DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #6 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 6, April 2023

Doubtless ensuring many a cadet will be stood to attention ramrod straight on account of Sergeant Franklin John Rock sensationally going toe-to-toe against a chemically enhanced Adolf Hitler in a twenty-two-page long slugfest, Bruce Campbell’s storyline definitely delivers upon its pre-publication promise of being a “fear-soaked finale”. Indeed, many a fan of Joe Kubert’s “steelworker from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania” will doubtless struggle to recollect a time when the veteran soldier has come quite so close to being sent home in a flag-draped coffin.

Happily however, that ultimately is not the case as this comic’s “horror and comedy icon” captivatingly pens a series of standout moments which ably demonstrate “The Rock” can genuinely back-up his tough talk when it comes to a bout or two of fisticuffs with Nazi Germany’s Fuhrer. Furthermore, the increasingly fatigued American infantryman shows just how quick-witted his instincts for survival have made him, by employing a series of last second solutions to a plethora of Hitler’s utterly insane attacks; “Holy hell, is he tryin’ to..? You ain’t gassin’ my ass… Ugh… You should see the other guy!”

Intriguingly though, this book isn’t simply about Easy company coming face-to-face with the Third Reich’s ghoulish undead either. But also hints at its conclusion, following Frank's Skipper handing him a mysterious folder labelled the Division of Anomalous Phenomena, that the likes of Four Eyes, Bulldozer, Long Round and Short Round are probably destined to “come face-to-face with something far more horrifying than zombies” in a follow-up mini-series. Such a tantalising move debatably smacks of something from Mike Mignola’s “Hellboy”, yet it should certainly be enough to get any weird war fan frothing in anticipation at the prospect of the “just peachy” Sergeant having similarly unholy future adventures.

Equally as enjoyable as this periodical’s writing are Eduardo Risso’s pencils and Kristian Rossi’s colours, both of which help sell the bone-crunching impact of every punch Rock throws. In addition, this tale is not short on devastating, landscape-shaking explosions, and resultantly the creative duo do a first-rate job of fooling the reader into believing they can actually hear the violently loud bangs and odd “Wha-Boom” with their ears.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #6 by Gary Frank

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #5 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 5, March 2023

Opening with Easy Company receiving (yet) another mission briefing from their military superior at Command Centre, Bruce Campbell’s narrative for Issue Five of “DC Horror Presents: Sergeant Rock Verses The Army Of The Dead” initially feels like something of a reset for the mini-series considering that in the comic’s previous instalment the veteran soldiers had just sensationally discovered the Fuhrer’s secret headquarters. But such a strange feeling isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the Allies would arguably need to consolidate their intelligence and plan a co-ordinated attack upon so formidable a defensive bastion in ‘real life.’

Furthermore, the conference establishes an aura of vulnerability to the mini-series’ titular character by emphasizing that he can’t simply just wade into a Nazi stronghold packed full of super-strong zombies like John Wayne and easily win the day. Indeed, much of this twenty-two-page periodical’s plot actually demonstrates the difficulty incurred by an American strike force trying to specifically target a well-guarded German fortification, courtesy of some hair-raising parachute drops onto ruinous terrain, an unsuccessful bomb drop from the air and a desperate, last gasp bazooka blast; “We ain’t goin’ in that way! We’ll go in the service entrance. Right this way…”

Perhaps this publication’s most startling feature though is just how small the reinforced concrete bunker belonging to “an uber-graded, rejuvenation serum-addicted Adolf Hitler” is. True, the facility’s dimensions are plainly shown on a well-detailed interior map when Rock is originally told of his latest assignment. But the disconcertingly dank place’s claustrophobic central corridor debatably doesn’t hit home with the reader until Frank is staring straight down it at the solitary steel door leading to the Fuhrer’s occupied office.

Ably adding to this comic’s all-pervading atmosphere of nervous anticipation and ballyhoo bravado are Eduardo Risso’s marvellous layouts, which do a first-rate job of depicting Easy Company’s edgy excitement during their mission’s early moments, and then understandable unease as things start to go awry. In addition, the illustrator’s ability to imbue the likes of Eva Braun and Hitler with the subhuman strength of Doctor Theodor Morell’s zombie solution is impressive, with the Fuhrer’s wife proving to be a particularly savage specimen when confronted in close combat.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #5 by Gary Frank

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #4 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 4, February 2023

Pausing simply to allow Easy Company to reload their arsenal of heavy weapons, Bruce Campbell’s script for Issue Four of “DC Horror Presents: Sergeant Rock Verses The Army Of The Dead” is arguably an absolute rollercoaster of a ride for its readers, as Frank momentarily disguises himself by wearing a German uniform and causes even more chaos behind enemy lines. Indeed, it’s difficult to calculate the Axis death count within this twenty-two-page periodical due to the Allies mercilessly mowing down all manner of Nazi soldiers with a mixture of small arms fire, flamethrowers and bazooka blasts; “Short Round, ditch the bunker on my signal.”

