Battlefields #6

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Russ Braun

I really don't understand why I don't hear and see more about Garth Ennis's excellent war series Battlefields.  This issue finishes off the third volume of this terrific series, and brings to a close the third storyline featuring Anna Kharkova, a Russian 'Night-Witch'; a pilot who was trained to aid in the fight against the Nazis in the Second World War.

When this issue opens, it is 1964, and the visibly aged Anna Kharkova, former hero of the Soviet Union, is trapped in a gulag in Eastern Siberia.  She's been imprisoned with her friend Mouse, mostly because of her long-standing rivalry with Merkulov, the former NKVD intelligence officer.  Ironically, Merkulov is now running the camp where Kharkova is incarcerated, and doesn't pass up a single opportunity to belittle and degrade her, not that he ever gets his wish.

When a top-secret Russian jet is brought to the camp to be tested, Merkulov sees his chance to get back into the Communist Party's good graces, while Anna just sees another opportunity to fly.

Ennis has surprised me with the balance he's found in these comics, between traditional war comics tropes and strong, believable characters.  Anna Kharkova started out as a bit of a stereotype, but she's become a solid, respectable character over the course of her story.  This issue's end left me with a small smile, and I could not think of a better ending for her story.  Great stuff.

Curse of the Wendigo

Written by Mathieu Missoffe
Art by Charlie Adlard

There are three things that the French graphic novel Curse of the Wendigo, translated into English and published by Dynamite, has going for it that make it a winner so far as I'm concerned:  it's set during the First World War, it prominently features Native American mythology, and it's drawn by Charlie Adlard.  And, with all of these elements firmly in place, this was a book that I enjoyed a great deal.

This comic is set in 1917 in Flanders.  Both sides of the war have been bogged down in muddy trenches for some time, when both sides begin to suffer unexplainable losses - sentries disappear at night, and all that is found of them is blood.  Eventually, leaders on both sides decide to confer under a white flag, and they agree to send men from both armies to investigate.  A Cree man, Wohati, is somehow there with the French army, and he seems to have a good idea of what's going on, blaming things on a Wendigo, a cursed spirit that relies on cannibalism for nourishment.

This is a horror comic through and through, and as the French and German soldiers investigate, they discover some pretty grisly sights (the cover can give you some idea of what is coming).  I wish there was more space in the book to examine just how these soldiers were able to interact with one another after spending so much time trying to kill each other, but instead Missoffe keeps the plot moving, and adds in a sub-plot about a French soldier who is in a hospital recovering from some very serious wounds, including a number that look like small bites.

I'm always happy reading stories set during the Great War, and I believe that Missoffe does a good job of capturing the frustration and detachment of front-line, trench soldiers.  After the joint squad is assembled, one of the characters makes a crack about celebrating Christmas with the Germans next, which makes me wonder if many soldiers were aware of the series of truces that took place in 1914 on Christmas Eve.

Adlard further cements his reputation as one of comic's premier horror artists with this book.  Unlike his work on The Walking Dead, this comic is in colour, which is used effectively to add a sense of menace to scenes like the one where mustard gas wafts over our heroes.

I wish that more French comics were being translated into English, as I've long enjoyed their different sense of pacing and storytelling.  This book is a good argument for more French comics (although I'd be happy with just getting to the end of The Secret History).

Battlefields Vol. 2 #2

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos Ezquerra

I really admire Garth Ennis's ability to tell a war story that hits all of the major war comics tropes, but still feels essential, if not particularly original.

Sergeant Stiles, star of all the 'tankie' stories in Ennis's Battlefields comics, has found himself lost in Korea with the newest recruit to join his crew.  They've fallen in with the Glosters, a British unit that is almost completely cut off by a large force of Chinese soldiers.  Stiles and his young charge help defend the Glosters from the siege for a number of days, and that's basically all that happens in this comic.  And its terrific.

Ennis excels at providing just enough historical context for the situations he depicts to make perfect sense (I've read very little about the Korean War), and he has a solid understanding of how to make war comics like this work.  We do get the standards - the brave young soldier who dies before his nineteenth birthday, the easy camaraderie between soldiers of different social standings, and the dignity with which the enlisted men face certain death.  Sure, the writing is formulaic, but it's a formula that works very well.

