The DC War Comics Appreciation Thread (2019)

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: This is a continuation of the previous ""Make War No More!"...The Dc War Comic Appreciation Thread!", which can be read here:

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...iation-Thread!

From the original version of this thread (started 09-03-2016 by codystarbuck):

I'm going to date myself severely here; but, I'm a huge fan of DC's various war comics, of the 60s and 70s. Those books had some of the best writing in comics of the era, and had artists like Joe Kubert, Russ Heath, Sam Glanzman, Alex Toth, Jerry Grandenetti, Gary Taloc, John Severin, Walt Simonson, Howard Chaykin, and many others.The characters were fantastic and well rounded: Sgt Rock and the Combat Happy Joes of Easy Company, The Losers, Mademoiselle Marie, Enemy Ace, The Haunted Tank, The Unknown Soldier, and later characters, like Gravedigger and even the goofier stuff, like the Creature Commandos and the Viking Commando. There was a deep humanistic side to many, and war was rarely a gung ho, shoot 'em up kind of thing. They took a lot of their cues from the great EC war comics of Harvey Kurtzman and the EC artists, though maybe not as pointedly anti-war as Kutzman. They survived the Vietnam era for several more years and were only fully laid to rest in the 80s. Enemy Ace had that gorgeous Kubert art, with Hans Von Hammer forever carrying that haunting stare. Rock epitomized every good noncom who did his best to keep his men alive and get them home, who had also buried far too many. These stories had a depth that the superheroes rarely were allowed. They also had some truly great covers, especially Kubert's. Just look at some:

NOTE: Part of the inspiration for reviving this thread at present is because here in the U.S., we'll be observing Memorial Day (originally "Decoration Day" and dating back to the time of the U.S. Civil War) on Monday, May 27th this year. Also, June 6th of this year will mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

[MajorHoy]

By the way, here are the last couple of posts from the previous thread:

Wonder what this is about? Sgt. Rock and Enemy Ace is the same story?
Sgt Rock #14 vol 2.

Damn, I need to go read that.

By the way, a check of the GCD indicates that particular issue reprinted a Sgt. Rock story ("Easy's Last Stand!") from Our Army at War #153 (April 1965) as well as an Enemy Ace Story ("Death Takes No Holiday!") originally published in Star Spangled War Stories #144 (April-May 1969).

[MajorHoy]

Variant cover to DC Universe: Legacies #4 (October 2010) which spotlighted DC's WWII characters in an 8-page back-up story.

[MajorHoy]

Sgt. Rock Special #2 (1994):

[MajorHoy]

The final issue of Our Fighting Forces, a title that started back in 1954:

Our Fighting Forces #181 (September-October 1978)

[MajorHoy]

By the way, here's the cover from the first issue of Our Fighting Forces (October-November 1954):