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Post by brutalis on Oct 13, 2016 8:55:58 GMT -5
War and military have been a staple of the comic book world over the ages. Everybody has to have read or collected a favorite series or had characters they loved and followed. Due to the oddities of the distribution system here in Phoenix when i was a youth doing my major comic buying in the 70's and 80's and 90's there were seldom seen series on a regular basis. It wasn't until the mid 80's and the comic book direct sales stores that i was able to begin finding more of the war comics.
I never found Sgt. Rock comics on the spinner racks. There were runs of series where you find 3-5 months at a time and then nothing for months or you find the one odd issue out here and there. I followed as i could find them from the Circle K and 7-11 stores and would enjoy Weird War with the Creature Commandos, The Unknown Soldier, Blackhawk, G. I. Combat with the Haunted Tank and anything with Enemy Ace. Once the Direct Market opened up then it was G. I. Joe, Rogue Trooper, Airboy and any cheap war comics i might find in back issue boxes or in graphic novel collections.
These days i have all of the Showcase Presents War collections of Sgt. Rock, Unknown Soldier, Enemy Ace, War that Time Forgot and i still buy the Larry Hama G. I. Joe's (YO JOE!) from IDW which is one of the last remaining war type comics being made these days and any time Warren Ellis delves into war stories i grab those up as well.
There is something about these tales of heroic non super powered individuals doing what is necessary and right that reminds me there are still strong, capable good willed heroes to be found in our every day lives and why i support our own military in any instance that i can.
What are your memories and what did you enjoy?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 10:00:30 GMT -5
IMO DC had the best war comics followed by Charlton Comics.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 13, 2016 10:26:34 GMT -5
I was not a devoted follower of classic war comics, although I did enjoy the few Sgt. Fury or Sgt. Rock stories I read as a kid.
The first war comic I actively sought was The 'Nam. The Michael Golden art alone would have been worth five times the price, but Murray's true-to-life stories were also a big draw.
A few years ago, I was also very impressed by the Showcase volume of Enemy Ace. I'm impressed that such classic stories were once available in floppy magazines costing just a few dimes; somehow it doesn't feel right!
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Post by brutalis on Oct 13, 2016 10:43:51 GMT -5
I was not a devoted follower of classic war comics, although I did enjoy the few Sgt. Fury or Sgt. Rock stories I read as a kid. The first war comic I actively sought was The 'Nam. The Michael Golden art alone would have been worth five times the price, but Murray's true-to-life stories were also a big draw. A few years ago, I was also very impressed by the Showcase volume of Enemy Ace. I'm impressed that such classic stories were once available in floppy magazines costing just a few dimes; somehow it doesn't feel right! Dagnabbit: totally forgot about The "Nam when i was listing those i followed. Some beautiful art and poignant stories there! Had two uncles served in Viet Nam and they both read through my Nam comics and said it was very real and captured a lot of what they felt and went through in their tour's. Also the Don Lomax Viet Nam series as well was exceptional. I adore my Enemy Ace Showcase and it was unique for showing the war through German eyes with the Ace showing honor and truth with his feelings and insights. Spectacular Kubert art. DC's Unknown Soldier and Haunted Tank being my two favorites in art and story. Always captured my interest and wonderfully thought out story lines without glorifying or lessening the war efforts. Very compelling human characterizations. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 10:50:17 GMT -5
The convenience store where I first purchased comics usually had Sgt Rock and Blackhawk. I need to get the Enemy Ace Showacse. Those stories sound really good! The only war comic I can recall having was a Brave and Bold team up with Batman and Sgt. Rock. My dad had a bunch of the classic war comics such as Star Spangled War Stories, Our Army at War, and G.I. Combat.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Oct 13, 2016 10:50:18 GMT -5
I've never really read any war comics. Never been really a fan of war movies or fiction in general. But I heard nothing but good things about NAM as more than just a war comic. And there is a TPB of the Weird War Tales that features the Creature Commando issues, that seem interesting as they have the science fiction element alongside the war setting.
I wanna say Marvel did something along those lines too, with Shield and Frankenstein, Mummy, WBN, Man-Thing, and a few others. The Ultimate Spider-man cartoon did a few episodes of the team fighting Dracula and a few other mystic/horror villains.
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Post by Warmonger on Oct 13, 2016 11:41:36 GMT -5
Like others I was a big Sgt. Rock fan as a kid.
The Nam and Semper Fi were two series I actively collected in the 80's.
As far as modern stuff, Garth Ennis' war stories are insanely good.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Oct 13, 2016 11:55:58 GMT -5
In the 60s, my favorites were Sgt. Fury and Enemy Ace. The War That Time Forgot series from DC with the U.S. military fighting dinosaurs was goofy fun too.
Later I discovered the EC war books Frontline Combat and Two Fisted Tales. These 2 publications, along with the 4 issues of Warren Magazine's Blazing Combat are the top of the line of classic war books
In recent years, the only war books I recall reading would be the various Garth Ennis mini-series. Excellent stuff
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 13, 2016 12:01:38 GMT -5
Yes! Blazing Combat! I read the collected hardcover published a few years ago and it was brilliant! Great Archie Goodwin stories and brilliant arts by some of the great war artists -Crandall, Heath, Severin et al.
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Post by MDG on Oct 13, 2016 13:28:08 GMT -5
I've never been big on war comics. I appreciate more than like Kurtzman's war books (and what Blazing Combat I've read) since they're very well done.
The only war stories I seek out and enjoy are Glanzman's USS Stevens stories.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 15:26:51 GMT -5
My favorites are:
Blackhawks & Lady Blackhawk (as a character)
Enemy Ace
The Unknown Solider
G.I. Combat
Our Army at War
Frontline Combat
I didn't cared for Sgt. Rock and Sgt. Fury so much.
My favorites aren't in order.
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Post by Red Oak Kid on Oct 13, 2016 18:18:35 GMT -5
There was a brief time in the late 60s when I decided I was too old to be reading superhero comics, so I cut back and only bought war comics. Mainly the Haunted Tank stories in G.I. Combat(I think).
When I started buying Marvels, I enjoyed reading reprints of the Kirby issues of Sgt. Fury. Speaking of Kirby, I liked his Losers stories for DC.
The Garth Ennis war stories are great.
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Post by hondobrode on Oct 13, 2016 18:26:30 GMT -5
Some other classic war comics that I've enjoyed over the years -  1Stories by Jack Oleck and Carl Wessler, and art by  Wally Wood  Bernie Krigstein  Jack Davis  and George Evans One of the infamous New Direction titles EC went with after the Comics Code Authority was established. It only lasted 5 issues, but sure had some good stories, that hold up amazingly well 60 years later. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 13, 2016 20:22:43 GMT -5
I didn't read war comics as a kid. I would pick them up at garage sales, so I have some issues of Sgt. Rock, Unknown Soldier, etc.
It wasn't until the last 15 years or so, that I really began to appreciate the better war comics. I love Garth Ennis, Kurtzman, Archie Goodwin and Kubert's worlds.
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Post by hondobrode on Oct 13, 2016 21:54:11 GMT -5
I really liked most of those Max titles, including that one. Another is this one from 2001, more terrorist and less traditional war, but it's great. 
     by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson / Jimmy Palmiotti with covers by Bill Sienkiewicz I love Nick Fury. My brother and I were out in our woods on summer vacation playing Nick Fury and someone else I don't remember now. I was 12 and remember telling my brother that I was going to have a son someday and I'm naming him Nick after Nick Fury, and I did. He loves it. |
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