DC Special Series #18 - Fall 1979

At the same time DC was publishing Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest and DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest, they also released a few digests under the umbrella title of DC Special Series.

DCSS was one of the oddest titles DC (or anybody) ever published, since it seemed to be the title DC slapped on any one-shot they wanted to publish but (presumably) didn't want to pay for another mailing permit by starting a new title (oh, how things have changed). Over the course of its twenty + issues, DCSS was a regular sized comic, a digest, and a treasury, which has got to be some sort of record.

Anyway, the first digest-sized issue of DCSS was Sgt.Rock's Prize Battle Tales, another offbeat choice as a digest headliner (unlike, say, Wonder Woman or The Flash). Behind the handsome cover by the legendary Joe Kubert are these tales of rip-roarin' wartime action:

"Target: Sgt. Rock" by Bob Kanigher and Joe Kubert
The Ski Patrol in "The Big Marker" by Bob Haney and Russ Heath
The Air Corps in "Broomstick Pilot!" by Eddie Herron John Severin
A Weird War tale "Who is Haunting the Haunted Chateau?" by Sheldon Mayer and Alex Toth
The Navy in "Jackpot Target" by Haney and Jack Abel
Enemy Ace in "3 Graves to Home!" by Kanigher and Kubert
The Desert Patrol in "Patrol to Nowhere" by Haney and Mort Drucker(!)
The Tank Corps in "Deliver: One Tank" by Haney and Heath
The Frogmen in "Frogmen Fury!" (what a title!) by Hank Chapman(?) and Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
The Unknown Soldier in "Appoitnment in Prague" by Archie Goodwin and Jack Sparling

...and in addition to all that are true life featurettes, like "Mine Hunters", "War Bluff", and "Battle Album." Also, interestingly enough, this book includes a Table-Top Diorama of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima. Hmmm. Since those were a staple of the treasury editions, it's a reasonable guess that this collection was originally intended as a treasury, since a table-top diorama about 6" high and made from flimsy newsprint isn't really all that impressive.

But that's the only part of this book that isn't. Imagine for a mere 95 cents, you got stories with art by Kubert, Severin, Heath, Toth, Andru, and a rare non-Mad art job by Mort Drucker.

Over and out!