My primary exposure to comics in the bronze age (when I was a kid) was to DC’s impressive lineup of war books. Batman? Kids’ stuff. JLA? Puh-lease. Give me Rock and the combat happy Joes of Easy Company. Are DC war books worthy of your collection dollars? Let’s dive in.

Are War Books the New Westerns?

Let’s start with why adding war comics to your collection might not be a good idea. The biggest risk I see is the idea that war comics could suffer the same fate as westerns. This thought has been at the back of my mind for some time now. I don’t think this will happen, but it is worth considering. Westerns were one of the biggest pop culture bubbles of all time it seems to me. For at least three decades vast amounts of movies, TV shows, radio programs, toys, lunch boxes, books and comics were produced around the concept of “cowboys and Indians.” If the people that grew up watching Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and listening to the Lone Ranger are selling (or have sold) their comics, who is buying? As far as I can tell, no one.

Didn’t war themed pop culture go overboard as well? Yes and no. A key difference seems to me that war is still a constant reality. While the technology may change, the men and women who fight, don’t. In other words, there is a timeless, universal appeal to flawed characters that hate what they have to do but know that it has to be done. SGT Rock can be enjoyed by comic readers today because his experiences are relatable by a modern audience in a way that the experiences of the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn just aren’t.

So What are Some Entry Level Keys?

Glad you asked. I’ll touch on some bigger books in a later post. But here are some of my favorites.

Our Army at War #220 (June 1970). I love this purely for the Joe Kubert cover. (DC apparently did too, as they reuse it on SGT Rock #318). This issue’s cover sums up the entire war comic experience (at least from my perspective). Good men sometimes have to do bad things. This is not an expensive book. If you check GoCollect, you can see my 8.5 copy which I bought from Heritage Auctions for $26 plus fees.

Did I say good men sometimes have to do bad things? My bad, I meant men and women. Star Spangled War Stories #88 is a fantastic Mademoiselle Marie cover. Her first appearance is in issue #84, but that’s not an entry-level book. Marie covers are in demand, so even a 6.0 will run over $300, but that’s not too bad considering these comics are from 1959. In fact, starting with her debut in #84, she graces six covers through issue # 89. All are worthy of collecting. Sadly, I don’t have any of these yet.

Don’t forget she and Alfred have a thing during his time with the SAS.

Finally, let’s look at Our Army at War #158. This issue features the first appearance of the Iron Major, SGT Rock’s primary nemesis (other than his own superiors). This issue came out in September of 1965 and is surprisingly affordable. A 7.0 sold for $125 last October.

DC War is a Big Category

We have barely scratched the surface here. A couple of things to keep in mind: Like most Silver Age and older books, they can be tough in high grade. Be patient and make offers on books you are interested in. I’ll have more to come on this topic, so stay tuned. Are you a fan of DC War? Or better yet, do you have westerns in your collection? I’d love to hear your take. Good luck out there!

 

 

 

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