DC Big 5 War Comics: Star-Spangled War Stories

Star-Spangled Comics was launched by DC in 1941 as a superhero anthology title featuring Star-Spangled Kid by Jerry Seigel and Hal Sherman.

Star Spangled Comics #1 (October 1941)
Art by Hal Sherman

Star-Spangled Kid remained as the cover star until #7 (April 1942) with the debut of Guardian and the Newsboy Legion by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

Star Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942)
Pencil Art by Jack Kirby, inks :Joe Simon

Robin took over the cover and featured in his first solo series starting with #65 (February 1947).

Star Spangled Comics #65 (February 1947)
Art by Win Mortimer

DC put Tomahawk on the covers starting with #96 (September 1949) to appeal to the increasing popularity of the western genre.  All-American had been retitled All-American Western in 1948 and All-Star followed  becoming All-Star Western in 1951.

Star  Spangled Comics #96 (September 1949)
Art by Fred Ray

DC switched genres to mystery and horror with #122 (November 1951). Ghost-Breaker got the cover even though both Robin and Tomahawk were still in the comic.

Star Spangled Comics #122 (November 1951)
Art by Leonard Starr

Bob Kanigher finally got his hands on the title in 1952 and Star-Spangled War Stories became part of DC's assault on the war comics market with #131.

Star-Spangled War Stories #131 (August 1952)
Art by Curt Swan

DC decided to start re-numbering the title with the November 1952 issue but astonishingly for modern comics fans chose to ignore a new #1 and start with #3.  This would mean that there are comics in the series which share the same number (#131, #132 and #133).

Star-Spangled War Stories #3 (November 1952)
Art by Curt Swan

Bob Kanigher assembled a stellar team of artists including Irv Novick, Jerry Grandenetti, Russ Heath, Ross Andru and Joe Kubert.

Star-Spangled War Stories #48 (August 1956)
Art by Jerry Grandenetti

Star-Spangled War Stories #81 (May 1959)
Art by Russ Heath

The first recurring character made her debut in #84 (August 1959).  Mademoiselle Marie was created by Bob Kanhiger and Jerry Grandenetti and was a member of the French resistance.

Star-Spangled War Stories #84 (August 1959)
Art by Irv Novick

Bob Kanhiger, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito then launched a comics classic, The War that Time Forgot, in #90 (April/May 1960) which pitched American military personnel into combat with prehistoric dinosaurs on a remote Pacific Island.

Star-Spangled War Stories #90 (April/May 1960)
Pencil art by Ross Andru, inks:Mike Esposito

Star-Spangled War Stories #125 (February/March 1966)
Pencil art by Ross Andru, inks: Mike Esposito

My favourite war series, Enemy Ace, became the headliner in #138 (April/May 1968) by the peerless team of Kanigher and Kubert.

Star-Spangled War Stories #138 (April/May 1968)
Art by Joe Kubert

Bob Kanigher and Joe Kubert had introduced Enemy Ace in Our Army at War #151 (February 1965, also appearing in #153 and #155).  The character also had a trial in Showcase (#57 - #58) before settling in Star-Spangled War Stories for an extended run (#138 - #161, #181 - #183, #200, 1968 -1976).  The next classic series to make its home in Star-Spangled War Stories was the Unknown Soldier in #151 (June/July 1970), written and drawn by Joe Kubert.

Star-Spangled War Stories #151 (June/July 1970)
Art by Joe Kubert

The Unknown Soldier had first appeared in a Sgt.Rock story in Our Army at War #168 (June 1966) by Kanigher and Kubert.

Our Army at War #168 (June 1966)
Art by Joe Kubert

The great Bob Haney first scripted the series in #155 (February/March 1971).

Star-Spangled War Stories #155 (February/March 1971)
Art by Joe Kubert

Unknown Soldier continued to headline for the remainder of the comic's run until #204 (February/March 1977), when it was renamed Unknown Soldier until cancellation with #268 (October 1982).  Over 40 years as an ongoing title with just over 30 years as a war comic, a true DC classic!