll Never Make It!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Jack Abel

Peter: The submarine crew that survived the "First Battle of the Dinosaur Age" (way back in SSWS #90) breathe a collective sigh of relief as they head back out to sea, only to have their hopes dashed by a giant eel. The sub is released only after brave scuba soldiers Larry and Charlie volunteer to plant explosives on the creature. The craft is damaged so Larry and Charlie volunteer to swim back to the island of prehistoric terror to rummage for essentials left over by the Nazis who had previously inhabited the island. Just as they are coming ashore, they are greeted by a giant sea serpent and watch in helpless horror as the monster carts away the sub in its huge maw. Left to fend for themselves, the duo scour the island for anything to defend themselves and stumble across a bizarre arms depot. Turns out the entire island has been mined electronically by the Nazis and the pair use this to their advantage. A recovery plane lands at the beach just in time to fly Larry and Charlie away, the island exploding with dinosaur parts below them.

As with the first installment, "Last Battle of the Dinosaur Age" is a whole lot of juvenile fun. It makes as much sense as a Justin Bieber box set, but its silliness and niche plot hook are its sole charms. If this comic strip was written in 2013, rather than 1960, I'd suspect there's some kind of Lost set-up going on here. Why does the earth continually open for living dinosaurs and close up when they've been killed? What are the logistics to firing a bazooka in a moving plane? The biggest complaint I have with the series is that it's repetitive (the plot here is almost identical to that of the first chapter). Kanigher seems to have run out of dangerous positions to place his soldiers in and they end each sentence with "...from the dinosaur age!" But that's what you get when you mix soldiers with prehistoric reptiles, right? Andru and Esposito combine to create comicdom's least frightening thunder lizards. I still love the concept and have to believe that, since we're still at the beginning of a 45-chapter saga, something new will come along to shake up the doldrums.



Jack: Don't be so sure. My sources tell me it's 45 issues of the same story. I thought this episode was better than the first! I especially liked the frogmen vs. undersea dino segment and the bug-eyed pterodactyl. Andru and Esposito's art probably will never be collected in a "Best Of" volume but it fits this story perfectly.


John: I guess we've seen the last of the sub crew, as we're given Larry and Charlie to follow. Fortunately for them, they have the uncanny ability to anticipate each others' thoughts when underwater, and not simple thoughts like, 'Let's get out of here!' The dino-stampede was ridiculous fun, albeit short lived. I'm anxious to find out who's on the plane that made the just-in-time rescue. For our sakes, I'm glad knowing this isn't the last they've seen of the dinosaurs.

"Buddy for a Mustang!"

Peter: In "Buddy for a Mustang," a pilot and a GI both lose their partners but manage to help each other when the going gets tough. Mort Drucker's sweaty art elevates this otherwise mediocre tale. How many times do we have to witness a split screen displaying two (or three) characters doing exactly the same thing (and spouting the exact same dialog) at the same time, only to be thrust together in battle? Hopefully, we'll soon be breaking out of the "nine or ten basic plots template" we seem to be stuck in at the moment.

Jack: Drucker's art is impressive, as usual. Hey, Peter, I'll be your buddy if you'll be my wingman!

"You'll Never Make It!"

Peter: You don't have to ask me twice, Buddy Jack! When his regiment, The Fryin' Pan Patrol, is wiped out by a tank in the middle of the desert, a soldier swears revenge even though his superiors, over the radio, drone on that "You'll Never Make It!" I've slagged Jack Abel's art countless times in the past (he'd have needed to improve tenfold to become pedestrian) but here Jack pulls out all the stops and the reader can feel the heat of the desert and the sheer hopelessness of the situation. Yep, it's got a pat happy ending but, otherwise, this is a solid entry.

Jack: Abel is no Will Eisner, but he manages to meet our low expectations. This is another one of those stories where the same phrase is repeated over and over. There was a cover to one of the Warren Spirit mags (#5, Dec. 1974) with the Spirit in a blazing hot desert. Boy, just flipping through The Spirit covers makes most of these war comics pale in comparison.

