Our Army at War #81
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeOur Army at War #81 (April 1959) occupies a pivotal place in DC history as the second prototype appearance of the soldier who would become Sgt. Rock — here called 'Sgt. Rocky' — alongside his unit, Easy Company, marking the first time those two elements appeared together in the same story. That pairing of a resilient, unbreakable non-commissioned officer with a scrappy, diverse band of infantry regulars established the template for what grew into DC's defining war-comics franchise, eventually outlasting the original anthology title and running under the Sgt. Rock banner through 1988. The issue also introduced the Iron Kapitan as an early antagonist, with Rock defeating him in single-handed combat — a storytelling beat that previewed the character's near-mythic toughness. Because DC itself cited this issue as the first official Sgt. Rock tale in its year-2000 Millennium Editions reprint series, collectors and historians have treated it as the functional starting point of one of the Silver Age's longest-running character arcs.
In "The Rock of Easy Co.!", a grounded soldier dreams of soaring like his brother Phil, a pilot—until duty calls in the most unexpected way. When Phil’s plane is shot down and he’s forced to parachute, his brother becomes the unseen anchor, steadying him through the fall with quiet courage. Written by Bob Haney and brought to life by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, this poignant wartime tale captures a moment of brotherhood amid chaos. The cover, by Jerry Grandenetti, captures the tension of the skyward plunge.
In "Fighting Footsteps," a lone American soldier in the desert uses his wits and skill to evade capture, taking down a sniper, a half-track, and an enemy pilot—all while leaving a trail of footprints that become his only lifeline. When a sandstorm erases those prints, hope seems lost—until his unit discovers a new kind of trail, one made not of footsteps, but of the marks left behind by his relentless fight.
In "Umbrella Pilot!", a grounded soldier watches from below as his brother Phil, a pilot, is forced to bail out after his plane is damaged. Though he can't fly, he finds a way to help—using his knowledge of parachutes to guide Phil through the sky. Written by an unknown author, art by an unknown artist.
In "No Pocket for Easy," Eddie and Burt struggle to rejoin their comrades after becoming separated from Easy Company, only to discover the unit is trapped in a deadly pocket, surrounded by enemy tanks. The story unfolds with tense urgency as the two men face the perilous challenge of reaching their friends under fire.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 17 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $10–$19.99 3 listings
More listings for this title
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The lead story, 'The Rock of Easy Co.!', was scripted by Bob Haney and drawn by penciler Ross Andru and inker Mike Esposito, with Robert Kanigher serving as editor — a distinction that has fueled decades of debate over who truly 'created' Sgt. Rock. Kanigher had already produced a very similar hard-luck soldier in G.I. Combat #68 just three months earlier (January 1959, with Joe Kubert on art), and many sources credit him as the conceptual architect of both prototypes even where another writer held the script credit. The issue's cover was supplied by Jerry Grandenetti, while a second Easy Company story in the same issue, 'No Pocket for Easy,' was drawn by Joe Kubert — giving the book an unusually strong artistic lineup for a single anthology issue. The bottom third of the final page of the lead story carried an editorial blurb promising readers more Easy Company adventures, a promotional note that was quietly removed in several later reprints.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: April 1959 (on-sale date from copyright registration); published by DC Comics (indicia publisher: National Comics Publications Inc.) as part of the Our Army at War ongoing anthology series.
- The lead story 'The Rock of Easy Co.!' is scripted by Bob Haney, penciled by Ross Andru, and inked by Mike Esposito; the cover is by Jerry Grandenetti.
- This issue marks the first appearance of Frank Rock under a sergeant's rank and the first appearance of Easy Company; the character is called 'Sgt. Rocky' throughout the story, not yet 'Sgt. Rock.'
- Easy Company — Rock's unit — also makes its debut here; the group was created by Bob Haney and Ross Andru according to the DC Database.
- The story's plot pits Rock and Easy against a Nazi officer nicknamed the Iron Kapitan, resolved by a one-on-one fistfight that Rock wins — one of the earliest articulations of his nearly unbreakable combat character.
- Robert Kanigher, though credited only as editor on this issue, had written a near-identical 'Rock' prototype in G.I. Combat #68 (January 1959); Kanigher claimed in a 1990 interview that his involvement in #81 exceeded a mere editorial role.
- The lead story has been reprinted in: Our Army at War #280 (May 1975), Sgt. Rock Special #5 (September 1989), the DC Millennium Edition facsimile (June 2000), Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 1 (May 2002), World's Best Comics: Silver Age Sampler (2004), Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock Vol. 1 (2007), a dedicated Facsimile Edition (July 2024), and DC Finest: Sgt. Rock — The Rock of Easy Co. (2026).
- The character's name evolved across three issues: 'Sgt. Rocky' here in #81, 'Sgt. Rock' (name only) in #82, and his first full, definitive appearance under the name Sgt. Rock in #83 (June 1959), written and drawn by Kanigher and Joe Kubert.
Cast · 1 character
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Our Army at War #197 (1968), Our Army at War #280 (1975), Sgt. Rock Special #5 (1989), Millennium Edition: Our Army at War No. 81 #[nn] (2000), The Sgt. Rock Archives #1 (2002), World's Best Comics: Silver Age Sampler #[nn] (2004), Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock #1 (2008), Our Army at War 81 (Facsimile Edition) #[nn] (2024)
Key issues in Our Army at War
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.