Star Spangled DC War Stories Issue 123: February 1972

The DC War Comics
1959-1976
by Corporals Enfantino and Seabrook

Kubert

Our Army at War 241

"War Story"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Russ Heath

"Dirty Job"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Alex Toth

"Combat Tag!"
Story by Bill Finger
Art by John Severin
(Reprinted from G.I. Combat #55, December 1957)

"Batmen"
Story and Art by Sam Glanzman

"The Hot Spot!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Joe Kubert
(Reprinted from G.I. Combat #70, March 1959)

Tony Saladino gets it!
("War Story")

Jack: Famous newspaper reporter Ernie Patterson is assigned to follow Easy Co. so he can write about war for the folks back home. His "War Story" begins when Easy Co. attacks a castle and Brooklyn-born Tony Saladino is shot through the head. Later, Rock encounters enemy gunfire while crossing a river by footbridge and a new recruit named Hank is shot to death after bringing Rock back to safety. Finally, a soldier named Pedro is killed during a snowfall as Easy Co. attacks a German tank. Having learned all he needs to know about battle, Ernie the reporter tosses aside his notebook and we see the only thing written inside: "War is Hell!"

Heath does a fine job illustrating this rather brutal tale but I wish the events were not so predictable. We meet a soldier named Tony whom we've not seen before and suddenly he's shot and killed. Next comes Hank, with the same result. By the time Pedro is introduced, we know what's coming. I know it's not going to happen in the comic book world, but how about killing off one of the Easy Co. soldiers we actually know?

"Dirty Job"

Roman soldiers at an inn in Jerusalem complain about that day's "Dirty Job," which turns out to have been the crucifixion of Jesus. Alex Toth's art is lovely but this seems like an odd entry in Our Army at War.

Tired of being called "Kid," a young soldier yearns for a special nickname, or "Combat Tag!," like the veterans around him. He carries out one bold attack on the enemy after another and finally realizes that he's had a combat tag all along: "The Kid."

"Combat Tag!"

John Severin's art is not quite what we're used to here, making me wonder if someone else did the inks. Maybe Mike Esposito?

The U.S.S. Stevens is attacked by ten kamikaze planes, or "Batmen," at once and manages to shoot them all down. Glanzman's four-pager contains some excitement and a final note explaining that this didn't actually happen to the Stevens but rather to a ship called the U.S.S. Hadley. Why set it on the Stevens only to debunk it in the last panel?

"Batmen"

In a war, where exactly is "The Hot Spot!"? Pilots, frogmen, and marching soldiers on the ground all think they've found it, but the truth is that it's everywhere. Joe Kubert does a nice job illustrating different areas of battle but this six-page filler from early 1959 ends up going nowhere.

"The Hot Spot!"

Peter: "War Story" is a stunner; the best Rock we've seen in months. Though it's a bit heavy-handed at times and, yes, a bit obvious with its sudden "shocks" (every G.I. that Ernie takes a shine to chronicling ends up ventilated), "War Story" is also very violent and unnerving. Tony's death atop a gold throne is the strip's standout scene; Ernie stands, in shock, in front of the boy's corpse, as Rock, seemingly unfazed, rattles off orders to his men (and did that rifle shot hit Tony in the head?). Powerful stuff indeed. Equally strong is the Haney/Toth short-short, "Dirty Job," a tale that would have found a comfortable home in the pages of one of the EC war titles a decade and a half earlier. Toth is fast becoming the Bernie Krigstein of the 1970s DC war titles with his elaborate (and yet, at the same time, simple) design and use of panels (check out that dynamic splash where the sword effectively becomes part of the title and then works its way into the panels below it). The reprints are readable and feature some stellar art. Overall, one of the best issues of Our Army in a long time.