Enjoyably however, this comic isn’t just all action for the sake of it, as the American veterans continually have to reassess and redirect their efforts to successfully follow Doctor Theodor Morell all the way to Adolf Hitler’s secret headquarters. Debatably it would have been all too easy for the “B-Movie Actor” to simply pen for “ol’ sarge” and his men to effortlessly obliterate everything in their path en route to completing their mission. But instead, Campbell pens an enthralling narrative which repeatedly sees Rock having to adapt to a change in circumstances - whether that be a heavily guarded Third Reich checkpoint, a camouflaged enemy bunker or truckload of super-strong Nazi zombies.

In addition, “Where The Rubber Meets The Road” is packed full of humour and some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, such as when the grizzled Sergeant nonchalantly hands a Nazi Guard some torn out papers from an Opel Blitz truck operator’s manual. This comical timing, for what is otherwise an incredibly dark and disconcerting tale, is absolutely spot on and makes it perfectly plausible to imagine many within this publication’s audience quietly chuckling to themselves every few panels, even when a terrified Four Eyes yells out an uncensored expletive upon seeing a still burning German ghoul rushing headlong towards his all-too vulnerable location.

Helping to maintain this dual atmosphere of amusement and sense-shattering war-time shenanigans is illustrator Eduardo Risso, who is able to prodigiously pencil an astonished-looking German sentry or completely dumbfounded member of the Feldgendarmerie with unnerving ease. Furthermore, the Argentine artist is able to manufacture some additional menace to the “Re-Gens” by stretching out their shadows and highlighting Rock’s brooding presence, courtesy of his cigarette end burning red within the darkness of a church tower.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #4 by Gary Frank

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #3 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 3, January 2023

Whilst “DC Comics’” pre-publication synopsis for Issue Three of “DC Horror Presents: Sergeant Rock Verses The Army Of The Dead” enthusiastically speaks about Easy Company having “some fun defending themselves against Hitler’s undead goons”, such joy probably pales when compared to how much entertainment this comic’s audience will have actually reading Bruce Campbell’s narrative. Sure, the twenty-two-page periodical starts off a little slowly, courtesy of the grizzled squad being thoroughly briefed back at Allied Command Centre about their latest offensive behind enemy lines. But once the likes of Four Eyes and Long Round have been equipped with the latest weaponry, the veteran soldier company are quickly thrown straight into the deep end; “With these new toys, we were itchin’ to get back into the sandbox.”

Furthermore, the brief pause in zombie-killing action allows the American author to establish the parameters of a mission which is far more interesting than a simple full-on assault against the Fuhrer’s walking dead. The Allies’ need to “flush” out an unharmed Doctor Theodor Morell so the evil physician can potentially lead Rock to Hitler himself makes the assignment doubly difficult and adds an extra edge to the pulse-pounding proceedings when events start to take a turn for the worse – such as Team Dozer inadvertently blocking their entry into the Nazi’s unholy serum factory with a bazooka blast to its brick-built giant chimney.

Equally as enthralling is the fact that even with such advanced armaments as a heavy counterassault rifle, Easy Company are far from the unstoppable killing machine lesser comic book writers might be tempted to pen them as. Indeed, despite their flamethrower, ability to breach cement walls and be deadly “accurate from a thousand yards”, this mini-series’ protagonists are repeatedly shown having to desperately hurl themselves behind cover as their disconcertingly gleeful, almost bestial foes, continue to soak up physical damage which would ordinarily lay low a mortal opponent. 

