OUR FIGHTING FORCES #151

While he developed a plethora of new characters, mind - boggling concepts and lavish new worlds, Jack Kirby also took on a group of established DC characters that had nothing to lose. The result was a yer long run of "Our Fighting Forces" tales that were action packed, personal and among the most beloved WWII comics ever produced. Kirby clearly identified with Captain Storm, Johnny Cloud, Gunner and Sarge - and he made certain that his readers did as well. Some debated that Kirby's perspective wasn't necessarily in line with the foursome's originally distinct special forces background. What really mattered, however, was the skill with which Kirby imbued his most personal military experiences in WWII within his Losers stories, which featured a quartet of seemingly unremarkable soldiers who represented those whose lives were defined (or lost) by moments not of their own choosing. In the Losers first mission under Kirby, the unit rescued a concert pianist hiding among the Nazi's as a general's maid. Two issues later, inspired by Private First Class Rodney Rumpkin's love for sci-fi comics, they devised a bogus "Devastator" weapon to fool the Nazi's and dissuade them from unleashing their giant cannon, "Big Max." In a text piece following his first issue, Kirby conveyed how he saw the Losers as "a people" thing. A small squad of "everymen" caught up in the crushing tide of events, pushing their know-how to the limit in a wild effort to survive.

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