Star Spangled War Stories
From Hey Kids Comics
| Star Spangled War Stories | |
|---|---|
|
250x450px Cover to Star Spangled War Stories #3 (November 1952). Art by Curt Swan. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule |
Monthly: #1-87, #167-179, #185-199 Bi-monthly: #88-166, #180-184, #200-204 |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | November 1952 - February/March 1977 |
| Number of issues | 204 |
| Main character(s) |
Mlle. Marie The War that Time Forgot Enemy Ace The Unknown Soldier |
| Editor(s) | Robert Kanigher |
Star-Spangled War Stories was the title of a DC Comics comic book series that featured war-themed characters and stories. Among the features published in this series were writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Jerry Grandenetti's "Mlle. Marie," about a World War II French Resistance fighter, debuting in #84 (Aug. 1959); "The War that Time Forgot," "Enemy Ace," and "the Unknown Soldier."
Publication history[edit | edit source]
Initially, Star Spangled War Stories was a retitling of Star-Spangled Comics,[1] and continued the numbering of its predecessor with #131. That lasted until #133,[2] when DC rebooted the numbering with issue #3 — even though there had already been three issues before that.[3] The end result was that there are two separate comics numbered as Star Spangled War Stories #132 — one issued in 1952 and one issued in 1967. "The War that Time Forgot" was an ongoing feature introduced by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru in issue #90 (May 1960).[4] The Unknown Soldier became the lead feature in #151 (June–July 1970).[5]
Star-Spangled War Stories ran for over 200 issues from 1952 to 1977. The series ended with issue #204. With #205, the numbering resumed under the title of The Unknown Soldier.[6][7]
Creators associated with Star Spangled War Stories[edit | edit source]
Writers who worked on Star-Spangled War Stories include Kanigher (its editor) and David Micheline, Ed Herron, Bill Finger, and Bob Haney. Among the artists who contributed were Neal Adams, Ross Andru, Gene Colan, Mort Drucker, Mike Esposito, Russ Heath, Carmine Infantino, Bernard Krigstein, Joe Kubert, Leonard Starr, and Curt Swan.
Awards[edit | edit source]
The series won the 1969 Alley Award for "Best War Title".
Collected editions[edit | edit source]
- DC Universe Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 1 includes Star Spangled War Stories #134: "The Killing Ground" by Robert Kanigher and Neal Adams and Star Spangled War Stories #144: "Death Takes No Holiday" by Kanigher, Adams, and Joe Kubert, 192 pages, January 2009, ISBN 1401219179
- The Art of Walter Simonson includes Star Spangled War Stories #170: "U. F. M." and Star Spangled War Stories #180: "Return" both by Gerry Boudreau and Walt Simonson, 208 pages, June 1989, ISBN 0930289412
- Showcase Presents: The War that Time Forgot Vol. 1 collects "The War that Time Forgot" stories from Star Spangled War Stories #90-137, 560 pages, June 2007, ISBN 978-1401212537
- Showcase Presents: Enemy Ace Vol. 1 collects "Enemy Ace" stories from Star-Spangled War Stories #138-152, 158, 181-183, 200, 552 pages, February 2008, ISBN 978-1401217211
- * Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier Vol. 1 collects "Unknown Soldier" stories from Star Spangled War Stories #151-190, 544 pages, November 2006, ISBN 978-1401210908
- Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier Vol. 2 collects "Unknown Soldier" stories from Star Spangled War Stories #191-204, 592 pages, July 2013, ISBN 1-4012-4081-X
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Irvine, Alex; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1950s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
Star Spangled Comics had brought adventure stories to the reading public since October 1941, but its name change to Star Spangled War Stories turned the focus of the title to war-themed characters and stories.
- ↑ Star Spangled War Stories at the Grand Comics Database
- ↑ Star Spangled War Stories vol. 2 at the Grand Comics Database
- ↑ McAvennie, Michael "1960s" in Dolan, p. 100: "What was most memorable about the initial installment of "The War that Time Forgot" by writer/editor Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru was that it was the first cross-genre story to blend war comics with science-fiction."
- ↑ McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p.140: "This war anthology series found its most recognizable face when Joe Kubert wrote, drew, and edited the first of a slew of...Unknown Soldier [stories]."
- ↑ McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 172: "Writer Bob Haney and artist Dick Ayers had no intention of terminating the Unknown Soldier...allowing DC to rename the [Star Spangled War Stories] series after the [character], starting with issue #205."
- ↑ Unknown Soldier at the Grand Comics Database
External links[edit | edit source]
- Star Spangled War Stories at the Comic Book DB
- Star Spangled War Stories at Comicvine
- Star Spangled War Stories at Mike's Amazing World of Comics