Ezine Artical: Star Spangled DC War Stories Issue 114: October/November 1970

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

Kubert

Our Army at War 224

"One for the Money . . ."
Story and Art by Joe Kubert

"Roncesvalles"
Story and Art by Ric Estrada

Jack: The newest member of Easy Co. is known as "Trader" Johnson, who collects Nazi souvenirs after every skirmish, arguing that he has the right to pick up a few bucks in order to set himself up for a successful business after the war. Rock, Trader, and a few others make up a reconnaissance party that has left the rest of Easy Co. behind to scout a German village.

Suddenly, a horde of Nazi infantrymen pour into the town and Rock's small band is forced to hide in an abandoned building. The Nazi commander calls out to them, telling them to come out and give themselves up or he will kill them all. Trader gets spooked and marches out but claims he was alone in the town. The Nazi commander has him shot and, with his last breath, Trader sets off a potato masher that blows up the commander's car and alerts the rest of Easy Co. to hurry into town. One battle later and the Nazis are defeated. Rock builds a small monument of souvenirs to remember Trader, who was brave when it counted.

"One for the Money . . ." is an excellent story, where the character of Trader is depicted in shades of grey that we don't always get to see with the new recruits. Kubert's art is particularly good here and he does double duty as writer once again. Two quick comments on the cover: the scene depicted is the opposite of what happens in the story and the "Sgt. Rock" name is dwarfing the comic book's real title, which will eventually be changed.

Way back in 778 A.D., Charlemagne is heading home after some unsuccessful fighting in Spain when he leads his army though the mountain pass at "Roncesvalles." An infidel attack is turned back by Count Roland, who takes numerous lives with his sword before being killed.

Ric Estrada keeps going up in my opinion with these four-page lessons from history. The art is smooth and, though the stories are little more than quick glimpses at famous battles, they keep my interest and make me want to know more.

Peter: At first glance, "Trader" may seem to be a selfish scumbag, scampering from one corpse to another, scrounging for trinkets, but his argument bears hearing out. Many of these soldiers left jobs they might never see again, so what's the harm in packing away a little (albeit ghoulish) security? He's not stripping our boys of their valuables. A slippery slope, I know, but give it some thought. As far as the story goes, Joe settles for no cop-outs this time 'round; "Trader" pays the price for his temporary-traitor status, not giving up his comrades, and Kubert caps the tale nicely. "Roncesvalles" is a little bit history lesson, a little bit Conan the Barbarian. "Yonda is the castle of my fodda" kept running through my head.

Kubert

G.I. Combat 144

"Every Man a Fort!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Russ Heath

"Straw Pilot!"
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #147, October 1964)

"Something for the Sarge!"
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #85, August 1959)

"The Soldier on Four Wheels!"
Story by Bill Finger
Art by Mort Drucker
(Reprinted from Star Spangled War Stories #59, July 1957)

"Shooting Gallery"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Joe Kubert
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #73, August 1958)

"Liegnetz and the Mongol Tide!"
Story Uncredited
Art by Ric Estrada

Peter: Commander Jeb Stuart is zonked by enemy fire and, shell-shocked, starts mumbling about his first days at boot camp. We then discover, through flashbacks told by the tank crew, that their first meeting was anything but friendly. Slim, Rick, and Arch took umbrage at Jeb's name since all three had great respect for the General who "practically won the war for the South single-handed," and inform the young man that he'll be facing three sets of knuckles if he doesn't find another moniker. Jeb proves stubborn and suffers three nasty beatings before winning the respect of his comrades. After the four shake hands, Jeb wanders over to where the tanks are stashed and has his first encounter with the ghostly General, who tells his descendant that anyone who could fight for respect wins the spook for a guardian. Months later, the Jeb heads for Africa, where they're charged with aiding G.I.s fighting Rommel in the desert. (Here's where we came in.) Raving like a lunatic, Jeb is hoisted back into the Haunted Tank and the tin can rolls on towards their goal: Fort Dune, where they are to hook up with the beleaguered troops. Alas, when they finally get to their destination, the Fort is gone, blown to hell. The good news is that a Nazi supply train is heading past the fort and the boys decide to ram it. The train derailed and in flames, the boys smile at their handiwork and agree that now they are Fort Dune.

