“But They Were Civilians!”: Sgt Rock Confronts War Crimes in Our Army At War #233
This article examines how the classic war comic Sgt. Rock addressed the moral complexities of war through the controversial 1971 story "Head Count." The narrative explores the parallels between the comic's depiction of a massacre and the real-world My Lai incident during the Vietnam War.
The story "Head Count" from Our Army at War #233 challenged readers by depicting a soldier who commits murder under the guise of heroism. By using an anagram for the My Lai massacre, creators Bob Kanigher and Joe Kubert provided a stark critique of war crimes that stood out against typical genre tropes. The piece highlights how the comic served as a significant cultural artifact during a period of intense antiwar sentiment. It emphasizes the importance of preserving such stories to understand how historical events were reflected in popular media.
