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The DC War Comics
1959-1976 by Corporals Enfantino and Seabrook |
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| Andru & Esposito |
"The Killer of Dinosaur Alley!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
"Wanted: 4 Tiger Tanks"
Story by Hank Chapman
Art by Gene Colan
Peter: As a cop, Stoner tried his best to uphold the law but his brother, Manny, the black sheep of the family, is a honcho in the mob and a murderer to boot. When Stoner witnesses Manny perform a rub-out on a rival gangster, he swears he'll bring his sibling to justice no matter what. On the way to "the death house," the train they're riding derails and Manny escapes, leading Stoner's colleagues to cry "foul." To escape the derision, Stoner enlists and demands a place in the Suicide Squad, a WWII elite team designed exclusively for missions "no one comes back from." When an American sub is gobbled up by an unknown force, Stoner parachutes down to the spot to investigate and finds a giant crayfish has the sub in its claws. With the help of a frogman, Stoner manages to blow the big little lobster into shrimp cocktail but the biggest shock of the day comes when the two men re-board the vessel and the frogman unmasks to reveal (go figure!!!!) ... fugitive Manny, now known to his C.O. as Bill Anderson! What are the chances? Manny reveals to his bro that he's decided to turn over a new leaf and do good for the world but Stoner assures the thug that the moment the war ends, he'll fry. The brothers are assigned to check out a nearby island to make sure it's dino-free. As we expect, it's not, and Manny pays the ultimate sacrifice for a life of evil and general bad manners during an attack by a giant from the prehistoric stone age. Stoner reflects on life, happy he was able to see his big brother redeem himself before becoming dino-chow.
Bob Kanigher offers up yet another riff on the "two guys who hate each other on an island full of dinos" with "The Killer of Dinosaur Alley"; yep, it's a bit hackneyed, but the story is entertaining at times. Nice to see Bob at last acknowledging that the worst kept secret in World War II was that the Pacific was stinking with prehistoric nightmares when Stoner reflects on the "'section B reports... about a dinosaur age waking up on uncharted islands." I suspect Kanigher may be leading up to breaking open the War That Time Forgot a little more to initiate some new plot lines. "Wanted: 4 Tiger Tanks" delivers with its gorgeous art from Gentleman Gene Colan but, all through the tale, I kept wishing for some kind of magical wand that would erase all the captions and word balloons. Four brothers in the same tank squad. Oh, and they all played football in college. Where have I heard that one before?
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| Colan makes it all okay! |
Jack: Are we supposed to take from "The Killer of Dinosaur Alley!" that the Suicide Squad is made up of men so miserable that they don't care if they live or die? That seems to fit about half of the members we've seen so far--the ones who feel guilty about something that happened in civilian life. But what about the other half? The bit where Manny escapes due to a train crash en route to the death house is a clear reference to The Fugitive, which premiered on TV in September 1963 but which really took off in popularity in season two, when this story was written. Having one brother be a cop and the other a gangster also recalls Warner Bros. crime films like Angels With Dirty Faces. Kanigher was pulling from lots of sources to keep coming up with plots month after month.
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| Kubert |
"The Human Tank Trap!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Joe Kubert
"Penny in the Slot!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Jack Abel
Jack: Easy Co.’s newest member wanted to join the fighting men but had to settle for the role of medic because he’s near-sighted. He has studied everything about Sgt. Rock’s company, though, and knows the history of the heroic healers who came before him. Apple-Cheek Adams, Easy’s first medic, was killed during Easy’s first beach assault after he dragged a boatload of wounded men ashore. Tall Pete was another Easy Co. medic; he dove on a mortar and lost his life saving the wounded men he had helped. The new medic, only known as “the chick,” flubs his first few combat experiences. Yet when the chips are down, he brings back a wounded man under heavy fire. Sgt. Rock is so impressed that he promotes the medic to combat infantry and hands him a bazooka, which the chick uses to destroy a Nazi tank before breathing his last and joining the long line of Easy Co. medics to die in the line of duty.
For most of its length, "The Human Tank Trap!" follows a familiar Kanigher formula, where a new member of Easy Co. is introduced, then scenes of current battle are interspersed with flashbacks that relate to the present activity. As such, it’s nothing new, but the conclusion, where the chick demonstrates his fitness for combat and loses his life in the process, reaches an emotional peak that is not present in the rest of the tale.
Peter: This is definitely one of the lesser "Rock" tales, complete with the standard "newbie" formula (which is getting really, really old). Joe shows up and does his business as usual but that's a given. "Penny in the Slot" is an exciting but extremely far-fetched navy saga centering around a skipper who has to make the supreme sacrifice to destroy a Japanese battleship. Gripping right up until the cheat climax where we find out our hero's ship survived despite taking on heavy fire and eventually ramming the enemy ship. They don't build them like that anymore.
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| Kubert |
"The Human Sharks!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Jack Abel
"Bring Me Back, Buddy!"
Story by Hank Chapman
Art by Irv Novick
Jack: Gunner and Sarge must leave their beloved Pooch and the other mud marines to deal with that imperial practical joker, Col. Hakawa, on their own, as our heroes are enrolled in a frogman training course and become "The Human Sharks!" They have to steer a couple of drone boats filled with TNT straight at Japanese pillboxes on shore and, when that succeeds, their next mission is to lead a sub through a minefield. The sub gets through safely but Gunner and Sarge are captured and taken prisoner aboard an enemy sub. Tied up and tossed aboard a drone bound to blow up an Allied destroyer, those zany marines get a little help from an electric eel and manage to turn the tables on the enemy, finally earning some much needed R & R with a bevy of island beauties.
I think we need a little R & R from Gunner and Sarge! Only one more issue, then we can say hello to the Fighting Devil-Dog.
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| Gunner's so cwazy! |
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| Kubert & Adler |
"Ghost Ace!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Joe Kubert
"Bail-Out Blues!"
Story by Hank Chapman
Art by Jack Abel
Peter: The Jeb Stuart finds itself under attack by a mysterious jet, piloted by an enemy that seems to be able to see through the pitch dark and zero in on their armor. Turns out that the "Ghost Ace!" is being guarded much in the same way that the ghostly General watches over his namesake's rolling battleship. That bodyguard? None other than Attila the Hun! While the Jeb (the tank) fights a grueling battle with the "blazing scourge," Jeb (the General) does spiritual hand-to-hand with the Hun. With the help of fellow DC War heroes, Sgt. Rock and Johnny Cloud, the Jeb proves victorious.
Jack: Peter, take it from me, an honorary southern boy (my ancestors hail from Texas), that Jeb Stuart was one of the great generals of the Civil War or, as some of my nearest and dearest call it, the War of Northern Aggression. It seems completely understandable that Atilla the Hun would go after the great cavalry commander. As for "Bail-Out Blues," how did you resist making any Led Zeppelin jokes?
Peter: Another round for my friend, Jack!
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