With "Every Man a Fort," Big Bob essentially admits he didn't like the first origin of the Haunted Tank story (way back in G.I. Combat 114), and decided to rewrite (or reboot) the whole magilla. If you recall (and you should), in the original mythos, Jeb had felt the presence of the big ghost on the horse since he was a kid and Arch, Slim, and Rick were childhood buds. I often wonder if these reboots aren't simply a case of the writer forgetting he'd given the characters a back story. Anyway, back to the story at hand. "Every Man a Fort!" is a confusing installment even setting to one side the changes; it's set just months after boot camp and, it would appear, years before the stories we've been reading in previous issues, when these four guys seem to have been friends, oh, I don't know, maybe since childhood. I can never tell where the boys are supposed to be but lately they've had adventures set in France and that's a bit of a drive to Africa in a tank. The story is a good one albeit a tad skimpy; the art is fabulous as usual (and you can see a few Kubert brush strokes in there if you pay attention). This issue kicks off a temporary jump in price and page count that fits in with what was going on with DC titles (and their war with Marvel for shelf space and market domination) at the time. The increase to 68 pages doesn't mean all-new material, of course, and we'll see our fair share of reprints; the package is similar to the "Sgt. Rock's Battle Tales" issues of Our Army at War.

"The Soldier on Four Wheels!"

"Shooting Gallery"

Our old pal, Mort Drucker, returns with "The Soldier on Four Wheels!," which stars the husk of a jeep that serves as shelter for G.I.s under fire. At least the jeep doesn't talk. Joe Kubert shines in the semi-humorous "Shooting Gallery," wherein a grunt proves he can follow an order to stay with an ammo dump even when the enemy shows up with their big guns.

Turn to page 1241 in your history books, students, and Ric Estrada will tell you about Duke Henry's ill-fated stand against the Mongols of Prince Kaidu (oh, and don't be fooled by my extensive knowledge as I simply take copious notes) one blood-soaked April in the 13th Century. Like many of Estrada's battle slices, "Leignetz and the Mongol Tide!" is a vignette that might just spark your interest in ancient history but might just make you yawn and turn to the next Sgt. Rock tale.

"Lug Nuts"

Jack: I love the 1970 DC giant format, even if it meant a cut from 80 pages to 68 pages for a quarter. The Haunted Tank story relies on the old cliche that men need to have a fistfight in order to become friends; despite a second version of the origin story, the other men in the haunted tank still blend together to me. The story ends a bit abruptly. It's nice to see a Mort Drucker reprint and to be reminded just how good his art was in the war comics; I also enjoyed the Kubert "Shooting Gallery" story, which features a great splash page of a soldier in front of a big bulls eye. The Easy Co. and its sarge in this story seem like a rough prototype for the Combat Happy Joes we'd come to know and love and Kubert's late '50s art is very strong and seems tighter than the loose, sketchy style he would develop a decade or so later. The Estrada story is another interesting historical tidbit that pulls no punches in killing off its hero.

Kubert

Our Fighting Forces 127

"Angels Over Hell's Corner"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

"Dragonfly"
Story and Art by Sam Glanzman

Peter: Amidst the hell of war, the Losers witness a little bit of heaven. Enjoying a cricket match at Devil's Corner with the gorgeous RAF officer Linda, the Losers must jump into action at the drop of a hat when Nazi Stukas begin to strafe the cricket yard. A Spitfire roars out of the clouds and adds a bit of firepower before being hit and forced to land. Linda rushes out to see if the pilot is all right and it's love at first sight. The pilot, Bill, is immediately welcomed by the Losers and, seemingly moments later, Bill and Linda announce to the group they'll be married in four weeks. The Losers promise to show up on time and then get back to the war.

