Smithsonian.com

The cover for issue #1 of The War That Time Forgot.

During the 1960s, DC Comics ran a series called The War That Time Forgot. It was based on a simple concept, banking on the idea that soldiers + dinosaurs = entertaining action, but the stories quickly grew repetitive. In 2008, however, the series was rebooted, but this time the story is much stranger.

While there are many soldiers and dinosaurs in the new incarnation of The War That Time Forgot, the new series is fundamentally different from its predecessor. This time the soldiers are not just hapless American GIs caught in the middle of WWII but a motley assortment of warriors from different places and times. There are German WWI fighter pilots, Native American warriors, Viking princes and modern-day American soldiers, all of whom can communicate in perfect English.

Other than rival factions of soldiers, the most immediate threats on the island are dinosaurs. Thankfully they are drawn with a tad more scientific realism than their 1960s counterparts. There is something more sinister at work, however. The battling soldiers are being watched and manipulated by some unseen intelligence which appears overly concerned that the fight is fair. Indeed, the new series is closer to LOST with dinosaurs than the original comics.

For those of you, like me, who have not kept up with the monthly releases, the first volume of The War That Time Forgot (Version 2) was recently published. It is beautifully illustrated even if the storytelling leaves a bit to be desired. To see how it all ends, though, you’ll have to wait for Volume 2, which will be released this September.