Artistic brilliance inspired by the horror of war… By PETER BOSCH Every November 11, America honors those who have fallen in service. Veterans Day is a tradition started in 1919, a year to the date after the signing of the World War I Armistice — the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. In France and Belgium, today is Armistice Day. In Canada and the United Kingdom, it is Remembrance Day and on their lapel people wear a poppy (“In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row”). In other countries, it is held on different days, under various titles… but always with the same purpose of remembering the men and women who fought in wars for us. (My father was one of those who fought in World War II.) To them, for their duty and our freedom, we say “Thank you.” There are any number of comics and graphic novels about World War I and those who fought in it, but here are 13 we recommend. — Medal of Honor. The United States Medal of Honor was created in 1861, and it symbolizes our country’s greatest award for valor. Since 2018,tThe Association of the United States Army has published a series of comic-illustrated stories of the heroism of Medal of Honor winners. Though the AUSA calls these issues “graphic novels,” each is limited to eight pages (plus a cover and credit pages). However, even in that short a space, they focus on the heroics of recipients of the medal and their tales of courage. At present, there are 32 different issues covering heroes of different wars of the past. These can be read online or downloaded at no cost here. Five of those issues tell of brave men of World War I. The first four below were written by Chuck Dixon (Batman, etc.). The fifth, about Eddie Rickenbacker, was scripted by Doug Murray (The ’Nam, etc.). — The Harlem Hellfighters. While the 369th Infantry Regiment in World War I were not Medal of Honor winners (with one exception who is discussed later in this article), the entire unit was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, as well as the Croix de Guerre (France’s medal for extraordinary bravery) and, in addition, the Distinguished Service Cross was awarded to many members of the regiment. — Guynemer....
A BIRTHDAY SALUTE: Jim Beard pays homage to the late creator, who was born 83 years ago… — UPDATED 11/11/26: The late Dave Cockrum was born 83 years ago! Perfect time to reprint this piece from his birthday in 2021! Dig it. — Dan — By JIM BEARD The late, great Dave Cockrum was an all-around comics creator, being both an artist and writer, but when I think back on his legacy in the industry, my mind’s eye goes zooming to his character designs. To that end, I’ve cobbled together 13 FABULOUS DAVE COCKRUM MARVEL CHARACTER DESIGNS to celebrate the man’s birthday. (He was born Nov. 11, 1943.) NOTE: You may be saying, “Oh, same-old, same-old, we all know Dave was a fantastic designer,” but just to shake things up a bit, I’ve seeded this list with some off-the-beaten-path favorites of mine… and you won’t know what they are unless you take a leap of faith with me, True Believer! In no specific order… — Phoenix. Let’s start with greatness, shall we? Dave’s costume for the transformed Jean Grey in X-Men #101 is a stunner, plain and simple. It has his requisite sash, sure, but I love that black wedge-shape with the abstract avian symbol, and the colors combined with Jean’s red hair make for a splash in X-Men history that will never be forgotten. — Smasher. Ah-ha! Yes, I’m going places no Cockrum Costumes list has never gone! First appearing in X-Men #107, the dashing dude designated as Smasher made a smashing impact on my eyeballs with that get-up. I really dig the simplicity of the suit, as well as, again, the color combination. Extra points for a cool chest symbol that may or may not have anything to do with “smashing.” — Nightcrawler. Legend has it that Nightcrawler was brought over from DC to Marvel when Dave jumped ships, and in doing so made mutant memories at the House of Ideas. This is one of those times when it’s not just a costume design, but an overall character visual for the win. Kurt Wagner’s Giant-Size X-Men #1 look just screams “swashbuckler” while his physical form screams “demon from Hell.” This has to be one of Cockrum’s best. — Ch’od. Who doesn’t love the Starjammers, right? X-Men #104 introduced Dave’s space-faring squadron to an unsuspecting readership,...
SNEAK PEEK: It’s like 1977 all over again!
Batman? Check. Doom Patrol? Check. Star Trek? Check. And so much more from the late cartoonist…
A special hardcover that looks at the epochal issue, panel by panel…