Awwwww

After several battles leave them at the cliffs of Dover, the Losers make their way back to the cottage where Bill and Linda will be wed. Linda is outside playing with orphaned children when a Stuka bears down on her and, before the Losers can do anything about it, she is ventilated but good. A Spitfire arrives out of the blue and shoots the nasty Nazi down and then lands. The Losers approach the cockpit, only to find the dying Bill. Together, the couple are reunited in heaven and, ostensibly, looked after by General Jeb Stuart. Though I'll admit "Angels Over Hell's Corner" is sentimental rubbish, it's got an undeniable charm to it. With the Loser boys relegated to supporting cast (other than popping up now and then to remind us they're all a bunch of "losers" who lose and can't stop losing), the story of Bill and Diana takes on an Our Loving Romance funny-book vibe. And, hey, give Big Bob some credit for killing off two likable characters even if he has to load the narrative down with cisterns full of schmaltz. The Andru/Esposito art is customarily awful.

These guys are losers!

Sam Glanzman chronicles the dogfight between an F-38 and a Japanese "Dragonfly" in another exciting chapter of the adventures of the U.S.S. Stevens. On the letters page, Joe gets remarkably open about sales figures while answering a reader begging for more Enemy Ace: ". . . speaking very candidly, we're having an up-hill climb with Von Hammer and the Scarlet Tri-plane. And to gain the full acceptance which we think Enemy Ace deserves, I'd print the book inside-out or upside-down if it'd mean better sales."

"Dragonfly"

Jack: Peter, you must have had a few glasses of whatever Bob Kanigher was drinking when he wrote the lead story. It's awful! The colorist seems to have mistaken Bill the pilot for Johnny Cloud when he first lands with his parachute--this made for a confusing few panels while I tried to figure out why Cloud was standing on the ground in one panel and wearing an open parachute in the next. Bill sure moves fast, doesn't he? He's barely met Diana and they're already engaged. What is the point of having the Losers in this story? They barely do anything. As for the Glanzman story, it's decently drawn but nothing much happens there, either. There are so many planes in this issue it's like we're back in All-American Men of War territory. Our Fighting Forces has to be the worst overall DC War comic, even taking into account the long run of The War That Time Forgot over in Star Spangled. Speaking of which . . .

Kubert

Star Spangled War Stories 153

"Everybody Dies!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Irv Novick
(Reprinted from Star Spangled War Stories #36, August 1955)

"Fokker Fury!"
(Reprinted from Our Army at War #155, June 1965)

"Double Rescue!"
Story and Art by Sam Glanzman

Peter: A new G.I. is given the assignment of following in the footsteps of Eddie Ray, a G.I. who knows how to get things done. The new kid does his best to elicit praise from Eddie but, before too long, realizes he'll have to do something special before that praise is forthcoming. At last, our green hero gets his chance during an attack on a Nazi foxhole and Eddie turns and grins. That's enough for the kid. Though I'm not over the moon with the Irv Novick art, Big Bob's arcane script is a winner. The finale is open to interpretation; is Eddie Ray a specter or just a super-private kind of guy? I can see why Joe picked "Everybody Dies!" as a reprint in lieu of a new Unknown Soldier story but the cover is a big-time rip-off, insinuating a new US adventure and delivering nothing of the sort. We also get a sizzling Enemy Ace reprint and the latest in Sam Glanzman's epic U.S.S. Stevens saga. "Double Rescue!": the Stevens must put itself in harm's way to save a World War I wooden submarine chaser.

"Everybody Dies!"

Jack: I liked the Novick story mainly for its experimental nature, showing the soldier only from the rear. It really doesn't fit the Unknown Soldier series, despite a great cover and a terrific splash page, both by Kubert. It seems like he's still figuring out what the Unknown Soldier series is going to be. The Enemy Ace story is a great reprint and the Glanzman entry is another interesting tidbit, though I'd like to see a little more human characterization in these U.S.S. Stevens entries.

