Are the DC war titles good or always the same boring stories? 1 1

[LowGradeBronze]

On 6/30/2024 at 5:25 PM, Math Teacher said:

Thank you for this. I am not making any type of accusation, but how is this website legal? Surely not all of this material is in the public domain, right?

I don't know is the answer, but Readallcomics.com has been around for a while, and the adverts don't intrude too much. Of all the online comic book reading websites this is the one I use as there seems to be no catch with it. Hope I'm not breaking any forum rule by pasting the link! 

[LowGradeBronze]

@BA773 Maybe consider other publishers' war books. Russ Cochran/Gemstone reprinted the EC War titles (and other EC titles.) They allow you to have affordable copies of all those fabulous stories in Two Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat by Severin, Elder, Kurtzman, Wood, Toth, Davis and others. Again, overlooked in my opinion. 

https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=159941 Two Fisted Tales

https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=130751 Frontline Combat

 

[Zonker]

On 6/30/2024 at 10:11 AM, LowGradeBronze said:

They are a mixed bag, just like a lot of titles.

 

This x1000.

Sturgeon's Law says 90% of everything is crud.  DC war titles are no exception.

But the remaining 10% is quite worth checking out:

- The Enemy Ace stories in Star-Spangled War Stories #138-150 were a bit formulaic as stories (WWI German air ace does his lonely duty of killing his enemy dogfighters, mourns the end of warfare-as-gallantry, his only friend is the wolf he goes hunting with, etc.) but featured beautiful Joe Kubert artwork (assuming you like that kind of thing).  Kubert really enjoyed drawing the Fokker triplanes and Sopwith Camels, etc.

- The Losers in Our Fighting Forces had a couple of decent runs.  Lots of Kirby fans like his semi-autobiographical take beginning with #151, but I always preferred the beautiful John Severin artwork that preceded it (from somewhere in the mid #130s up until Kirby takes over.)  Much of that earlier run was edited by Archie Goodwin, who brought out the best from scripter Robert Kanigher, and often produced some real hidden gems in the back-up features, such as "Burma Sky" (a story of the Flying Tigers) drawn by Alex Toth in issue #146.

- Sgt. Rock in Our Army at War was also a bit formulaic, with the artwork by the likes of Joe Kubert or Russ Heath being the main draw IMHO.

- Perhaps the best-written run of DC war came from a young David Michelinie writing the Unknown Soldier in Star-Spangled War Stories from #184-203. Much more morally ambiguous than most war comics of the period.  Frequently Michelinie sets up a situation where the Unknown Soldier has multiple bad no-win choices to muddle through.  Warning: the Gerry Talaoc artwork throughout this run is very much an acquired taste.  But I think it suits the messy, chaotic world Michelinie walks us through. 

 

Edited Sunday at 08:11 PM by Zonker
"crud"

[LowGradeBronze]

@Zonker Thanks for putting me onto Our Fighting Forces along with the issue numbers for the Severin and Kirby stints! 

[jimjum12]

On 6/30/2024 at 4:09 PM, Zonker said:

- The Losers in Our Fighting Forces had a couple of decent runs.  Lots of Kirby fans like his semi-autobiographical take beginning with #151, but I always preferred the beautiful John Severin artwork that preceded it (from somewhere in the mid #130s up until Kirby takes over.)  Much of that earlier run was edited by Archie Goodwin, who brought out the best from scripter Robert Kanigher, and often produced some real hidden gems in the back-up features, such as "Burma Sky" (a story of the Flying Tigers) drawn by Alex Toth in issue #146.

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

I, like many, have readers of, among others, G.I. Combat, Weir War Tales, Our Fighting Forces, and Our Army at War, and have likely read each issue 100 times. I like everything about those books. Of course, I even tend to enjoy crappy comic books because they are comic books, someone took the effort to create them, and its a great way to spend time.

