The Marvel Title that won over Stone’s Platoon
Many would call it another War Comic which was published by Marvel after seeing successes with Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandoes and G. I. Joe: A Real American Hero
The difference with this title was that it was deeply rooted in the reality of the Vietnam War because it was written and edited by ‘Nam vets Doug Murray and Larry Hama, respectively. The idea was conceived by the then-Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Jim Shooter. The series would be illustrated by Michael Golden
A comic that was written by those who were on active duty during the war would pay dividends. It won the Jack Kirby Award in 1987 as the Best New Series. It received praise from Newsweek Editor William Broyles Jr., but the most notable praise came from one of the most notable Vietnam Veterans group: The Bravo Organization who went on to say that the comic book series was the "best media portrayal of the Vietnam War," (beating Oliver Stone’s Platoon)
It didn’t just stop there. The series went on to include Frank Castle (The Punisher) which would serve as added material to his origin but that wasn’t enough to stop the title’s falling sales in the 90s as the era of war movies and war stories were fading away
While the 1980s saw Hollywood rolling out realistic movies or just pulp fiction, this comic book title resonated with the community of veterans as it told stories about their real-life experiences, whether against the Vietcong or the war opposition at home. It also served as an educational medium for those who weren’t exposed to the war and/or its experiences
Sadly in today’s polarized environment and the hijacking of comic book characters by their movie adaptations, not many people talk about Marvel Comics’ achievements when it came to tackling real-life issues. This series belongs with The Amazing Spider-Man no. 96 (drugs) and Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle (depression, alcoholism)
