Product Description

An intense portrait of combat and conflict, this volume reprints the classic World War II adventures of Sgt. Rock and his colorful band of fighting soldiers. Originally published in the early 1960s, these memorable tales showcase the heroic and extraordinary missions of the tough, grizzled leader and the combat-happy Joes of Easy Company. Introduction by Mark Chiarello.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1058554 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-01
• Released on: 2005-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Amazon.com Review
The third DC Archives volume of Sgt. Rock captures the tough-as-nails soldier in World War II tales from Our Army at War #111-125. The stories generally fall into two categories: First, meeting the combat-happy joes of Easy Co., all branded with a nickname, or "battle tag"--Ice Cream Soldier, Wild Man, Sunny, Bulldozer, etc.--or second, breaking in green, disinterested, or otherwise ill-fitting soldiers into the squad. Common messages include: opposing tanks always go for the bazooka first; peppering a tank with bullets through the view slots will eventually set off the ammo; and nothing's easy in Easy Co. But we also meet Rock's "battle family" and see him when he leads a Nazi force against Easy. The stories are all by Rock creator Bob Kanigher, and the majority of the art is by Joe Kubert, with contributions from Russ Heath and Irv Novick. --David Horiuchi

From Booklist
War comics were an industry staple in the 1950s and 1960s, and the prototypical four-color soldier was hard-as-nails Sgt. Rock, who led the "combat-happy Joes" of Easy Company through hundreds of World War II missions from 1959 to 1988. Although penned by Kanigher, who voiced Rock in a distinctive first-person narration that often made the topkick sound more like a hard-boiled detective than a battle--hardened grunt, the character is most associated with Kubert. The artist's style, darker and more expressive than those of most of the era's comic artists, was inappropriate for the superheroes that dominated the field but essentially set the tone for war comics. The 15 stories from 1961-62 in this deluxe volume are typical. However formulaic and lacking in nuance, they are effective examples of telling a story in a handful of pages as opposed to the drawn-out approach predominant in today's comics. These romanticized tales of heroism and camaraderie demonstrate why Sgt. Rock had such a strong influence on the generation of boys that soon faced service in Vietnam. Gordon Flagg
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Customer Reviews

Sgt. Rock Lives On!
For all us redblooded American comic book readers, Sgt. Rock was DA MAN in the 1960s. No other comic captured the adventure, excitement, sadness and tragedy of combat better than OUR ARMY AT WAR, featuring Rock and the "combat-happy Joes" of Easy Company. This 2005 Archive Editions resurrects 15 stories from the early '60s to remind all us aging baby boomers what a classic Sgt. Rock really was.

The stories in Volume 3 were published from October 1961 to December 1962. The stories have Rock, Wild Man, Ice Cream Soldier, Bulldozer and assorted dogfaces along with newbies slogging across Europe. Rock and Easy Company seem to exist in a timeless world. You rarely never know where they are or the date. Likewise superior officers rarely make an appearance. And, in the end, that doesn't really matter.

What matters are the stories, the experiences of those men led by their unstoppable Sergeant. The Sgt. Rock stories don't glorify war. Easy Company score victories/achieve objectives/destroy the enemy but always at a cost. Men fight, bleed, grumble, cry and die yet go on, united in the brotherhood of Easy Company and a just cause.

Most of the 15 stories are done by the wonderful Kanigher/Kubert team. No artist produced more dramatic, soulful comic artwork than Joe Kubert. He was perfect for the world of Sgt. Rock. Russ Heath supplied the artwork for several stories. Though Heath was more technically accurate in depicting tanks, airplanes, weapons, etc., no one could top Kubert with his stylishly dramatic artwork.

Re-reading these stories after forty years, it's amazing how well they hold up. Though you sometimes shake your head and wonder how ANY member of Easy could withstand the blizzards of machine-gun fire they frequently encountered, there is such a thing as dramatic license. Likewise the number of German tanks destroyed by one or more Easy Company dogfaces cramming their Thompsons in viewing ports and blazing away is truly awesome! Nevertheless the stories are affecting.

So whether you are revisiting an old (comic book) friend from your youth or sampling an acknowledged classic in the field, sit back and enjoy.

Excellent buy
This is without doubt an excellent compilation of stories of character, with the exuberant art of Joe Kubert...

Sgt. Rock Archives Vol 3
It's just the way I remember Sgt. back in the 60's ,camping out and reading comic books all night..Thanks for the memories..