Originally published on Patreon
One of the best things about having Bruce Campbell attached to this comic is that, like with his films, you know that this is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously, and is just meant to be schlocky fun. And with a blur that reads 'They’ve blasted their way through impossible scenarios and burned their way through throngs of undead soldiers. But now Sgt. Rock and Easy Company find themselves hot on the trail of an enemy even they may not be able to handle: an über-upgraded, rejuvenation serum-addicted Adolf Hitler.' how could it not be clear that this is a book designed with sheer, unabashed enjoyment over anything else.
The series feels like it's been slowly building up to this point the last four issues, and whilst the story could have gone in another direction having Easy Company having to fight Super Hitler feels like the only way it could have unfolded. But first, they need to get to the man.
Much of the issue deals with the build up to the assault, and shows a pretty interesting behind the scenes peak at what war was like. It's not big heroics and action all of the time, it's also meticulous planning, careful timing, and hoping for luck to go your way.
That being said, come the end of the issue it's not clear if Sgt Rock's luck is going to hold out. Compared to the other undead soldiers that the team have faced across the book, Hitler is something else entirely. He's the first entity in the book that feels like he could be a substantial threat to our heroes, and by the final pages of the issue you begin to doubt if Rock is going to make it out of the series alive.
Books like this always feel like they exist in this weird grey area where their status in continuity is up for question. If this is its own self contained story that doesn't have to stick to any rules it's absolutely possible that Rock is going to die ending Hitler's threat. It could even end up with Rock becoming the next undead threat, or Hitler coming out on top and leading an army of the dead to conquer the world. And this level of uncertainty definitely adds to the fun of things. It stops you getting complacent as the reader, and gets you questioning what might be coming next.
As with previous issues, the art is a perfect fit to the feel of the book. The quieter scenes of the team preparing their assault, and coming in for an airdrop feel interesting and dynamic even when its folks sitting around a map or hanging out in the back of a vehicle. The art team manage to make these moments come to life on the page in ways that you wouldn't expect. And when the action actually begin, then it enters a whole new level. Hitler looks monstrous, even though very little is done to make him look that different. But thanks to the subtle shifts away from what you expect into something else the book manages to make him look creepy in ways the other undead just aren't.
There's one issue of the series left, and it's going to be interesting to see if the book ends in a conventional way, or if things get really weird by the end. Either way, this has been a decently enjoyable series, and hopefully not the last one that will be given to Bruce to create.
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