1960s G.I. Combat

Looking back at the heyday of DC's war comics, which was the 1960s...starting with G.I. Combat...which started the decade with #79 (December-January 1959/1960) with a cover by Jerry Grandenetti and Jack Adler, and ended #139 (December-January 1969/1970), covered by Joe Kubert.

The earlier G.I. Combat issues were just generic war stories, but the series changed, adding the Haunted Tank as a regular feature (the story of Jeb Stuart who commanded a World War II tank, and was aided by a relative of his, who was a Confederate General who appeared to Jeb as a ghost) with G.I. Combat #87 (April-May, 1961), ending with the title in G.I. Combat #288 (March, 1987)

America At War - The Best Of DC War Comics

 

Celebrating those who served in the United States Armed Forces, a look at the war comics that were published by DC Comics from the 1940s to the 1970s, via America At War - The Best Of DC War Comics, which is a Fireside book released for October, 1979, collected by Michael Uslan, with this Joe Kubert cover featuring Sgt. Rock.

This book breaks down DC's war heroes by decade, so that's what will happen here.

1940s

Where it all began with World War II, this section features Blackhawk with his origin from Military Comics #1 (August, 1941), Hop Harrigan from All-American Comics #48 (March, 1943), Boy Commandos from Detective Comics #82 (December, 1943), Superman from Superman #25 (November-December, 1943), as well as a cover to Boy Commandos #4 (Fall, 1943) and a run from the Superman newspaper strip where Clark Kent joins the army.

Blackhawk and the Boy Commandos have been covered before, this Superman was the one who was in the JSA, and Hop Harrigan was a young pilot (who had associations with the Justice Society as well, and was America's Ace of the Airways, even being in his own movie serial).

1950s

Next up, a group of tales including one from Our Army At War #67 (February, 1958), with Sgt. Rock from Our Army At War #83 (June, 1959), Gunner & Sarge from Our Fighting Forces #49 (September, 1959), and Mademoiselle Marie from Star Spangled War Stories #87 (November, 1959), with covers from G. I. Combat #54 (November, 1957) and Our Fighting Forces (September, 1959).

Thankfully, Sgt. Rock, Gunner & Sarge and Mlle. Marie have all already been covered...

..including times that they have teamed up together.

1960s

Continuing on, with covers from Our Army At War #112 (November, 1961) and Our Fighting Forces #102 (August, 1966), as well as stories from G. I. Combat #87 (April-May, 1961) with the World War II's Haunted Tank, World War I Enemy Ace from Showcase #57 (July-August, 1965), Sgt. Rock and Easy from Our Army At War #160 (November, 1965), the War That Time Forgot from Star Spangled War Stories #134 (August-September, 1967) and Captain Hunter from Our Fighting Forces #102 (August, 1966).

The Haunted Tank, Enemy Ace and the War That Time Forgot all were previously covered...

...and Captain Hunter was Phil Hunter, a Green Beret looking for his brother, Nick, in 1960s Vietnam, as DC takes war beyond World War II. 

1970s

Finishing up in the decade this volume was printed, with stories from Our Army At War #235 (August, 1971), Our Army At War #233 (June, 1971), Star Spangled War Stories #183 (November-December, 1974), and Weird War Tales #3 (January-February, 1972) and covers from Army At War #1 (October-November, 1978), Our Army At War #233 (June, 1971) and Star Spangled War Stories #183 (November-December, 1974).

Mostly generic war stories, with one Sgt. Rock, and a story of the Unknown Soldier, who has been covered before...

....all with the hopes of war no more.

Suicide Mission For Sgt. Rock, Haunted Tank and Johnny Cloud

Talking about the greatest generation, and times when they fought for our freedom.

One time brought together the greatest fighters of that generation for their greatest mission....

...and here is that story, from Brave and the Bold #52 (February-March, 1964) by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert (under a cover by Kubert), when they had to work together on a...

Suicide Mission

An agent needed behind the lines in World War II, so the United States sent its best flier, Johnny Cloud, on a secret mission to retrieve the hero (but, with a plan so secret, his plan had a bomb implanted, rigged to explode to prevent capture).  After a pitched battle against Nazi fighters, Cloud landed his P-41 to find the informant, code named "Martin", sealed in an iron suit, as a torture by Nazis who had captured him.  

 

Still, the resistance helped the agent escape with vital information, but had no time to remove the suit.  To allow Cloud and Martin to get into the air, the resistance fighter sacrificed his life fending off attacking Nazi troops.  In the air, more planes attacked, but Cloud was saved when a tank joined the fray, taking out the last Nazi fighter.  

