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.

Joe Kubert Part 2: Enemy Ace

Enemy Ace by Joe Kubert, words by Bob Kanigher

I greatly enjoy war comics.  I grew up reading Commando comics, Battle, Warlord, Victor and other British weeklies in which the second world war was fought endlessly by characters such as Union Jack Jackson, D-Day Dawson, Rat Pack and Major Easy.  I also loved American war comics and DC seemed to be the best as far as I could tell at the time, with Star-Spangled War Stories, G. I. Combat and Our Army at War the titles I tried to seek out.  Towering above all the other war artists was Joe Kubert and his greatest strip, in my opinion, was Enemy Ace.

Fury or Rock?

Who is the best sergeant in comics?  Nick Fury or Frank Rock?  Do you like shirt shredding, ammo belt wearing helmetless sergeants or shirt shredding, ammo belt wearing helmeted sergeants? The Howlers or Easy Company? Stan and Jack's Marvel Age take on war or Bob and Joe's premier war icon? Let me know which Silver Age top kick you prefer:

Sgt Fury by Jack Kirby

 

Sgt Rock by Joe Kubert

Joe Kubert Part 1

It is a cliche that a picture paints a thousand words and the greatest artists are able to express emotion and movement with a few pencil markings on a page.  The greatest were also storytellers as skilled as the finest cinema directors.

Jack Kirby, Carmine Infantino, Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, Gene Colan, Joe Kubert, Curt Swan, Jim Steranko, Murphy Anderson, Russ Heath, Neal Adams, John Buscema, John Romita, John Severin, Wally Wood, Ramona Fradon, Bruno Premiani, Marie Severin, Jim Mooney, Nick Cardy and Dick Sprang are all on my list of the greatest artists of the Silver Age.

Let's start with Joe Kubert.

Sgt. Rock, Bulldozer, Little Sure Shot, Jackie Johnson, Mlle. Marie, The Losers, the crew of the Haunted Tank and WWI air ace Steve Savage, the Balloon Buster
Art by Joe Kubert