Borderline Vol. 1

Written by Carlos Trillo
Art by Eduardo Risso

Having been so impressed with the first chapter of Vampire Boy when I read it about a year ago, I figured it was time to track down the rest of Trillo and Risso's collaborations.  They deserve to be seen as one of the legendary writer/artist pairings in comics, as their work together is phenomenal.

Borderline is set in a strange, dystopian future.  Two organizations, the Commune and the Council, run the show, although they do not communicate well, and often allow their rivalries to supersede anything else.  One group (I never did quite get a handle on which was which) employs Crash, a 'captive agent' and the girl on the cover.  She looks a little like Kelly Lebrock in Weird Science, if she had a gun and was unable to communicate with people around her because she had most of her organs removed and replaced with technology.  The other group employs Blue, a 'ten year'; an agent who has signed a contract making him an indentured servant for the period of a decade. 

Now Blue and Crash have some history, having been in love before Blue sold Crash to organ harvesters so he could buy drugs.  Now the two are in conflict with each other in a game of one-up-manship between their controllers.

This is a nice gritty comic, told in short episodic chapters.  There is an interesting set of supporting characters - I particularly like Mike and Jack, Crash's handlers, who are insanely jealous lesbian lovers.  There's a strange sense of humour at play in this bleak comic, and I'm very interested in reading the next three volumes.  I always knew I could trust that I would enjoy looking at any book Risso has drawn, but it's heartening to see that Carlos Trillo's writing is just as good as his reputation says it is.

Bullet to the Head #1-6

Written by Matz
Art by Colin Wilson

I've become a pretty big fan of French comics writer Matz, from his work on The Killer, and now Cyclops, both usually published by Archaia Studios.  Artist Colin Wilson is one of those terrific artists, who for some reason, tends to stay on the fringe of things, getting titles like Point Blank (with Ed Brubaker, and very good), and the odd issue of Star Wars Legacy, when he deserves much more recognition.

So, going in to this six-part series, my expectations were high.  On the surface, this comic has a lot in common with The Killer - it's about hitmen and cops who have gotten all wrapped up in a big political power play.  There are a lot of differences though.  Where Matz's Killer is a quiet philosopher, his hitmen in this series are bullshit artists who spout endless streams of dialogue that places them somewhere between Bendis and Tarantino.

The series is a bloody and fun little tale, with some great twists and wonderful scenes, but to be honest, it's hard to follow.  Some of the blame for that actually has to go to Wilson, who has many of the characters looking a lot alike, but many of the scenes are so ambiguously scripted and laid out that I sometimes had a hard time following exactly what was happening.  To add to that, there were some definite issues with the translation from French (or perhaps Matz wrote it in English, and that's where the problems lie).  At times, the dialogue was grammatically stilted or incorrect, and at other times, incorrect names were used.

Still, this is a good comic.  I enjoyed the reckless abandon of the cop who is out to avenge his partner, and the assassin who is looking to do the same thing.  This is a buddy cop movie, although the partnerships and alliances shift as characters get knocked off left and right.  If you like Pulp Fiction, you'll probably like this.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Esteve Polls

I'm not a big Chuck Dixon fan, but I do like reading the occasional Western comic, and this book was only $5, so I thought it was worth the risk.  Before discussing it at all, I feel like I should include the following disclaimer:  I have never seen he original The Good, The Bad and The Ugly movie, and therefore entered into this book with no knowledge other than the fact that the guy who kind of looks like Clint Eastwood is probably the hero.

It's a good thing that I was able to figure out that much at least, because there is next to no exposition in this comic.  The story that takes up most of the book involves the Man With No Name chasing a train full of gold that is rolling across Mexico, guarded, for some reason I never figured out, but a group of French soldiers.  I'll admit I'm not all that well-versed in Mexican/American history (aside from what I got out of Vollmann), but I had no idea that French forces once worked within Mexican borders.

Anyway, this story was kind of confusing, as the Man kept making and breaking partnerships, and no one seemed to have a clear story.  The other stories that fill out the book are clearer in the way they were plotted, but at no point did this book do anything original.  In fact, had the Man suddenly become Jonah Hex, I probably wouldn't have noticed.  It's like reading the poorer issues from that title.

My biggest problem with this book lay in the artwork.  Polls is quite good at drawing static scenes, but his action sequences were very hard to decipher at times.  Also, I noticed that depth was an issue here - at a couple of times, two characters have a conversation about a third that he apparently can't hear, but in the artwork, it looks like they are all standing together.  There was a lot of shoddiness like that.

