It’s interesting to read previously banned literature and it’s even
more satisfying when the material is an outstanding representation of a
medium’s potential. Blazing Combat is a new hardcover book that
collects the entire short-lived 1960s anti-war comic of the same name.
The black-and-white comics were originally published by Warren
Publishing in 1965-66, before American popular sentiment turned against
the war efforts in Vietnam. Sadly, very few of the four published
issues reached the public; they were quickly pulled from newsstands and
rejected by wholesalers. The issues, each containing several short war
stories, ranging from the War of Independence to the Vietnam War, were
written almost entirely by Archie Goodwin and illustrated by master
cartoonists like Alex Toth, Joe Orlando, Gene Colan and Wally Wood.
Much like the controversial EC Comics of the ’50s, each story uses
shock endings and raw character emotion to evoke reaction. The creators
slipped in political and social opinions on unpopular topics like
racism, sexism, government oppression or, in the case of Blazing
Combat, the futility of war. Each panel is a stunning work of art,
beautifully preserved on heavy paper. Just as relevant as when they
were first published, the stories should still draw an emotional
reaction.
This article appears in Jun 11-17, 2009.