After landing carefully (to not trigger the explosives), Cloud and Martin had to hurry to get into the M-3 (the Haunted Tank of Jeb Stuart), as they provided cover for Nazi troops who had been attracted to the air battle.  The troops were little trouble for Stuart and his crew, but soon, a Nazi Tiger tank arrived, bringing more trouble than they could handle.  Still, Stuart went for advise from his ghostly Civil War namesake (who only he could see and hear), and led the Tiger to crashing into Cloud's plane, which exploded on impact, taking out the Tiger.   

Stuart, Cloud, Martin and the crew were rolling on, with the ghost giving Jeb the advice of needing a rock of strength....which, after an encounter with another Tiger tank, they needed.  Sgt. Rock and Easy Company approached, being drawn in by the tank battle.  

Rock and bazooka holding Dead-Eye could decide the fate of the mission, having to take down the Tiger, but enemy fire weakened the two men....yet, as he was dying, Dead-Eye wouldn't stop staring at Sgt. Rock....which gave him the strength to lift the bazooka, firing it and taking out the Tiger tank.  

Rock, Stuart and Cloud had to take "Martin" away on foot, finding the iron suit too hard to manage, finally freed the agent from it....to find out that it was French resistance fighter Sgt. Rock had met before!  The four continued on, being found by another Nazi tank....where the commander wanted to know which of the four was "Martin".  They all claimed to be...distracting him long enough for Sgt. Rock to dive under the tank and use the remaining bazooka shells to blow up the tank.  

The team was able to deliver the agent to the Allies, where the information delivered was able to stop a Nazi terror invasion.  This work and sacrifice resulted in Rock and Stuart being promoted to Lieutenant, and Cloud to Captain....yet Frank Rock was already working on getting demoted, as he only ever wanted to be a sergeant, and top kick of Easy Company.

Now, some quick files on the men of this mission (with a reveal of who was behind the iron mask at the end!).

Sgt. Rock of Easy Company

Sgt. Rock premiered in Our Army At War #81 (April, 1959) by Robert Kanigher, Bob Haney, Ross Andru and Michael Esposito) but became the Sgt. Frank Rock of Easy more readily recognized about two issues later.  The son of a miner, who became a boxer, then worked at a steel mill, Rock enlisted, and embodied the fighting spirit of the average American, finding leading men into battle to be where he truly belonged.

Johnny Cloud

Johnny Cloud premiered in All-American Men Of War #82 (November-December, 1960) by Robert Kanigher and Irv Novick,  Johnny was the son of a Navajo Indian Chief, who called his boy "Flying Cloud", who took inspiration from the clouds.  Johnny suffered discrimination in the air corps, yet became a lieutenant, and leader of his squadron, after dispatching the enemy fighters who attacked his squadron, fatally wounding their leader, Mack, who recommends Johnny as the new leader of the squadron, now nicknamed the Happy Braves.

Jeb Stuart of the Haunted Tank

Jeb Stuart and his haunted tank premiered in G.I. Combat #87 (April-May, 1961) by Robert Kanigher and Russ Heath (though not on that first cover), with Stuart and his M-3 crew going into battle against a Nazi Tiger tank team.  The M-3 was lighter and more maneuverable, taking out the more powerful Nazi tanks, with a little help from the ghost of Civil War General Jeb Stuart (a forefather of Jeb's, and spiritual protector of the tank).  Later, the ghost would appear to Jeb, giving him advice which allowed Stuart and his crew to fight well in World War II. 

Mademoiselle Marie

The "man" in the iron suit was really a doll....a French resistance fighter named Mademoiselle Marie, who premiered in Star-Spangled War Stories #84 (August, 1959) by Robert Kanigher and Jerry Grandenetti, Marie had many missions in France, trying to free her occupied land from the Nazis who had unjustly taken their land.  Marie fought on even after many sacrifices, including her father (though she seemed to lose a father many times, a bit of contradiction in her stories).  Marie even lost her own series, but continued to aid the Allies, popping up to help Sgt. Rock and Easy Company in Our Army At War #115 before her appearance in B&B.

This "Suicide Mission" was reprinted many times, including in Battle Classics #1 (September-October, 1978) and Sgt. Rock Special #2 (1988), both with covers by Joe Kubert, detailing the hard work that our armed forces must endure to protect our freedom!

These heroes would also join forces many times in the future as well (with additional heroes, like the Losers and the Unknown Soldier), keeping an ever vigilant battle against the forces of evil, to prevent them from winning the fight, no matter the sacrifice.