Adding an insane number of detached retinas and entrails to “Belly Of The Beast” is Eduardo Risso, whose pencils don’t shy away from the notion of depicting a goose-steeping undead German having his entire face or all-too visible bowels shredded by a shotgun shell or two at close quarters. In addition, colorist Kristian Rossi does a first-rate job providing plenty of atmospheric lighting for all the gratuitously graphic set-pieces, whether it be inside the heavily shadowed Fuhrer’s bunker, the purple-saturated darkness of night, or the beautifully bright glow of a flamethrower.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #3 by Gary Frank

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #2 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 2, December 2022

Featuring an undead fascist host which is not only almost unkillable, but also retains enough memory of their former life to drink, drive, converse and fire automatic weapons, Bruce Campbell’s narrative for Issue Two of “DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead” unquestionably produces a genuine sense of deadly danger surrounding Easy Company as they reconnoitre behind enemy lines. Indeed, at one point it actually appears a sure-fire certainty that Dozer is about to be throttled to death by a grinning cadaver, when the unsuspecting soldier is surprised by a pair of Third Reich zombies being carried inside a canvas-covered German truck.

Enjoyably, such sincerely felt jeopardy isn’t palpable just for this one set-piece either, as the Michigan-born writer later places the veteran squad inside a derelict building which is suddenly swarmed full of almost bestial, gun-toting zeds. Moreover, ‘the Sword of Damocles’ is even shown dangling above the head of Doctor Theodor Morell’s second-in-command, when the villainous physician makes it abundantly clear to his sub-ordinate that the factory the terrified officer controls will increase its output of walking dead immediately; “Need I remind you that your employment -- and your very life -- depend upon it?”

Marvellously matching these pulse-pounding proceedings are Campbell’s frequent injections of dark humour, such as the putrefying, goose-stepping goons who decide to get drunk in Das Hafenzimmer and subsequently start gleefully shooting one another to bits in an attempt to see who can take the most bullets. This ‘tongue in cheek’ approach entertainingly extends even to Easy Company, as Sergeant Rock and his men make numerous quips throughout the twenty-two-page periodical.

Similarly as successful as this book’s prodigious penmanship are its sense-shattering layouts, with Eduardo Risso pencilling some incredibly animated corpses and seemingly spraying every panel possible with a hail of deadly lead. Indeed, some of the German zombies depicted within this comic convey such evident personalities of their own, especially whenever they’re about to strangle or shoot someone, that many readers might arguably find it hard to imagine even Joe Kubert’s co-creation being able to outfight the Fuhrer’s formidably strong machines of undying flesh and bone.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #2 by Gary Frank

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #1 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 1, November 2022

Mashing together two of the Burbank-based publisher’s most popular titles from the Silver Age of Comics – “Sergeant Rock” and “Weird Tales”, as well as incorporating a hefty chunk of Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” horror franchise into the mix, Bruce Campbell’s script for “No Time Like The Present” probably provided its fans with an intriguing introduction into Adolf Hitler’s ‘last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the war and rewrite history itself’. In fact, rather than start this six-issue mini-series with the usual tried and tested technique of depicting the Allied forces suddenly facing an overwhelming army of zombie Nazis, the American actor-turned-author’s storyline instead, slowly focuses upon the actual ‘science’ behind Doctor Theodor Morell’s regeneration process and the large-scale resources the Third Reich still requires to manufacture its serum.

Equally as enthralling is the somewhat ‘slow-time’ introduction of Frank Rock and Easy Company, who initially are shown policing American supply lines during the supposed last year of the worldwide conflict. Swiftly recalled back to Headquarters for a Level Nine Assignment briefing, the audience is cleverly brought up to speed with the German’s diabolical plan alongside the likes of Short Round, Dozer, and McKlosky. This approach rather engagingly causes the comic’s cast to ask similar questions to those occurring within the minds of its readers, generating an almost palpable sense of both parties experiencing the adventure together.

Likewise, Campbell is very good at introducing what was state-of-the-art technology to the Master Sergeant’s team and highlighting the advantage it will give by stressing each fighting man’s amazement at “handie-talkies”, night-sighted binoculars and thermal imaging equipment – all of which are accepted without question in the modern era of warfare. Admittedly, this somewhat sedentary sequence does understandably become a little dialogue heavy. But it also provides the film star with an opportunity to inject some humour into his narrative, courtesy of Dozer and Rock standing too close to one another whilst using their new communication devices; “Boy, that’ll save a lot of hollerin’.”

Undeniably establishing a grisly, grimy atmosphere to this twenty-two-page periodical are Eduardo Risso’s layouts. Rather wisely the Argentine illustrator steers clear of attempting to imitate the late Joe Kubert’s recognisable art-style for Easy Company’s printed escapades, and instead provides the publication with a slightly clean-cut, though agreeably gratuitous, look which still allows him to show all the bodily disfigurements one might expect from Nazis who have already been dead once.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #1 by Gary Frank