Kubert

Our Fighting Forces 135

"Death Picks a Loser!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by John Severin

"John Mitchell"
Story and Art by Norman Maurer

"The Mormon Battalion!"
Story and Art by Ric Estrada

"Combat Log Book"
Story by Ed Herron
Art by Russ Heath
(reprinted from Our Army at War #68, March 1958)

"Killer Clock!"
Story by Ed Herron
Art by Carmine Infantino
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #22, May 1954)

Peter: The Losers enjoy a brief respite from classified missions at a small carnival just outside London. An old gypsy tells the fortune of each Loser and then exclaims that one will die. She refuses to answer the question of "Which one?" but, as the men exit the tent, the sky is filled with Germans. One of the planes is shot down and crashes into the fortune teller's tent, ending the evening on a somewhat somber note. The Losers are then given their latest assignment: help liberate the German-infested village of Helgen, located in Norway. At first, the C.O. commands Captain Storm to remain behind, due to that ornery wooden leg and all the drawbacks that accompany said artificial limb. When Storm's compadres speak up, the C.O. must admit defeat and allows the Captain to participate. The boys head to Helgen and quickly gain the trust of the villagers, initiating a plan to destroy the German base in Helgen and take out a batch of the evil Krauts for good measure. The Losers plant bombs all through the village and head high up into the hills with their new friends but, when the devices don't detonate, Storm heads back into Helgen to see what's up. Gunner, Sarge, and Cloud all watch in horror as the town ignites. The team has suffered its first loss, but villager (and sexy lass) Ona volunteers to fill the shoes (if not the pegleg) of Captain Storm in the pursuit of good over evil.

A genuinely shocking ending caps an above-average Losers adventure. Well, it'll be shocking only for a few issues (more about that in a few months) but what Big Bob is hinting at (at least, I think he was consciously setting this up) is the advent of the continuing storyline in the DC war titles. Yeah, we've had traces of continuing threads here and there but nothing like what's coming (more about that in a few months). John Severin is knocking my socks off with his exciting visuals; he's moved in and made this team his own, giving them a pep they never had before in this series nor in their own series years before. Just look at that Johnny Cloud pictured to the right. Gone is the sour, weighty shoulders, woe-is-me-I'm-an-Indian-in-a-white-man's-militia Cloud; replaced by an assured member of an elite team (just look at that smile). Something I thought I'd never proclaim: I'm looking forward to the next few adventures of this team.

Well, there's good news and bad news about
"The Mormon Battalion!" 

"The Mormon Battalion!" makes a 2000-mile trek from Iowa to California, preparing for (but hoping to avoid) battle. Along the way, they encounter Indians but not one life is sacrificed and, once they end their journey in San Diego, their dream of aiding the army but spilling no blood is realized. I've not been fond of these short history lessons by Maurer or Estrada (in fact, until I can say anything but "my god, this is horrible art . . . ," I'll be bypassing comment on Maurer's work), for the most part due to the amateurish visuals. Having said that, "The Mormon Battalion!" is an engrossing story that had me captivated during its entire six-page length. Yes, I still have plenty of problems with Estrada's art but his dialogue is crisp and very adult (in fact, this particular strip reminds me of some of the history lessons Harvey Kurtzman doled out in Frontline Combat and Two-Fisted Tales); in no way dry and condescending. It's the best kind of tutorial.

A new pilot learns all there is to know about entering data in his "Combat Log Book" after his first mission is filled with activity. A bit predictable but exciting nonetheless, this one is interesting more for its early Heath work. Just guesswork here but it looks like, based on this strip, Russ probably handled his own inking later on as there's a darker look than we're accustomed to (though the GCD credits Heath with both pencils and inks, so what do I know?). No one could draw military aircraft better than Russ Heath (go ahead, argue with me).

A squad of G.I.s arrives at a checkpoint in an abandoned town to find everything bullet-riddled. All but an ominous alarm clock, set to go off at 2:30. Is the suspicious object a bomb in disguise, set to go off with its alarm, or is it just a harmless device? "Killer Clock!" builds up some nice tension in its short length but, of course, the pay-off is a bit of a disappointment. Carmine Infantino is an artist who's taken his lumps over the years (and it seems the group of detractors grows larger every year) but I've never found his stuff to be as intolerable as, say, Andru and Esposito or Grandenetti. It's perfectly average funny book art.

Jack: "Death Picks a Loser!" ends with a shock. The cover says Captain Storm is dead, the fortune teller says a Loser is going to die, and the story ends with the captain apparently dead. What's going on? To be continued? This is most unusual for a DC War comic and I like it. John Severin is at the top of his game, at least for the '70s. I really liked "John Mitchell," which tells of how an antique cannon saved the day, and "The Mormon Battalion!" is an enjoyable and unusual story of a long march west with no enemy in sight. "Combat Log Book" features fine aerial battle work by Heath and an interesting take on the difficulty of documenting battle action. Does "Killer Clock!" signal our first sighting of Carmine Infantino in this blog? The story is a very good reprint with clock-ticking suspense.

