Sgt. Rock At Sea

Usually working in the European front, Sgt. Rock occasionally fought in the Pacific, as shown here in Our Army At War #257 and #258 (June and July, 1973) with covers by Joe Kubert.

Sgt. Rock Front And Back

It's so easy to think of Joe Kubert when thinking of Sgt. Rock, but Jerry Granenetti did a few covers feature the top kick of Easy Company, like Our Army At War #92 and #93, from March and April, 1960.

Celebrating The United States Army

Celebrating the United States Army, who were founded on this date in 1775.

Here, under two covers by Joe Kubert (Our Army At War #112 of November, 1961 and Our Army At War #178 of March, 1967), Sgt. Rock has to decide which member of Easy Company deserves a medal...here, it is our humble opinion that all who honorably serve and have served our Armed Forces get a salute.

For Memorial Day

Remembering those who gave their lives for our country this Memorial Day, with Our Army At War #236 (September, 1971) with a cover by Joe Kubert, with Sgt. Rock showing Easy what may happen to them in war. 

1960s Our Army At War

The last of our features on DC war comics of the 1960s goes to one of longest running series, that of Our Army At War, with the decade starting with Our Army At War #90 (January, 1960) and ending with Our Army At War #213 (December, 1969), both with covers by Joe Kubert and featuring Sgt. Rock and Easy Company.

Nothing was ever easy in Easy.

Sgt. Frank Rock fought hard to keep his men in Easy Company safe during World War II, as well as other friends he made along the way, like the members of the Haunted Tank, Gunner & Sarge, Mlle. Marie and more....even Superman, Batman, the Viking Prince and Swamp Thing, with the Rock of Easy eventually laying claim to the title of the book.

Saluting Our Veterans

Saluting our veterans on this Veterans' Day with a slightly more lighthearted Joe Kubert cover from Our Army At War #206 (May, 1969)...as Sgt. Rock gets to take a little time off.

But, as always, a reminder to still pray for those still at war, and hope that soon, their war will be over too.

The Rock Face Of War

Showing the determined face of World War II's best soldier, Joe Kubert shows incredible expressions with Sgt. Rock for these two covers...

...Our Army At War #192 (April, 1968) and Sgt. Rock #395 (December, 1984).

Though the decades change, Kubert keeps a consistent style, yet also shows how much he has evolved as an artist as well.

For Memorial Day

Remembering our soldiers who had given their all for our country on Memorial Day...

...with this cover by Joe Kubert to Our Army At War #202 (February, 1969) featuring a final fate for Sgt. Rock, being mourned by Easy Company.

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.

For Memorial Day

Remembering those who gave it all for our country this Memorial Day, with this Sgt. Rock cover to Our Army At War #297 (October, 1976) by Joe Kubert, where Sgt. Rock shows in no uncertain terms the sacrifice our soldiers have had to make for our freedoms.

Sgt. Rock Meets The Viking Prince?

Two great warriors, drawn by one great artist, but both historical figures very much defined by their times.

Still, the fates aligned, and these two heroes once met....

...and here is that story, told by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert!

The Prince And The Sergeant

The story begins in Our Army At War #162 (January, 1966), with Little Sure Shot of Easy Company telling the group of the stories of the Viking legends, with their great prince, as mortar fire rang out, ending the tale.  Aboard a British ship, Sgt. Rock would have to lead Easy Company to the shore, and to find the hidden drone base of the Nazis on the beach, as the British ship would continue to provide cover.

As the British ship was found by enemy fire, Easy Company came ashore.  There, they were nearly found by a Nazi patrol, but, Sgt. Rock took to heart the sacrifice of the British commander, planning to lure the Nazis away from his troops so they could complete the mission.

Wounded, Rock continued to fight, leading the troops into a frozen ice cave, where Rock thought he saw a man in the ice.  Things suddenly warmed up as a grenade was tossed into the cave, trying to kill the Sergeant.  Failing, it also freed the Viking Prince from his icy slumber, and Jon quickly dispatched the Nazi troops.  In shock, Rock asked Jon why he through himself into battle wanting to die....and Jon told him.  

Back in the day, the Viking Prince was a mighty warrior, and was taken to Valhalla by a beautiful Valkyrior maiden.  Smitten, Jon wanted her for his own, but she was committed to bringing the dead to Odin.  In the afterlife, Jon faced Haggor, Clefter of Heads, beating him.  At the celebratory feast after, Jon challenged Odin for his Valkyrior, angering Odin, who also realized she brought Jon to Valhalla too soon, thus sent him back to Earth to live, but now cursed to never die by metal, wood, fire or water, entombed in ice until freed by Rock's battle with the Nazis.  The pair were then set upon by a Nazi warplane, which Jon dispatched.  Rock then decided to bring Jon along on his suicide mission, hoping that will end Jon's suffering, allowing him to die (and to complete the mission). 

Kill Me -- Kill Me!

The tale of Jon and Rock continued in Our Army At War #163 (February, 1966), with Jon having renewed happiness to go on a final mission with Sgt. Rock, much to the concern of the sergeant, when the two were beset by Nazi troops, with Jon wading into battle against them.  

As it seemed the troops were to overwhelm the Viking Prince, Sgt. Rock saw spirits of Odin and the Valkyrior above, with Odin promising Jon will never have the maiden.  Jon fought on, with Rock joining the battle, The pair then met Helga, after Jon took out the Nazi tank following her.  Helga claimed to be in the underground, to lead them to the Nazi drone base.  The trio found Easy Company, and headed to the caverns below the base, but Jon's Valkyrior stopped her...

....as Helga was a traitor, leading them to the forces in control of the base.  Jon went into battle to keep the enemy busy, as Rock and Easy Company got their explosives ready, and set them off, destroying the drone base, Nazi troops, and Jon, who would be happy, dying in battle, and ending up with the maiden he loved.

This pair of stories has been reprinted many times, most notably in the Sgt. Rock Special #1 of October, 1988, The Viking Prince collection of September, 2010 and in Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock #3 of September, 2010, because while nothing is ever easy in Easy, finding stories should be!

Read a little of Rock's end of the war adventures here, as well as a time when the Viking Prince was in another time here!

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Our Army At War Sgt. Rock

What's in a name?  

DC fans asked that, as after 301 issues of Our Army At War, the title suddenly changed to Sgt. Rock with issue #302 (but they still had Joe Kubert contributing his wonderful covers for the title. with Robert Kanigher providing the words!).

True, Our Army At War #1 (August, 1952), didn't feature Sgt. Rock (he started in Our Army At War #81 in April, 1959), it was Sgt. Rock that was the main feature of the book from then until Our Army At War #301 (February, 1977), with the title becoming Sgt. Rock #302 (March, 1977), and following the adventures of the top kick of Easy Company until Sgt. Rock #422 (July, 1988).

Saluting the Rock of Easy for holding it together for all those years, fighting World War II under what was DC's longest running war title!    

For Memorial Day

Remembering those who fought for our country and lost their lives this memorial day with this symbolic Joe Kubert cover for Our Army At War #236 (September, 1971), featuring Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, continuing the fight in World War II, showing only death wins in war.