Cover Art for Dog Tag #2
Written by Mark Russell
Pencils and Inks by PJ Holden
Colors by JP Jordan
Colors by Buddy Beaudoin
One of the most anticipated books on my pull list each month isn’t your typical superhero story or horror book or anything that usually draws my attention. It’s also not often that a debut issue of a new series is almost damn near perfect. Since its debut issue last month, Dog Tag has earned a special place on my shelf, and this second issue keeps the series positive momentum going. Dog Tag #2 spends more time on the battlefield than the first and tells a compelling story based around the French city of Saint-Lô. Let’s get into it. Spoiler Warning Now in Effect for Dog Tag #2
A Recap of the Issue
After a first issue spent away from the front lines and playing his part to trick Hitler and the German army, Soldier Tom Fuller is assigned to lead a “casserole unit” working out of France. A “casserole unit” is a unit of troops thrown together after their original squads and detachments are killed. After the battle on the beaches during D-Day, it's no shock that squads like these began to pop up. Fuller and his squadmates, Corgi, Hank, and Chopper, don’t know much about each other, but they have to address the condition and possible tactical withdrawal of German troops within the city of Saint-Lô, France. They need to determine if it’s really as abandoned as the rumors say.
On their way into the main city area of Saint-Lô, Fuller and his squad find a German soldier camped out in the woods. The group of men doesn’t immediately pull the trigger but decides to send one of their own to approach him and see what his deal is. If he were a sniper, they’d have to kill him due to some of the “unwritten” rules; no one wants a sniper as a prisoner of war after all the friends and allies that sniper probably killed.
Hank, due to his ability to speak German, goes to talk to the soldier and determines that he isn’t a sniper but rather just someone who was left behind when his unit moved on from the area. This makes a big problem for the group because they aren’t sure exactly what they should do with him. Luckily, Corgi has a solution that could help solve all their problems.
Fuller switches uniforms with the German soldier, and the group makes him walk towards the remnants of the front gates of Saint-Lô. This way, with the German soldier now wearing a U.S. Army uniform, they will be able to determine if any German scouts or regular troops are still watching the city. Fuller and his squad watch patiently as the German soldier makes his way toward the city, and as he reaches the gates, he’s sniped with a headshot and collapses to the ground. With a sniper now confirmed to be hiding within the city of Saint-Lô, Fuller and his squad need to find a way to take him out.
With the sniper focused on the front of the city and the three other squad members, Fuller uses the opportunity to sneak into the city and up to the place where the sniper is pinning them down. The sniper notices Fuller as he sneaks into the room, but thinks he’s German, so he doesn’t kill him. Fuller incapacitates the sniper, switches his uniform to one that marks him as a scout, and the group hauls him off to be a prisoner of war. The issue ends as the U.S. Military moves into the city of Saint-Lô after the efforts of Fuller’s team.
Thoughts on the Issue
Dog Tag #2 continues the strong story that began last month, and I liked the direction that issue #2 ultimately took. World War II media typically looks at all the major battles and uses them as a foil to tell the story of, arguably, the most horrific conflict in the history of humankind. Dog Tag has decided to take a look at the story of the Second World War, not judging the major battles but by looking at other events that shaped the war, or in this issue's case, what troops beyond the front were doing while still engaged in combat. There are so many stories to tell that haven’t and Tom Fuller’s story being used to highlight other important parts of the war was a great angle for Mark Russell and his art team to decide to take.
I want to talk about themes of identity and choice that run through this issue. We see multiple times in this issue that people are immediately judged by whatever uniform they are wearing. On the battlefield, when you have to make split-second decisions, what you’re wearing means life and death. The German soldier left behind by his unit in the woods could’ve made it home if only he hadn’t been told to put on that sniper uniform. The sniper in the building could've been executed by the American military, but a change in attire allowed him to moonlight as a normal soldier, so he would get captured instead.
Fuller himself is essentially moonlighting as a commanding officer since he’s an NCO. An NCO in the military is someone who isn’t commissioned but is made to take on a commanding role. Fuller is a writer by trade; a storyteller, and this new role for him single-handedly changed how the mission in Saint-Lô gets completed. In society, we can be judged heavily on outward appearance despite not knowing anything about someone.
Outward appearance isn’t everything, though. That German soldier was not a member of the U.S. military and was killed by someone who could’ve been a friend or acquaintance. He might not have ever fired a bullet or been forced into duty, and he met his life's end. The sniper in the tower, by all intents and purposes, deserved whatever fate befell him after murdering countless U.S. troops, but wasn’t executed due to his simply looking like a soldier in his stolen uniform. Tom Fuller never thought he would be in command of a military unit, but due to his actions, he completed a mission that a more hot-headed person may have failed. These three cases of identity and choice drive issue #2.
If any other person were in charge of Fuller’s “casserole” squad, this mission may not have even been completed. Fuller’s approach to completing this mission minimized the damage to his squad, and the only person to get killed was a German soldier. He didn’t just rush in with his team all gungho. He preserved the lives of each man in his squad and that in itself deserves a medal in a war that took way too many children from way too many families.
Writer Mark Russell deserves all the flowers for somehow bringing current-day real-world issues into his story and managing to fit them within the context of World War II. Now I’m not sure if this was entirely his intention, but even if it wasn’t, his writing, at the very least, is extremely thought-provoking. Issue #1 dealt with the spread of misinformation and how it can have a massive worldwide impact, while Issue #2 deals with all these themes of identity. I can’t say enough good things about this narrative and this book.
Thoughts on the Art and Rating
Now, let me get to the art. PJ Holden and JP Jordan continue their strong work from the first issue. That classic old-timey comic feel is perpetuated throughout the issue, and having the color palette reflect not only the time of day but the level of danger within the issue was a great highlight. The more danger Fuller’s squad was in, the darker the colors got, and of course, towards the end of the issue, we get that bright color palette back again. Holden’s art in particular features some of the most expressive and emotional faces I’ve seen in a comic, and it’s never hard to read the emotions of the characters; you don’t struggle to understand how they’re feeling.
The entire section of Fuller’s squad engaging in their mission during the night at Saint-Lô was my favorite part of the book from an art standpoint. The way the city is drawn, to basically look like a graveyard, was a great touch. The only bright colors we get during that section are when the German soldier gets sniped in the head and any muzzle of a gun during a section of gunfire. The facial expression of the characters during this part is fantastic as well, with some highlights coming from the rage Fuller feels when he's about to take out the sniper and the solemn expression that plagues him when he realizes he might have to kill the sniper in cold blood. Just a brilliant section from an art standpoint.
Dog Tag #2 is another incredible issue from the minds of Mark Russell, JP Jordan, and PJ Holden. The story of Tom Fuller, as he journeys through the last year of WWII, continues to be extremely compelling and the themes of this issue echo into today’s society. With two issues down and four to go, this series is on track to be one of the best of the year and one of the overall best war comics of the 21st century.
RATING: 9/10