Kubert

Weird War Tales 3

"Been Here Before!"
Story by Bill Finger
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
(Reprinted from G.I. Combat #44, January 1957)

"The Cloud That Went to War!"
Story by Dave Wood
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
(Reprinted from Our Fighting Forces #17, January 1957)

"The Pool . . ."
Story by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman
Art by Russ Heath

"Combat Size!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Russ Heath
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #66, January 1958)

"Pilot for a Sub!"
Story by Bill Finger
Art by Mort Drucker
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #68, March 1958)

Peter: Thousand of years separating them, two groups of men discover "The Pool . . . ," the only water for miles around, deep in the African desert. But the pool is a prize to be fought for, whether with clubs or sub-machine guns and, in the end, no one enjoys the cool water. Future superstars Wein and Wolfman do a nice job drawing parallels between primitive man and World War II enemies. The message, that we could all get along and share the resources if only we weren't so greedy, is handled subtly and without the sledge-hammer that most 1970s funny book writers (we're looking at you Steve Gerber and Bill Mantlo) used to pummel us kids with. It doesn't hurt that the boys have Russ Heath doing the heavy lifting for them. "The Pool . . ." also has one thing that none of the reprints have going for them: at least a hint of the weird.

G.I. Tommy relives his childhood (playing war on the farm) as he heads for a Nazi-held barn. "Been Here Before!" makes me feel like I've . . . been here before. "The Cloud That Went to War!" is obviously aimed at the junior weathermen amongst the war title devotees. It's six pages of facts about clouds and condensation and all manner of fascinating scientific data. What it isn't is an entertaining war story. The Andru/Esposito art on "Cloud" and "Been Here" isn't as awful as the gunk that the boys would churn out a few years later but it's nothing special either. A green G.I. is told (constantly) by his sarge that, as long as he keeps moving forward, a soldier will always feel a mile high. Our hero samples the entire "Combat Size!" range before realizing the sarge was right. The final reprint this issue shows a bit of imagination (and more than a bit of fantasy); the "Pilot for a Sub!" is the deep-sea pilot-fish, which latches onto a host and becomes almost a compass. When its host shark is killed by a mine, our hero fish becomes the mascot of an American sub and leads the crew out of danger. Yep, it's a stretch to think the boys in the tin fish could actually see this itty bitty flounder in the depths of the ocean but, hey, it's a fun read and Mort Drucker is aces!

The whole shebang is bordered this issue by a weird (finally, I can use that word appropriately) story involving two pilots whose plane goes down in the sea and they're left to float in a raft with no food or water. Out of the night comes a seaweed creature who tells them about "the deeds of brave men lost in war's holocaust (who) float on the silent waters about you!" Strangely, only two of the stories he tells are set in the ocean. As dopey as the framework's script may be, the visuals are a delight. It's a peek at what might have been if Joe Kubert had been artist on Swamp Thing.

Jack: As you point out, the only weird thing about this comic book is the five-page new frame story by Kubert. "Been Here Before!" is an above-average story for Ross and Mike, illustrating an emotionally satisfying tale of a boy playing war and growing up to be a soldier. "The Cloud That Went to War!" is a dull story of how clouds benefit men at war and I think "The Pool . . ." would have been better drawn by Joe Kubert in light of the cavemen and his history with Tor. By the time I got to "Combat Size!" I thought that it was really stretching a point to call these "Weird War Tales"; I guess it's all in your point of view. The last story, "Pilot for a Sub!," is a fish story that does not allow Mort Drucker to show his artistic strengths.

Kubert

Our Army at War 242

"The Rock!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Joe Kubert
(Reprinted from G.I. Combat #68, January 1959)

"Death of a PT Boat!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Irv Novick
(Reprinted from Captain Storm #3, October 1964)

"Line of Departure!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Mort Drucker
(Reprinted from G.I. Combat #64, September 1958)

"Broken Ace!"
(Reprinted from All-American Men of War #87, October 1961)

"A Tank for Sarge!"
(Reprinted from Our Fighting Forces #57, October 1960)

"The Wounded Won't Wait!"
(Reprinted from G.I. Combat #108, November 1964)

"The Brave Tank"
Story by John Reed
Art by Russ Heath
(Reprinted from G.I. Combat #44, January 1957)

"Battle Hats!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #58, May 1957)

"The Rock!"

