Easy Company (comics)

Last updated
Easy Company
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Our Army at War #81 (April 1959)
Created by Bob Haney (writer)
Ross Andru (artist)
In-story information
Type of organizationMilitary unit
Leader(s)Sergeant Frank Rock
Agent(s)Bulldozer
Bogman
Canary
Four Eyes
Hot-Head
Ice Cream Soldier
Jackie Johnson
Little Sure Shot
Long Round
Short Round
Wildman
Worry Wart
Zack

Easy Company is a fictional comic book World War II US Army infantry unit led by Sgt. Rock in stories published by DC Comics. The group first appeared in Our Army at War #81 (April 1959), and were created by Bob Haney and Ross Andru. [1]

Contents

Publication history

In the stories, the unit saw action in every combat zone in the European Theatre. Unlike actual units, the unit has at least one African-American member, which was in defiance of racial segregation policy of the Army at the time.[ citation needed ]

In the graphic novel Between Hell and a Hard Place, Sgt. Rock explained that he gave nicknames to Easy Company men because during battle, they would be required to do things their civilian identities might not be able to live with; once the war was over, the nicknames could be left behind once the soldiers resumed their civilian lives. This accounts for the proliferation of unusual character names in Easy Company over the years.[ citation needed ]

The characters of Sergeant Rock and Easy Company appeared in new monthly stories published in Our Army at War (title changed to Sgt. Rock in March 1977) until Sgt. Rock #422 (July 1988). While no longer appearing in a monthly book, Easy Company appear from time to time in World War II stories in other DC publications, including comic book miniseries Between Hell and a Hard Place (2003), The Prophecy (2005), and The Lost Battalion (2008–2009).[ citation needed ]

"The Combat-Happy Joes"

Core members of Easy Company included:

This does not include anonymous replacements and one-time characters who are frequently killed off in the stories. Easy Company's lieutenants, when they appear at all, are frequently killed off within the first few pages. Letters columns in the 1980s included a roster of all characters introduced into the series; several dozen character names were listed, including some anonymous soldiers.

In other media

The Easy Company appear in the Justice League three-part episode "The Savage Time", consisting of Sgt. Rock (voiced by Fred Dryer), Bulldozer (voiced by Ted Levine), Wildman, and Ice Cream Soldier. Additionally, they are briefly joined by a temporarily depowered, time-traveling Green Lantern. The Easy Company join forces with the U.S. Armed Forces, Steve Trevor, the Blackhawks, and the time-traveling Justice League to foil Vandal Savage's plot to help Nazi Germany win World War II and eventually conquer the world.

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References

  1. Schelly, William (2013). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 206–207. ISBN   9781605490540.
  2. 1 2 3 Robert Kanigher  ( w ),Joe Kubert ( a )."Battle Tags For Easy Company"Sgt. Rock Digest,vol. 3,no. 18,pp. 318(Feb 1982).DC Special.
  3. Robert Kanigher ( w ),Joe Kubert ( a )."A Penny for Jackie Johnson"Sgt. Rock Digest,vol. 3,no. 18,pp. 3346(Feb 1982).DC Special.