G.I. Combat
| G.I. Combat | |
|---|---|
 G.I. Combat #168 (Jan,. 1974). Cover art by Neal Adams. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Quality Comics DC Comics |
| Format | Ongoing |
| Publication date | Oct. 1952 - Mar. 1987 |
| Number of issues | 288 |
| Main character(s) | The Haunted Tank |
G.I. Combat was a long-running comic book series published first by Quality Comics and later by National Periodical Publications, which was the primary company of those that evolved to become DC Comics.
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[edit] Publication history
The focus of the book was on stories about American soldiers or G.I.s. Initially, the stories involved Cold War adventures with strong anti-communist themes, but over time the focus shifted to tales from World War II, and most of the stories from the mid 1950s on were set during this period. As with other media, the World War II setting was sometimes used to discuss themes pertinent to contemporary conflicts such as the Vietnam War.
The first issue of G.I. Combat was published in October 1952. When NPP acquired the rights to the Quality Comics characters and titles, they continued publishing the book starting with issue #44 in 1957. G.I. Combat was one of very few titles that NPP continued publishing, along with Blackhawk, another war title. Many notable writers and artists worked on G.I. Combat during its run, including Joe Kubert and Neal Adams.
Each issue of G.I. Combat was an anthology book (composed of several short comic stories), a format that continued throughout its run. There were several popular recurring features, including most notably "The Haunted Tank", which first appeared in issue #87 (May 1961)[1] and ran until 1987. The Losers' first appearance as a group was with the Haunted Tank crew in issue #138 (Oct.-Nov. 1969),[2] in a story titled "The Losers". Other recurring features included "The Bravos of Vietnam" (about U.S. Marines in the Vietnam War) and late in its run, a return to Cold War themes with a short-lived recurring feature about 1980s mercenaries. The title continued uninterrupted for over 30 years, through the transition of NPP to DC Comics. Beginning in 1977, G.I. Combat was DC's only war comic to be upgraded to its "Dollar Comic" line, with additional pages of content beyond the then-standard 32-page format.
By the 1980s, war comics grew less marketable and comic companies began dropping these titles. DC's Sgt. Rock, The Unknown Soldier, and Weird War Tales as well as Marvel Comics' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos were all discontinued in the 1980s. G.I. Combat's final issue was #288 (March 1987).
Issue #274 is notable as the first time The Monitor's face was seen.
In January 2012, DC announced a new ongoing series titled G.I. Combat, beginning in May. It will feature "The War that Time Forgot", with back up stories starring the Unknown Soldier, and the Haunted Tank.[3]
[edit] Video game
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An unrelated video game of the same name was released to poor sales in 2002; it was the precursor of Eric Young's Squad Assault.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1960s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. "G.I. Combat #87 saw Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart guide Lt. Jeb Stuart and the Haunted Tank on their first adventure by scribe Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath."
- ^ McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 135: "Scribe Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath turned these self-described Losers - including "Navajo Ace" Johnny Cloud of the U.S. Army Air Force, Marines Gunner Mackey and Sarge Clay, and Captain William Storm, a PT boat commander with a prosthetic leg - into a fighting force that meshed as one."
- ^ Kushins, Josh (January 12, 2012). "DC Comics in 2012-–-Introducing the “Second Wave” of DC Comics The New 52". The Source. DC Comics. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. http://www.webcitation.org/64hEz5q0J. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
- ^ Enter the world of GI Combat with Freedom Games Eric Young - PC News
[edit] References
- G.I. Combat at the Comic Book DB
[edit] External links
- G.I. Combat at MondoCollecto.Com
