| |
|
For a long time, Rock (and the DC line of war comics in general) was kept separate from the modern-day DCU: it became sort of an article of faith among many Rock fans that the Sarge did not survive World War II, and that one day his title (OUR ARMY AT WAR) would conclude with his death. It would have been right and fitting for the book, which really was a pretty somber affair.
More than a few folks were surprised—and even pissed off—when Rock emerged in the mid-70s to co-star with Batman in several issues of THE BRAVE & THE BOLD. He was in late middle age by then, still in the military, working for the government in some capacity but certainly no Fury-style superspy.
Batman/Rock sounds like an odd combination, but it really worked. My favorite of those stories was a weird metafictive tale where B&B artist Jim Aparo was threatened by a criminal gang escaped from the pages of DC comics and forced (at gunpoint!) to draw Batman and Rock into inescapable deathtraps—and then, having escaped from danger, Aparo calls on writer Bob Haney and editor Murray Boltinoff to get our heroes out of their jams. A bizarre premise, but handled in such a down-to-earth, matter-of-fact way that you just bought into it.
In a fair fight, in the mid-70s, my money would be on Rock over Fury. Take away his gadgets, and Fury's just a strutting lout. And eternal youth or no, he's still only got one eye: Rock (the sixty-ish version as drawn by Aparo) is a lean, leathery old hardcase who would get around Fury's blind side and clean his goddam clock. |
|
|
