Our Army at War #184

A tense, gripping cover from Joe Kubert frames this 1967 installment of DC's long-running war series: a condemned soldier in a U.S. Army uniform stands with his back to us, hands bound behind him clutching a post, while a row of armed G.I.s in helmets level their weapons directly at him. The cover copy poses the haunting question — "Why did Sgt. Rock battle for the life of a condemned G.I.?" — making "Candidate for a Firing Squad!" one of those morally charged stories that elevated Our Army at War above straightforward combat fare. Kubert's stark composition and bold figures do exactly what great war-comics art should: drop you into the drama before you've even cracked the cover.