[Ken Aldred]

On 6/30/2024 at 8:50 PM, LowGradeBronze said:

@BA773 Maybe consider other publishers' war books. Russ Cochran/Gemstone reprinted the EC War titles (and other EC titles.) They allow you to have affordable copies of all those fabulous stories in Two Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat by Severin, Elder, Kurtzman, Wood, Toth, Davis and others. Again, overlooked in my opinion. 

https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=159941 Two Fisted Tales

https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=130751 Frontline Combat

 

Without a doubt. Obvious to eventually graduate onto the all-time best, with consistently excellent stories and art, set in different historical periods, not just WW2.

There’s also Warren’s short-lived Blazing Combat magazine.

Edited Monday at 04:39 PM by Ken Aldred

[LowGradeBronze]

On 7/1/2024 at 5:37 PM, Ken Aldred said:

There’s also Warren’s short-lived Blazing Combat magazine.

I had forgotten Blazing Combat, but yes, for those who want those stories but can't afford the originals (if you can even find them,) Fantagraphics reprinted them in 2010 in one softback volume ISBN: 978-1-60699-366-8

https://www.comicsreview.co.uk/nowreadthis/2010/05/17/blazing-combat/

Edited Monday at 04:49 PM by LowGradeBronze
Add link

[iXr184]

Always loved war comics. I used to collect Our Army at War and Sgt. Rock solo title. Yes, some of the stories can be redundant but some also have an unlikely twist at the end. I enjoy the artwork and typically war comics are not in good shape so it's always fun to hunt these down in good condition in the wild.

[buttock]

Most comics from this era are terrible in retrospect.  They were written for kids, and if you read them now you're going to be disappointed.  

For what they were when they were printed, they're above average on the whole.  There's a reason DC managed to keep 5 titles alive through the entire SA.  

 

[MisterX]

I collected BA War books for a long time, and I have a complete run of all the Unknown Soldier books. 

I like the Unknown Solider stories because every issue is a different mission, usually involving his need to create a clever disguise. I'm also one of the few who likes Talaoc's art. I agree with Zonker that the Michelinie issues were some of the most well-written. When Bob Haney takes over the book, things get kind of wacky. Some of it is entertaining and some of it is just bad.

I also recommend the Creature Commandos, Kirby's run on the Losers, and Enemy Ace.

You can find B&W Showcase Editions of most of the DC war books.

[MAR1979]

On 7/1/2024 at 4:55 PM, buttock said:

Most comics from this era are terrible in retrospect.  They were written for kids, and if you read them now you're going to be disappointed.  

For what they were when they were printed, they're above average on the whole.  There's a reason DC managed to keep 5 titles alive through the entire SA.  

 

Exactly!

Want a well written War comic (or War adjacent) - try Garth Ennis' Unknown Soldier 1997 mini-series.

[Hepcat]

On 6/30/2024 at 11:01 AM, JollyComics said:

...but few books are realistic with John Severin who was showing real language, attitude, psychological and nice drawings of war actions. 

John Severin you say? I've noticed a lot of his and Joe Maneely's Atlas war comic covers from the 1950's.

I'm also a big fan of the DC war comic art of Joe Kubert and Russ Heath from the 1960's. 

 

[JollyComics]

On 7/1/2024 at 10:56 PM, Hepcat said:

John Severin you say? I've noticed a lot of his and Joe Maneely's Atlas war comic covers from the 1950's.

I'm also a big fan of the DC war comic art of Joe Kubert and Russ Heath from the 1960's. 

 

Yes, Joe Maneely was a great artist.  He born to his poor family and he dropped out of his high school in his sophomore year to join Navy for three years (I think he joined Navy in 1945 at nearly the end of WWII).  He got his GI Bill and attended the art school. He began his career in the comic books in 1948.  He was a rising star in the comic book industry for ten years before he was killed in a freak accident.  He was 32 years old.

[Ken Aldred]

On 7/2/2024 at 4:56 AM, Hepcat said:

John Severin you say ?

I’ll recommend EC’s Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat for lots of career-best artwork from him.