Our Army at War #95
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeOur Army at War #95 marks the debut of the soldier nicknamed 'Bulldozer' — specifically Sgt. Bulldozer Nichols — one of the first recurring supporting characters to challenge Sgt. Rock's authority within Easy Company. The lead story, 'Battle of the Stripes!', is a character study disguised as a combat yarn: it uses the friction between Rock and an ambitious subordinate to dramatize Kanigher's central thesis that genuine leadership is earned through action, not rank. Published just fourteen months after Sgt. Rock's own debut, the issue shows how quickly writer-editor Robert Kanigher was building out the Easy Company ensemble, laying the social and moral architecture that would sustain the title for nearly two more decades. It falls squarely within the arc collected in Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 1, which DC later recognized as the foundational run of one of the Silver Age's most enduring non-superhero franchises.
In "Battle of the Stripes," Joe Kubert's powerful art brings to life the grit and camaraderie of Easy Company, where veteran Rock faces off against the eager Bulldozer in a quiet test of spirit, not rank. Written by Robert Kanigher and rendered with raw intensity by Kubert, this 1960 issue captures the weight of duty and the unspoken bonds forged in combat—where respect isn't given, but earned. The cover by Joe Kubert perfectly frames the moment, echoing the story’s heart: leadership isn’t about stripes, but sacrifice.
In "Battle of the Stripes," Rock faces off not with enemy fire, but with the quiet challenge of Bulldozer, a big GI who jokes about wanting Rock’s stripes. As Easy Company pushes forward, Rock leads with steady grit while Bulldozer charges ahead—until the real test comes, and even wounded, he proves his worth. The story captures the bond and banter of soldiers under pressure, where rank means little, and loyalty runs deep.
In "Topsy-Turvy Fighters!", two boys who dreamed of opposite war roles—one a tanker, the other a sub commander—find their fates flipped in WWII. Stranded by low tide, the sub commander battles a Japanese tank ashore with daring ingenuity, while the tank commander, cut off by a torpedoed bridge, uses a bazooka to destroy a Nazi submarine. Each writes to the other, convinced their harrowing experience is battle fatigue—though neither knows the other’s story.
In Korea, a lone squad of GIs faces three enemy tanks with nothing but grenades and Garands—clever tactics, not firepower, become their only hope. From sabotaging a dam to rigging power lines and sealing viewports with mud, each move pushes their ingenuity to the limit. When they finally reach Tangu, the real test is just beginning.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
By June 1960, writer-editor Robert Kanigher had been steering DC's 'Big Five' war titles since 1952, and the Sgt. Rock feature — which had crystallized around issue #83 — was already the flagship of the line. Kanigher scripted 'Battle of the Stripes!' himself, with Joe Kubert handling both pencils and inks on the lead story and the cover; the back-matter stories were filled out by Bob Haney (writer), Jack Abel (artist), and the team of Hank Chapman (writer) and Russ Heath (artist), reflecting the anthology format Kanigher used to rotate a stable of DC's best war artists through each issue. Kanigher's scripts were noted by comics historian Bill Schelly for focusing not on violence itself but on 'the impact these events had on the men of Easy Company,' and 'Battle of the Stripes!' is a textbook example of that philosophy in practice.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: June 1960 (DC Comics, Our Army at War Vol. 1 #95); part of the Silver Age run of the series.
- First appearance of the soldier nicknamed 'Bulldozer Nichols,' a sergeant in Easy Company who challenges Sgt. Rock's leadership — an earlier, distinct character from the later Bulldozer (Cpl. Horace Canfield) who became Rock's long-running second-in-command.
- Lead story: 'Battle of the Stripes!' — written by Robert Kanigher, penciled and inked by Joe Kubert (13 pages). Bulldozer Nichols covets Rock's sergeant's stripes, showboats through several engagements, gets in over his head, is saved by a wounded Rock, and ultimately concedes Rock's fitness to lead.
- Additional stories in the anthology include 'Topsy-Turvy Fighters!' (writer/artist: Irwin Hasen) and '3 Tanks to Tangu!' (writer: Hank Chapman; artist: Russ Heath), with a non-fiction feature on the history of the 125th Infantry Regiment (the Third Michigan).
- Robert Kanigher served as both writer and editor; Joe Kubert provided the cover and lead-story art. Other contributing artists include Russ Heath and Jack Abel — all key figures in DC's war-comics stable.
- The lead story 'Battle of the Stripes!' was reprinted in G.I. Combat #130 (June–July 1968).
- The issue falls within the range collected in Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 1 (Our Army at War #81–96, DC, 2002) and Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock Vol. 1 (Our Army at War #81–117, DC, 2007).
- Easy Company — the unit at the center of the issue — first appeared in Our Army at War #81 (April 1959), created by Bob Haney and Ross Andru; by #95, Kanigher was actively expanding its roster of named, recurring characters.
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Star Spangled War Stories #19 (1954)
Reprinted in Big Boss #52 (1961), G.I. Combat #130 (1968), The Sgt. Rock Archives #1 (2002), Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock #1 (2008)
Key issues in Our Army at War
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