Frontline Combat #3 (Banned Comics Week)

My first selection for Banned Comics Week is one of the less controversial books published by EC Comics. FrontLine Combat showed the gritty face of war for what it was. It didn’t pull any punches. But unlike the crime and horror titles of EC, the war titles were nowhere near as gory or visually graphic. That didn’t mean that they pulled any punches either.

  In the opening tale “Tin Can’ a young sailor assigned to latrine duty likens Christ’s parable on how every member of a church is like a part of the body to the role of soldiers on a boat. But this young ensign’s role is tragically down-played when his destroyer is hit by an enemy mine. The next tale involves a group of American POWS trying to survive a long trek during the Korean War. Their decisions will mean life, death, or freedom. Then an old French farmer reflects on the many wars that have ensnared his native land while Joes trying to liberate his village during World War II.

But it’s the final story that is perhaps the most controversial. In the Desert Fox, artist and writer Wally Wood parallels the German General’s glorious time in Africa to the atrocities in Europe at the hands of his fellow Nazis. The final two pages of the story recall dozens of heinous murders of Jews, anti-Nazi sympathizers, and other minorities while reflecting on Rommel’s last week in Germany. Considered a national hero to the German people, Hitler was jealous place that Desert Fox had in the hearts of Germans nationwide and saw him as a possible usurper to his role as Furher.  Thus, Rommel was framed for an attempt assassination on Hitler and forced to commit suicide by poison, much like Socrates. Only, Rommel’s death was covered up and made to look like a stroke had taken the General’s life.

  These sorts of expose stories were what eventually led to EC Comics becoming a target of the American government and other civic minded peoples. In issue #26 of Weird Science-Fiction Fantasy, the entire issue was devoted to the ‘cover-up’ of UFOs by the American military. More than likely these flying saucers were experimental aircraft being tested by the Army and Air Force. But these if these sightings were confirmed then top secret projects would be in danger of being exposed. Thus, the military would do its best thing to dismay the American populace- deny, Deny, DENY. But by publically challenging the US Air Force with an entire issue of documented reports of flying saucers, it’s sure to not win you very many influential fans. (They also hired a decorated marine pilot by the name of Keyhoe to help with the publication of this issue and it almost led to the soldier’s court-martial.)

EC Comics was known to continue pushing the social envelope with morality plays and damning reports that hoped to challenge how people saw not only themselves but their government. This issue is just a small bit of evidence of how the publishing company and its owner William (Mad Magazine) Gaines were considered subversive and in need to be quieted. The first step to ending the rein of EC was slowly underway…

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.