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Infinite Bronze War Thread
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3,132 posts in this topic

Kirby. The Losers. A match made in Heaven, or the sound of an 18-wheeler hitting a massive pile of turd?

 

I've had this debate many times with a lot of DC war fans. I'm always amazed at how polarizing those books are.

 

I love the Severin Losers tales best of all, but the Kirby books have always had a special place in my heart too. I still contend that OFF #152 is the most action-packed DC war issue OF ALL TIME - it is just a panel by panel assualt on the senses, and it builds to a frenzied crescendo that Kanigher never pulled off on his stories.

 

There are a couple of truly [embarrassing lack of self control] issues in the Kirby OFF run, but #152, #155 and #160 are true classics of the genre.

 

Myself, I never bought into the Kirby 'cult'. His work was way too stylized for me. But there's an enrgy and verve to the best of his Losers work that stands up proudly next to the other DC War greats.

 

Waiting for the tomatos

Shep

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Waiting for the tomatos

Shep

 

Hey, no tomatos from me. To each his own. I look at Kirby like I look at Hendrix. I think both stink. They may be innovators, but I think their style is terrible, and by today's standards, they just 'aint that good. But I respect all other's opinions. Mine are just mine. No better n' no worse.

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And finally, Our Fighting Forces #146. It may have the single greatest backup story in DC war-dom... 'Burma Sky' written by Archie Goodwin and drawn by the incomparable Alex Toth. Deserves a place in ANY collection.

 

If anyone hasn't read this story, is available on-line, along with Alex Toth's commentary: tothfans web page

 

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I have recently started buying war books and love them.Picked up some unknown soldier books in Vf+ between issue 200 and then end. Nice art and fun reading.Also picked up some weird war tales in Fine.Since i am just getting into these books....are they as tough to find in vf/nm as they seem to be?? did most of these books have very small print runs?What should i expect in terms of availability and what grades should i go after realisticly?

thanks in advance

 

Great thread by the way i love it

Edited by Jake01
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Kirby. The Losers. A match made in Heaven, or the sound of an 18-wheeler hitting a massive pile of turd?

 

I've had this debate many times with a lot of DC war fans. I'm always amazed at how polarizing those books are.

 

I love the Severin Losers tales best of all, but the Kirby books have always had a special place in my heart too. I still contend that OFF #152 is the most action-packed DC war issue OF ALL TIME - it is just a panel by panel assualt on the senses, and it builds to a frenzied crescendo that Kanigher never pulled off on his stories.

 

I prefer the style of guys like Severin, Kubert, and Heath on DC war books. I love Kirby, just not on the Losers.

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I have recently started buying war books and love them.Picked up some unknown soldier books in Vf+ between issue 200 and then end. Nice art and fun reading.Also picked up some weird war tales in Fine.Since i am just getting into these books....are they as tough to find in vf/nm as they seem to be?? did most of these books have very small print runs?What should i expect in terms of availability and what grades should i go after realisticly?

thanks in advance

 

Great thread by the way i love it

 

 

If you want to go easy on yourself (and your pocketbook) you can't go wrong aiming for 8.0 if you want to put together long runs of the DC bronze age books. Nice books, not afraid to read them, not too expensive. A set of all the DC war books 1968 to 1988? That is a beautiful thing to behold.

 

My run is 95% complete between 8.0 and 9.4, with an average grade of 9.0. I only have a handful of slabbed books (and they're all pre-1970) and they're all 9.0s. The 9.4s and above are just out of my league.

 

It's wonderful gazing at cherry copies.... but true minty books are as rare as they appear. Enjoy the 9.4 slabbed copies you see on this site, because you may not see that many ever again.

 

If you like really, really, really high grade stuff my advice is - be patient. Pass on the 'VF+' and 'NM' books on ebay (unless you're getting them from really reliable bronze sources like bobcat, loisandclark or cdex). When you find a good source, back the truck up and load up on as much as you can. Hit the cons... there can be spectacular off-the-floor deals on nice war books (i've scored some of my best books at the Toronto and San Diego cons. I've heard the Mid-Ohio show is great for war books). Check your LCS. And best of all, check with non-war collectors - often, they have picked up a few war books along the way that they're not attached to, and they'll let 'em go cheap.

 

Bronze age DC war is my fave. It's great seeing more collectors discovering these books and giving them props. (Listen to me, talking all 'street'.)

 

Shep

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Kirby. The Losers. A match made in Heaven, or the sound of an 18-wheeler hitting a massive pile of turd?

 

I've had this debate many times with a lot of DC war fans. I'm always amazed at how polarizing those books are.

 

I love the Severin Losers tales best of all, but the Kirby books have always had a special place in my heart too. I still contend that OFF #152 is the most action-packed DC war issue OF ALL TIME - it is just a panel by panel assualt on the senses, and it builds to a frenzied crescendo that Kanigher never pulled off on his stories.

 

I prefer the style of guys like Severin, Kubert, and Heath on DC war books. I love Kirby, just not on the Losers.

 

No question, the Kirby Losers are polarizing. I just have really good childhood memories of them.

 

Here's a little heresy. I hate anything Ayers touched on DC war. Gerry Talaoc started off great, then got awful. Romeo Tanghal was a hack. And the backups in Sgt. Rock after 1980 were for the most part grade-Z hackery.

 

Just one man's opinion.

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And the backups in Sgt. Rock after 1980 were for the most part grade-Z hackery.

 

Maybe it's just that I liked the continuing characters (Rock, Unknown Soldier, and the Haunted Tank anyway) so much, but just about every backup from 1960 on was of no interest to me whatsoever. Even Gallery of War.

 

The story where George Washington has the young boy executed is a notable exception. 27_laughing.gif

 

Marc

 

P.S.--The Glanzman OSS stories are a completely different story. I like those even better than the ones with the DC main characters. Certain backups are obviously of such high quality (Goodwin/Toth anyone?) that it goes without saying that they are excepted as well.

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And the backups in Sgt. Rock after 1980 were for the most part grade-Z hackery.

 

 

893scratchchin-thumb.gif

Some of that stuff was done by guys like Bissette and Truman, and ( I think) even by the Kubert brothers. Have to check out those issues again.

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