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Rating: 
Summary: Another fine "Archives" book from DC Comics
Review: Although I grew up on the later issues of Sgt. Rock, these early issues are just as fun to read. If you like Sgt. Rock and are interested in his origins and the rest of Easy Company, it's a no brainer buy. (It is probably also the only way you will ever own them anyway!) If you are expecting the 70's version of his comics with Enemy Ace or Unknown Soldier, you may want to buy a later version of the Archives (if DC continues to release them and I hope they do). I would not buy a Batman Archives #1 and expect the Batman of the 60's and 70's, I would expect old school (circa 1930's) Batman. This book is "old school" Sgt. Rock, and a gem at that.
Rating:
Summary: Another fine "Archives" book from DC Comics
Review: Although I grew up on the later issues of Sgt. Rock, these early issues are just as fun to read. If you like Sgt. Rock and are interested in his origins and the rest of Easy Company, it's a no-brainer buy. (It is probably also the only way you will ever own them anyway!) If you are expecting the 70's version of his comics with Enemy Ace or Unknown Soldier, you may want to buy a later version of the Archives (if DC continues to release them and I hope they do). I would not buy a Batman Archives #1 and expect the Batman of the 60's and 70's, I would expect old school (circa 1930's) Batman. This book is "old school" Sgt. Rock, and a gem at that. I can understand the other guys review that said it was not what he expected, but I think one star is a bit harsh. Take these books and other early Archive issues with a grain of salt, and try to read them in the context (or mindset) of when they were published and I think your expectations might align better. Yeah, they're hokey, corny and at times repetitious or even mediocre reading, but they are the ground floor of a great run of comics.
Rating: 
Summary: Let's Rock!
Review: Here we have earliest Sgt. Rock stories. These aren't the most realistic war comics, but they are enjoyable. The artwork is terrific , too. I especially like the ones drawn by Joe Kubert.
Rating:
Summary: Let's Rock!
Review: Here we have earliest Sgt. Rock stories. These aren't the most realistic war comics, but they are enjoyable. The artwork is terrific , too. I especially like the ones drawn by Joe Kubert.
Rating:
Summary: Good War Stories...Whatever the format
Review: I bought this book because I liked Sgt. Rock as a kid and I thought it would bring back some good memories. Otherwise, I don't have much interest in comics or pulp fiction. In the late '50s books such as "GI Combat" and "Our Army At War" was publishing stories about Easy company. A reacurring character was "the rock of Easy" or a "Sgt Rock". The book introduces us to early versions of the character, in one early story he is a buck Sgt. called Sgt Rocky. It was the story "The Rock and the Wall" that the Sgt. Rock character was first introduced as the character that fans recognize as Sgt. Rock. Reading these stories you have to wonder if maybe the target audience may have been the fathers of the boys who bought the books. Most of the stories deal with Rock turning replacemants into "Good Easy Company men." The new comers are either scared replacements or overly cocky. Rock handles them the same way. He lets them learn for themselves. Some live and are absorded into Easy while others become regulars in the series. Many die to earn the title of "a good Easy Co. man." The backbone of this book is leadership, doing what's right and living with it..one soldier asks Sgt. Rock "What's worse than that run through fire?" Rock answeres "Being forced to leave a man behind.." One great leadership lesson is when Sgt. Rock lectures a glory hound..."Easy guy'll walk into any fire 'cause they know their buddies'll stop to pull 'em out... but all it takes is one character to think of himself first to start the whole outfit thinkin' the same way! Then good bye campany!" One of the most important stories in this collection, I think, is "Three Stripes Hill" In this story Sgt. Rock thinks back to how he rose from privte to sgt. Sgt. Rock: "I wouldn't want to earn these stripes again--the way I had to!..." In this story Pvt Rock arrives at Easy Co. and after his first action is told by his C.O. that he's being recommended for a Bronze Star but cannot be promoted because "the company table of organization is all filled." The only way to get promoted is when there's an opening which means somebody gets killed. Says Rock, "I'm not bucking for stripes over another guy's tin pot stuck on a rifle." But later Rock rises to Sgt as his buddies fall around him. Sgt. Rock thinks, "No--I wasn't born with thse three stripes." Some people might watch "Thin Red Line" or read Hemingway, but if you're going to read fiction about WWII check out this volume. Now they call comic books graphic novels, most couldn't touch this book. This ain't no funny book