Watching The Monitor: Legion, Haunted Tank and Jonah Hex

While it seemed the Monitor was only watching the here and now, he was surveying the length and breath of the DC Multiverse (hinted at when he looked back to World War II and the All-Star Squadron).

The Monitor would also check out an even bigger group, the Legion of Super-Heroes, before going back to World War II again to view the crew of the Haunted Tank, and even interfere a little, in the Wild West, with Jonah Hex.

Death Trip

First up, a trip to the 30th Century in Tales Of The Legion Of Super-Heroes #317 (November, 1984) by Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen, Mindy Newell, Terry Shoemaker and Karl Kesel, wherein the Monitor and Lyla check on Dev-Em (a survivor of Krypton with powers similar to Superboy's; when Dev-Em returned after the Crisis, he was a Daxamite instead), all the while as the second Invisible Kid tries to save fellow Legion member Wildfire from an otherdimensional trap.

This story has yet to be reprinted.

If Memory Should Fail

Next up, in Tales Of The Legion Of Super-Heroes #319 (January, 1985) by Paul Levitz, Terry Shoemaker and Karl Kesel, the Monitor and Lyla are kept as busy as the Legion, as the team is spread pretty thing, with Star Boy upset that he has to take on Mon-El (a Daxamite with powers like Superboy's, but going mad with worry from the thought of being exiled again to the Phantom Zone), and Brainiac 5 worried that he cannot properly secure the Legion's headquarters on Earth.

This tale has yet to be reprinted.

Magpie Complex

With Tales Of The Legion Of Super-Heroes #320 (February, 1985) by Paul Levitz, Mindy Newell, Dan Jurgens and Karl Kesel, readers see along with the Monitor as Star Boy and Dream Girl try to work our their relationship problems while dealing with Magpie, a thief breaking into their headquarters with tech supplied by the Monitor.  It was old Legion of Super-Heroes foe, Universo, who was trying to get more details on the Legion.

This tale has yet to be reprinted.

Death March

Next up in G.I. Combat #274 (February, 1985) under a Joe Kubert cover, and with story by Robert Kanigher and Sam Glanzman, readers finally get to see a little of the Monitor (as you may have noticed, his previous appearances have all been without actually seeing him).  Lt. Jeb Stuart headed the crew of the World War II Haunted Tank.....haunted by the ghost of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart, who used his knowledge to help the living Stuart become a better leader.  Here, the Monitor hints at his power, as he meets with the ghostly General on his homeground, something the ghost is not used to.

This tale has not yet been reprinted.

The Secret General

Next up, under another Joe Kubert cover for G.I. Combat #275 (March, 1985), with story by Robert Kanigher and Sam Glanzman, the ghostly General reflects on meeting the Monitor, as the Monitor's satellite leaves the after realm of the dead in World War II.   This hints at some of the length and depth of the Monitor's power, as well as how everything is threatened by the upcoming Crisis.

This tale has not been reprinted.

Starlight, Star Bright...First Star I See Tonight

Jonah Hex #90 (April, 1985) by Michael Fleisher and Gray Morrow (under a Mark Texeira cover) has one of the odder appearances of the Monitor....but you have to look hard.  In the Wild West, Confederate gunslinger, Jonah Hex, was quite injured and desperate, but happens to find a home with a horse right when he needed it....and, surprise, that home owner was a disguised Monitor!  The Monitor knew the need of an old 1870s bounty hunter in the upcoming Crisis and beyond his own time.

This tale has yet to be reprinted.

The Monitor has watched the Titans, Justice League, Justice Society and even more mystical lands, with the whole of the Multiverse in danger, wondering if the future (or the past) will survive, yet it is after his meetings with Batman and Superman that the Crisis would happen!

Saluting Our Combat Veterans

Saluting the men and women who fought for our country on this Veterans' Day...

....with this cover of G.I. Combat #200 (March, 1977) by Joe Kubert, featuring a story by Robert Kanigher and Sam Glanzman teaming up the crew of the Haunted Tank (stars of this comic) working with Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, Mademoiselle Marie and the Losers (Captain Storm, Johnny Cloud, Gunner and Sarge) fighting one of their many battles of World War II.

Early Brave and the Bold Team-Ups

Before Batman, Brave and the Bold had team-ups, starting with issue #50 (October-November, 1963) with the magazine “You ask for” (though one wonders if readers weren’t asking for more Suicide Squad, Justice League of America, Cave Carson or Hawkman…a few series who had tried out in Brave and the Bold before this team-up idea…).