Jack: In peacetime, "The Rock" was a boxer who wouldn't stay down, no matter how much pummeling he took. In wartime, he behaves the same way and inspires the men around him to keep fighting, even when they've been knocked down over and over. By placing "The Rock" first in this, the first 100-Page Super Spectacular issue of Our Army at War, Joe Kubert suggests that this story was the prototype for the Sgt. Rock character that followed. And you know what? It works! This Rock has red hair and doesn't take any guff from anyone. Kanigher's story is simple and direct, with no wasted words, and late '50s Kubert art is muscular and effective.

When Captain Storm's PT boat is attacked by Japanese zeroes, it looks like the "Death of a PT Boat!" is a distinct possibility, but the Captain and his boat survive after his lieutenant gives up his life to protect Captain Storm. Again wracked by guilt, Storm must overcome other people's assumptions about his limitations and blow up both an enemy destroyer and another zero before he loses another crew. Irv Novick is no Joe Kubert, but this is the best Captain Storm story I've read to date. The thrust of this series seems to be that a man with a wooden leg can do anything a whole man can do, and Captain Storm has to prove it to himself and his colleagues over and over.

"Death of a PT Boat!"

A young soldier worries about crossing the "Line of Departure!" on the way to attacking an island. He soon learns that the coming attack is nothing compared to the battles he faces on the way. Six-page filler with the usual gritty visuals by Mort Drucker, this is standard late '50s back of the book stuff that must have brought back memories for any ex-WWII soldiers reading it.

"The Brave Tank" keeps moving forward, fighting on after it is shot up and eventually defeating the enemy. Another back of the book reprint from 1958 with nice tank work by Russ Heath, this story is interesting because we never get to see the faces of the men in the tank.

The issue limps to a finish with a four-page reprint drawn by two of our least favorite artists, Andru and Esposito. If we thought  we'd get through 100 pages without having a story narrated by inanimate objects, think again! "Battle Hats!" from different branches of service vie for superiority.

"Line of Departure!"

I love the DC 100-page comics, and this one has plenty of exciting battle action and great art! The cover is a classic wrap-around and each of the longer stories is introduced by a new, one-page drawing by Kubert of the story's hero. The new art is very sharp. There's also a neat, two-page "War Diary" by Sam Glanzman that purports to be from "a collection of letters and drawings mailed home to the folks." It tells about the passage through the Panama Canal and shows just how tight quarters were on board ship.

Peter: It's a bit of revisionist history to include "The Rock" in the Sgt. Rock canon but, doubtless, Big Bob and Joe drew on elements of this classic when creating the Sarge just five months later. Chris Pedrin, in the essential DC war study, Big Five (Alton-Kelly Corporation, 1994-95), dissects what he believes to be the "formation" stories for Sgt. Rock and rates "The Rock" as "highly significant." Joe, in his blurb for the story on the contents page, describes it thus: "featuring the 3-striper G.I. of W.W. II . . . who stands like a block of granite against the enemy! How'd he get that way? It's all here . . . and more . . ." Sounds like Kubert was the foundation for the revisionism.

The gorgeous wrap-around cover!

It's a relief to know that all the self-pity inherent in the Capt. Storm character didn't begin when he became a member of the Losers but was hammered into readers of the Captain's solo title. Big Bob writes a story revolving around Storm's peg leg and how he reacts to the reactions of others. Sampling the few stories reprinted recently, I am relieved that we sidestepped that title. In fact, the only other reprint outside of "The Rock!" that's worth reading is "The Brave Tank," and that's because of Russ's art. "Line of Departure!" is not awful, but I kept wondering why none of the other soldiers in the boat would come to the aid of this poor schmuck. As he says in the final panel, he's already fought the war by himself. "Battle Hats!" is another in the line of stories narrated by inanimate objects and the less said the better.

Next Week . . .
The walls were closing in but these guys
could still have some fun, right?