REVIEW: ‘Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead,’ Issue #1

Sgt. Rock vs the Army of The Dead #1 is published by DC Comics, written by Bruce Campbell, art by Eduardo Risso, colours by Kristian Rossi, and letters by Rob Leigh. In 1944, Hitler resorts to undead allies to try and turn the tide of the war. Sgt. Rock and his company are brought in and briefed on their mission against Nazi Zombies.

This may not be a unique concept but it is the circumstances around it that make it amusing. Campbell creating his own piece of zombie fiction is poetic to say the least, and this one is brilliantly constructed. The world itself is established first before the title character is introduced, unfolding the premise early. This sows the seed of the threat, especially when the heroes don’t understand the true nature of what they will soon be facing. From then the issue is largely exposition, depicted through the guise of a mission briefing. This proceeds for a while, perhaps too long, but it sets up the quest and gets the team kitted out. The comic bounces between the Allies and Hitler and his scientists, presenting both forces and their plans. Where the comic tries to find its own identity is the fight at the end. It has a boisterous energy to it, laced with a real sense of threat and danger. Here, the potential of brilliant battles is implied, even if nothing has been a surprise yet.

Choosing Sgt. Rock as the character for this story is a blessing and a curse. For one, the everyman aspect of Easy Company means that this could just be a Nazi Zombies story. Therefore it can be extremely difficult to cement the characters’ personalities to channel their presence from the classic comic series. Campbell overcomes that difficulty by using some fantastic dialogue, resembling the soldiers’ speech and mannerisms to give it a 50s comic feel. Rock’s vocabulary in particular is incredibly nostalgic. However, some of the bits of dialogue are too long inside certain panels, overloaded with information. The group mentality is implemented quickly when the team is in danger though, exaggerated in a comic format.

The art is largely brilliant, although it falters in some instances. The horror aspects of Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army of the Dead #1 by Risso are fantastic. The heavy emphasis on shadowing obscures figures, adding mystery and unease, especially considering the potential for zombification. For one historical figure in particular, their appearance is partially obscured but they are terrifying in their representation. The attention to detail in character design is also superb for both the living and the dead. Easy Company is a big squadron, yet all are given individual looks. They never blur into a military homunculus. The same goes for the zombies too, with different expressions on each one. This provides depth to the page. Likewise, the action sequences are a chaotic but exciting mass of bodies, Risso capturing the intensity well. But there are panels where characters can look odd. This is most evident in panels where a character has turned their head, as it can look like the face itself hasn’t been adjusted with the movement.

The colours are simple yet effective. The pages are not always awash with different tones. Instead, Rossi uses derivations of the same colour throughout, creating an ominous atmosphere. Using this colouring style also makes the shadows and silhouettes more pronounced and impactful in my view. The lettering is easy to read, although the square word balloons can be too oppressive occasionally. There is a lot of dialogue at points, so it would be difficult to avoid.

Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army of The Dead #1 is an impressive intro by a horror legend. There aren’t many figures more knowledgeable about the genre than Bruce Campbell. There are a few imperfections, but they can be forgiven for a relatively new foray into the format. This is an exciting Nazi Zombies tale featuring one of DC’s cult heroes. It is creepy and action-packed does successfully merge the classic comic with a horror twist. The levels of darkness these creators are capable of are only hinted at, but this series makes me eager to discover more.

Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army of the Dead #1 is available where comics are sold.