It was really the magazine writer Bob Haney asked for, and was a chance to spotlight some of DC’s stars who were back-up features in other comics at the time….but soon grew into more!

It Ain’t Easy Being Green

In Brave & the Bold #50 (written by Bob Haney, with art by George Roussos), it was Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) and the Manhunter from Mars (John Jones, or J’onn J’onnz in his native Martian) working together (along with Ollie’s partner, Speedy/Roy Harper) to fight evil Martian Vulkor and his men…Michael Uslan had this to say in the Brave and the Bold Team-Up Archives (March, 2005) “It was the first time either a Green Arrow or a Manhunter from Mars logo appeared atop a comic book. One reason these two characters may have been selected for the first B&B team-up is the success of Batman and Superman in World’s Finest. What DC hero was most like Batman? With his red-clad sidekick, Arrow Car and Arrow Cave, wealthy playboy Oliver (Green Arrow) Queen was certainly at the time being presented as an imitation Batman. And what super-hero was most akin to Superman? But for the fact that his weakness was fire and not Kryptonite, the Manhunter from Mars best qualifies. More likely, this was a way to promote the Martian Manhunter, who would shortly gain his very own cover-featured series beginning in House Of Mystery #143.”

While it might have helped J'onn, it didn’t seem to help Green Arrow and Speedy, who were nearing the end of their run in World’s Finest Comics…and Green Arrow would only have the JLA he joined to appear in for a time.

Air and Water Mix

Next up…was Aquaman (Arthur Curry) and Hawkman (Katar Hol, or Carter Hall on Earth) in Brave & the Bold #51 (December-January 1963-1964, by Haney and artist Howard Purcell) that had the two (as well as their partners of Aqualad/Garth and Hawkgirl/Shayera Hol) facing off against Tyros, a man cast out of Atlantis who found a gem that gave him power that he would use to try to take over Aquaman’s home! 

Aquaman was losing his space in World’s Finest Comics, but had his own magazine at this time, and Hawkman was a half-feature in Mystery In Space, but soon to get his own comic as well (and soon after that, the Thanagarian would join the Atlantean in the Justice League as well…).

Brave and the Bold Goes To War

For something a little different, Brave & the Bold #52 (February-March 1964) featured a trio of DC’s war heroes…Sgt. Rock, the Haunted Tank (led by Tankman Stuart) and Lt. Johnny Cloud (the Navajo Ace).  Written by Robert Kanigher with art by Joe Kubert, these 3 battle stars had to work together to save an important agent (codenamed “Martin”) from the Nazis (and, this agent was someone whom they had worked with before!).

Sgt. Rock would come back to Brave & the Bold quite a few times in stories by Bob Haney (but, they weren’t exactly Robert Kanigher‘s favorites, as they featured Sgt. Rock AFTER World War II, which Kanigher didn’t approve of…).

DC’s war titles had characters meet all the time, so this wasn’t quite as special as it was for the other DC heroes…who rarely crossed over at this time.

A Quick Little Story

Back to the superheroes, with Flash (Barry Allen) and the Atom (Ray Palmer) in Brave & the Bold #53 (April-May 1964) where these two scientific heroes had to deal with “The Challenge of the Expanding World”…that is, a micro-world that was to expand into and destroy our world!

Written by Haney, with art by the incredible Alex Toth, and a cover by Bob Brown, this story was also reprinted in the Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told (1989) and it’s two heroes already had two successful titles of their own, as well as being fellow JLA members!

(A little ironic, that this team up could also happen live, as the Flash TV show ties in with Arrow on the CW, and Atom is a character on the TV show Arrow....where they had Arrow and Flash team up!)

Kids Come Together

Flash (Barry Allen), as well as Aquaman (Arthur Curry), were back for a little cameo in the next issue, Brave & the Bold #54 (June-July 1964) as well as Batman making his first team-up appearance in B&B (outside of the JLA premiere in B&B #28-30), but they were just there to advise their sidekicks of Kid Flash (Wally West), Aqualad (Garth) and Robin (Dick Grayson)…who were the stars of the issue!  The kids of Hatton Corners were kidnapped by Mr. Twister (Brom Stikk) and it was up to these three to save them!  Thought by many to be the first appearance of the Teen Titans, it just isn't so…even though Bob Haney wrote this issue (with art by Bruno Premiani),  the Teen Titans didn’t get a formal name until later in the Brave and the Bold run…it also seems odd that Speedy wasn’t there…

All of these issues are reprinted in the Brave and the Bold Team-Up Archives (as well as a few more), and those will be coming soon!

B&B seeing you!