Rating:
Summary: Good War Stories...Whatever the format
Review: I bought this book because I liked Sgt. Rock as a kid and I thought it would bring back some good memories. Otherwise, I don't have much interest in comics or pulp fiction. In the late '50s books such as "GI Combat" and "Our Army At War" was publishing stories about Easy company. A reacurring character was "the rock of Easy" or a "Sgt Rock". The book introduces us to early versions of the character, in one early story he is a buck Sgt. called Sgt Rocky. It was the story "The Rock and the Wall" that the Sgt. Rock character was first introduced as the character that fans recognize as Sgt. Rock. Reading these stories you have to wonder if maybe the target audience may have been the fathers of the boys who bought the books. Most of the stories deal with Rock turning replacemants into "Good Easy Company men." The new comers are either scared replacements or overly cocky. Rock handles them the same way. He lets them learn for themselves. Some live and are absorded into Easy while others become regulars in the series. Many die to earn the title of "a good Easy Co. man." The backbone of this book is leadership, doing what's right and living with it..one soldier asks Sgt. Rock "What's worse than that run through fire?" Rock answeres "Being forced to leave a man behind.." One great leadership lesson is when Sgt. Rock lectures a glory hound..."Easy guy'll walk into any fire 'cause they know their buddies'll stop to pull 'em out... but all it takes is one character to think of himself first to start the whole outfit thinkin' the same way! Then good bye campany!" One of the most important stories in this collection, I think, is "Three Stripes Hill" In this story Sgt. Rock thinks back to how he rose from privte to sgt. Sgt. Rock: "I wouldn't want to earn these stripes again--the way I had to!..." In this story Pvt Rock arrives at Easy Co. and after his first action is told by his C.O. that he's being recommended for a Bronze Star but cannot be promoted because "the company table of organization is all filled." The only way to get promoted is when there's an opening which means somebody gets killed. Says Rock, "I'm not bucking for stripes over another guy's tin pot stuck on a rifle." But later Rock rises to Sgt as his buddies fall around him. Sgt. Rock thinks, "No--I wasn't born with thse three stripes." Some people might watch "Thin Red Line" or read Hemingway, but if you're going to read fiction about WWII check out this volume. Now they call comic books graphic novels, most couldn't touch this book. This ain't no funny book
Rating: 
Summary: Eh...Not What I Hoped For
Review: I grew up reading two or three of the same Weird War Tales and Men Of War (with Enemy Ace, The Gravedigger, The Haunted Tank, etc) mags over and over until they were pretty ragged. I remembered seeing the Sgt. Rock ads in those comics, next to those of the Unknown Soldier. Having been hyped on war comics again with the recent revamp of WWT and Garth Ennis' Unknown Soldier, I figured I'd give Sgt. Rock and the Combat Happy Joes of Easy Company a try. (SgtRockandtheCombatHappyJoesofEasyCompanySgtRockandTheCombatHappy...etc) Learn that phrase, because reading these issues it will become like a mantra. Also take note of the term and phrase `tin pot (a helmet)' and `That's the way it is in Easy, where nothing is easy.' The writing is SO repetitive. I'm used to the innocent predictablity of older golden and silver age comics (its not really predictabilty, for these are the originals from which all the modern comics tend to borrow), so I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but at least I thought I'd be entertained. I found myself willing my way through the book, wanting each story to end. It has some moments (I liked the opening story introducing the Rock), but they are just too far between.The art however, is very good. Some of the renderings of Panzers are particularly memorable, but the action and the dialogue is kinda...well, boring. I know this is a classic. I know it has a following. But this one just didn't speak to me or ring true. Nice art, great edition, but not my cup of joe.
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