Peter: As usual, the most educational feature in these comics is the letters page. This issue we find out that "shrapnel was named for its inventor, an Englishman, Colonel Shrapnel, in 1784." You don't learn these nuggets of knowledge from Cain at the House of Mystery!

Jerry Grandenetti and Jack Adler

GI Combat 83

"Too Tired to Fight!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

"3 Bullets for an Ace!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Jerry Grandenetti

"Handful of Beach"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Jack Abel

Peter: Big Al, Little Al, and Charlie Cigar are amazed at the condition of the GIs they've come to spell. The men look like walking zombies, "Too Tired to Fight," and yet they put rifles to shoulders when the need arises. Before too long, the trio come to learn that, after four nights of non-stop fighting, everyone looks too tired to fight but they soldier on anyway. Jack and I complain constantly about the "repeated catch phrase" syndrome but I can't remember a story this egregious on that front. Al, Al, and Charlie stand around commenting that these guys look "too tired to fight" over and over and over and... The "What do you think, Charlie Cigar?" and "I don't know, Big Al" comes off as a parody of Marty without the laughs. Heresy though it may be, I'm finding that Bob Haney's hitting more bulls eyes than Bob Kanigher so far. The Al-Al-Charlie trio was obviously a series Kanigher wanted to continue as there's a push in house ads this month for the strip (of course, there's still word going 'round the letters page about Mlle. Marie and she's kaput). The three will continue to make "beautiful music" together when they return in #85, re-christened "The TNT Trio."

"Too Tired to Fight!"

Jack: So, you got your wish! Gunner and Sarge have been replaced by Little Al, Big Al and Charlie Cigar. They have nothing to set them apart from anyone else in this initial story. One is big, one is little, and one has a cigar in his mouth all the time. It doesn't help that Andru and Esposito draw them. Now we've got lead series in two books drawn by this duo. When does Enemy Ace start?

"3 Bullets for an Ace!"

Peter: During World War I, an American pilot is captured by the infamous German ace Von Beck and imprisoned. Through a series of taunts, the pilot is freed and given a Fokker with enough gas for an aerial battle, the catch being that the pilot is provided with only 3 bullets to shoot down Von Beck. After a grueling dogfight, our hero manages to trick the ace into complacency and puts an end to his bloody reign. Gripping story, with the good Grandenetti showing up, makes for a well-done and exciting air saga. Jerry must have been one of the most bi-polar of all the DC artists since I can't detect a pattern. According to the GCD, these artists were inking their own work (outside of Andru and Esposito) but I wonder if different inkers may be the answer.

Jack: Just when I was starting to despair, along comes a great little story! I love the WWI setting and the cool biplanes. The gimmick of the Germans letting our hero free and giving him limited gas and bullets makes for great suspense. As you point out, Peter, even Grandenetti's art is worthwhile. By the way, I have a question for Sgt. Rock. If grenades have a safety lever that keeps them from going off once the pin is pulled, is it theoretically possible to pick up a grenade thrown at you by the enemy and depress the safety lever to keep it from going off? I guess it would be a risky move, but I wonder if it could be done.

Peter: The sarge demands that someone in his command bring back a "Handful of Beach," Green Beach Two to be exact, but Drew wants no part of the treasure hunt. He's got more important things on his mind, like staying alive. Unfortunately, the young man watches as one comrade after another dies in pursuit of that handful and, in the end, he's the only one left to bring the souvenir back to the sarge in honor of the men who fell before him. Two very good stories in one issue points to an upturn in our fortunes. I should point out that, once again, Jack Abel turns in another well-done art job so maybe his boat had come in by this time. No more amateurish scratching, his characters actually stand out from each other and his war vehicles are approaching Heath-ian quality. I'm cautiously optimistic.

Jack: I was not that impressed with this story or with Abel's art, but I'll admit that it had some emotion at the end when the soldier brings back the sand in memory of his fallen comrades.