Sgt. Rock: Between Hell & A Hard Place
Written by: Brian Azzarello
Art by: Joe Kubert
Sgt. Rock is like the best of war films. Azzarello understands that it's history that is about the missions; war is about the men. Each member of Easy Company--the group that Rock leads--has a distinct personality and way of interacting with his fellow squadmates. These interactions are what the book is about. Everything else--including a mini-murder-mystery sub-plot--is all MacGuffin.
Azzarello's writing is superb. His dialogue is dead-on as usual. Unlike his series 100 Bullets, however, he doesn't try to write in dialect in Sgt. Rock, a habit that certainly distracted from the narrative of the series. Azzarello perfectly captures the dichotomy between becoming emotionally invested with your squadmates to the point of calling them "brother" and the emotional detachment one must feel when a brother falls.
"Stick his rifle in the ground. Put his helmet on top to signal the medic for a cleanup. Now, get his rations, his ammo, his..."
Joe Kubert's art is absolutely classic--as it should be for a guy who's been working since the silver age--but it can be murky at times. It's sometimes difficult to make out who is whom in when firefights break out in the book. Kubert's choice of angles is sometimes a little confusing, also. At the same time, his use of the close-up is masterful and is reminiscent of some of the stuff I've seen of Alex Toth. [NOTE: For more information on Toth, read the outstanding interview in The Comics Journal #262.]
Sgt. Rock blows away films like Saving Private Ryan and Windtalkers which are more about the visceral rush of the shooting and the explosions in war than the everyday interactions between the brave and frightened human beings shooting the guns and firing the mortars. Azzarello and Kubert don't shirk on the visceral stuff, but the story they create is a surprisingly complex human drama in 144 pages.
D
Like what you see? Drop us an email at: [Nick] bungalowjones@hotmail.com, [Drew] gronix@excite.com, [ESkalac] skalac@uiuc.edu or [Kate] katedickson@occultmail.com
posted by Drew @ 2:18 PM
3 Comments:
I liken it to "A Thin Red Line" probably the most affective war movie in along time, because it spends sooo much time with the men. Because war is about the men. Its the human experience that counts in these situations. Otherwise you have an action movie.
I've actually never seen The Thin Red Line, but I kept thinking I should go out and rent it today after reading Sgt. Rock. Indeed, I'll have to rent it sometime when I have a few hours to kill.
I wish I could say "no pun intended." Alas...
D
you should. its a fantastic film.
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