Current music:	john lennon ~ "happy christmas (war is over)"
Entry tags:	char: sgt. rock, creator: billy tucci, creator: chuck dixon, creator: robert kanigher, creator: russ heath, publisher: dc comics, theme: holidays, title: dc holiday special, title: dcu holiday bash

We continue our holiday posts with a few focusing on Sgt. Rock, which, aside from the strip in Wednesday Comics, are honestly the only stories of him I've read.

We open with "The Longest Night", written by Robert Kanigher, with art by Dick Ayers and Romeo Tanghal, from DC Special Series #21 (1980). About three and a third pages out of ten.

Easy Company has been tasked to secure the town of Santa Maria from its Nazi invaders. Probably the weirdest thing about this story is it could almost take place in Italy, considering the civilians who appear, but the presence of Nazis throws that through a loop.

Anyway, it's a dark night, and Rock's compass was damaged by crossfire, so they're a little unsure how they'll make it to the town until they see something that just might guide the way.


Following the star, they come across a group of pilgrims.


The pilgrims won't turn away from the danger, so Easy Company has to capture the town so they won't turn into targets, and the star gets them there quickly. Rock takes point, blasting his way in. The village around him is battered and wartorn, with nary a civilian in sight.

Suddenly, Rock sees movement in the cellar of a nearby building.


Rock can't shake the kid, and he's running low on bullets. They find themselves surrounded as they come across a statue. Rock tells Mario to take cover as he lobs a grenade.


Later, after the pilgrims have filtered into Santa Maria,

"-- And our love can light up the world!" she says, as the star shines down on them all.


The next story is "A Christmas Carol", written by Chuck Dixon, with art by Russ Heath, from DCU Holiday Bash #2 (1998). One and a third pages from four.

It's Christmas Day, 1944 in Bastogne. Easy Company is settled in a trench and Rock is dozing off when a man in a WW1 uniform taps him on the soldier. The man leads him through an old, bloodied battlefield before disappearing in the fog.

When Rock turns around, an emaciated man is there, waiting to lead him on further.




A Desert Storm-era soldier takes him from here and leads him to Arlington National Cemetery.

With a renewed vigor, Rock leads Easy Company in a charge into the battlefield.


Our last story comes from the DCU Holiday Special 2009, "A Peace On Earth" by Billy Tucci. About one and two-thirds pages of five.

It's the day prior, Christmas Eve, 1944, and Rock has his hands full of champagne and cognac as he heads back to the front line to celebrate the holiday with his compatriots. As he walk below an underpass, he sees an enemy solider in much the same position! Scrambling for their rifles, they both slip on the ice and hit the ground. After sharing a laugh at their common clumsiness, they sit up against the overpass with a bottle of cognac and swap stories.



After a while, the bottle empty and their cigarettes burned out, they put some thought into being soldiers again.




It's really a lovely tale, prolly one of the better one's this year. Billy Tucci shares the story that inspired it over on Newsarama, along with scans of the all five pages. Definitely worth a look!

Tomorrow: See what holidays mean to the magical side of the DCU with Deadman, Shadowpact and a Christmas party at the House of Mystery!