"Double Rescue!"

Kubert

Our Army at War 225

"Face Front!"
Story by Joe Kubert
Art by Russ Heath

"Buckethead"
Story and Art by Sam Glanzman

"Swamp Indian"
Story and Art by Ric Estrada

"Anchored Frogman!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Joe Kubert
(Reprinted from Our Fighting Forces #17, January 1957)

Jack: Rock is in the North African desert with two new recruits named Iggy and Gus when three Nazi planes attack their position in a crumbling, ruined building, but determined small arms fire from the three Army men manages to destroy the planes. Iggy and Gus wonder what everyone is doing back on the Home Front while the trio starts walking the ten miles through the Sahara Desert to get back to the position held by the rest of Easy Co. When a Nazi tank catches up with them, they manage to immobilize the machine but enemy soldiers pour out and have to be tricked to be defeated.

Russ Heath gets very close to
Men's Adventure magazine illo style!

Rock, Iggy, and Gus resume their walk through the desert and night falls; Rock has to tell the men to "Face Front!" and stop whining about what's going on back home. Happening upon a Nazi fuel supply point, they manage to blow it up and the fire attracts the rest of Easy Co.; as they all march back to their base, Rock reminds them that sacrifices at home also contribute to the war effort.

I always prefer Kubert over Heath, but Heath's work on this story is really impressive and some of the best I've seen. Kubert's script is also excellent, jumping back and forth from the action in the desert to images of what's going on in the U.S. Of course, Kubert's cover sells the comic on the stands and, like Our Fighting Forces, the name of the comic is now much smaller than the name of the star--in this case, Sgt. Rock, whose name is plastered across the cover twice.

As Japanese fighter planes attack the U.S.S. Stevens, the men below decks try to figure out how the battle is going by listening to what guns are being used to defend the ship. Unable to take the suspense, Johnny goes up on deck to see what's happening and is so terrified that he runs back down below decks and puts an empty oil pail over his head, earning him the nickname "Buckethead."

My wish for a bit more characterization in the Glanzman stories is answered here and it helps a lot, as we see a human reaction to the terror of war. Johnny and the ship survive the battle but he ends up with a new moniker.

"Swamp Indian"

White settlers and black slaves are killed by a "Swamp Indian" attack during the Seminole Wars in the Florida Everglades in the 1830s. Ric Estrada's art is particularly choppy in this four-pager, which is so short that it's hard to tell who's who and what happens. This is not one of his better efforts.

Assigned to mine a Nazi ship, an underwater operative becomes an "Anchored Frogman!" when his leg is caught in the ship's anchor chain. He fights off enemy frogmen and feels himself being pulled upwards as the anchor is being drawn in, but the mine goes off just before he is killed and he escapes. Kubert's art is sharp and this is a very tense six-pager from the late '50s!

"Anchored Frogman!"

There's not much wasted space in this action-packed issue; 22 new pages of story and a six-page reprint!

Peter: I enjoyed the Rock despite the drone of "wonder what they're doing back on the home front" constantly in the air. Sam Glanzman manages to, once again, put me right in harm's
way . . . or rather make me feel as though I'm in harm's way, with "Buckethead." Glanzman's analogy, that being below deck during an attack is akin to being in a locked closet while the house is on fire, is a chiller. This series just gets better and better without having a regular cast or a plethora of space in which to get its point across. Ric Estrada's "Swamp Indian" is one of the better of his war vignettes. This one hammers home the fact that Estrada seems to have favored bios of doomed characters. The reprint is a golden oldie (with decent but unrecognizable Kubert art) but the climax is a bit of a groaner. The doomed diver spends five pages worrying about the boat blowing up and then when it does, SHAZAM!, he's a free frog!