The DC Horror imprint dropped its latest miniseries this Tuesday in DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of The Dead #1. It takes readers back to the middle of World War II where, in a desperate attempt to defeat the Allies, Hitler and the Nazis devise a plan to revive dead soldiers to replenish their ranks. So yes, it’s another Nazi zombie story – a trope so old it actually predates Sgt. Rock the comic book character by more than 10 years and since became something kids keep mowing down in video games.
Videos by ComicBook.com
And while Bruce Campbell’s (yes, that Bruce Campbell) writing and Eduard Risso’s artwork set the right mood and tone for a story like this, judging the series based solely upon this first issue seems almost unfair. There are barely any zombies in the comic once you get past the variant covers and the majority of the comic is about Rock getting Easy Company together and giving them various state-of-the-art technology (for the era, at least) to take down the Nazi hoard. Yet by the time they’re ready, the issue is already over.
It’s still unclear what will set these zombies apart from the countless others we’ve seen in horror media for decades upon decades. Their means of resurrection resemble science fiction more than outright horror (there’s nothing supernatural about them) and there’s no sign that they can turn living soldiers into zombies – which is typically their biggest threat beyond being numerous and harder to kill than the average Nazi. There’s a slight hint right at the end of the issue that some of the zombies are self-aware, but it’s still too early to tell how much that may differentiate this story.
If there’s one major upside to the introductory issue it’s that Campbell already has the voice for Sgt. Rock nailed down, adding in plenty of the sarcastic humor we’ve come to know and love from his own acting roles. One has to imagine that will elevate the book across its next five issues. But as for what this debut has to offer, there’s not much. This may wind up like one of those TV shows that are better binged than watched week-to-week, but only time will tell.
Published by DC Comics
On September 27, 2022
Written by Bruce Campbell
Art by Eduardo Risso
Colors by Kristian Rossi
Letters by Rob Leigh
Cover by Gray Frank and Brad Anderson