Battlefields #9

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Russ Braun

Battlefields has done a great job of satisfying my cravings for a regular dose of war comics, and so I'm sorry to see this second volume finish.

With this issue, Ennis concludes the story arc he began with the first Battlefields mini-series, The Night Witches, which focuses on (now) Captain Anna Kharkova, a female Russian pilot during the Second World War.  With this issue, Anna is put in charge of a group of six new female pilots, who have only barely been trained to fly.  She grounds them, but while she is on a mission, a new political officer arrives at the airbase and sends them out.  Anna and the Colonel (who she has been getting very close to) now must fly out and try to find them.

Ennis shows what things were like for the Soviet army quite effectively.  The most frequent Soviet technique in the war was to try to overwhelm a better trained and equipped force with sheer numbers, the only real asset the Soviets had.  This led to some brutal battles and massive amounts of losses.  The psychological toll of such a thing is shown here.

What I have enjoyed most about the Battlefields series is that Ennis has taken the time to examine some lesser-known aspects of the Second World War, and has enriched my knowledge of that time while providing some very impressive stories.  I sincerely hope there is a Volume 3 in the works.

Battlefields #8

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Russ Braun

What really stands out in this issue, which has our favourite female Soviet pilot, (now) Captain Anna Kharkova, going up against a ridiculously large number of German planes, are the double-page spreads showing the massive dogfights.  Braun really outdoes himself on these two large images, showing the hectic action and madness of fighter battle.

This is a decent issue.  Anna gets some official recognition, and gets closer to her colonel.  Also, and most importantly, she begins to thaw a little, and actually interact with her fellow pilots and support staff.  Much of this arc has concerned itself with her distant attitude, so it's good to see her becoming comfortable in her own skin again.

It's a shame that there is only one more issue of Battlefields coming out.  I do hope to see a third set of stories soon.

Battlefields #7

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Russ Braun

With the start of this latest Battlefields story, Ennis and Braun return to the story of Anna Kharkova, the female Russian pilot who was the star of their first Battlefields arc.  The war has progressed since the first story, and Anna has changed quite a bit.  She now has a reputation for getting herself into trouble, and has just been transferred to an all-male front line unit.

The story runs like many of Ennis's war stories.  There are toadyish functionary officers, and there's a big battle scene.  Anna is still talking to her close friend, who was killed in the first story.  It's clear that her experiences have hardened her, as is seen when she meets a female mechanic who idolizes her, and treats her with open disdain.

As usual, this is a very competently-told story, with great artwork.

Battlefields #6

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos and Hector Ezquerra

The Firefly and His Majesty ends as we all knew it had to, with the final battle between the Firefly tank and the King Tiger it has been hunting for the last two issues.

This arc, the sequel to The Tankies, has been interesting for the way it has changed the tank crew from a bunch of misfit jokers into a seasoned, and very hardened, group of veterans.  The events at the end of the last issue have totally drained any enthusiasm for warfare that might have been left in them, and it is clear now that the simply want to finish their job and go home.  At the same time, their rivals in the Tiger want the same, yet they know that they are on the losing end of the war.

As usual with Ennis, this is a very well-realized portrayal of warfare, and one that I found interesting throughout.

Battlefields #5

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos Ezquerra

Here's another strong issue of The Firefly and His Majesty, the follow-up to the earlier Battlefields story The Tankies.  Our tank crew is now hunting the King Tiger that they learned about last issue, and it has become somewhat personal for the Sergeant in command.  We finally learn why he hates Tigers so much, and what is driving his contempt for the German tank crews they have come across.

There is also some very nice character work involving the rest of the crew, and their German enemies are given some screen time as well.  Ennis usually personalizes both sides in these conflicts, which adds a lot of depth to his story, except for the Obersturmbanfuhrer, who he leaves a right scary bastard.

Most of this issue involves men sitting in and around tanks talking, and yet Ennis maintains a degree of suspense and foreboding throughout.  Ezquerra's art is spot-on, and I like the reference to one of Ennis's earlier War Story tales, Johann's Tiger.  I never thought of these books as having a continuity before, but I like the idea of Ennis weaving together some of these different stories one day.

Battlefields #4

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos Ezquerra

With this latest arc of Battlefields, "The Firefly and His Majesty", Ennis returns to the character of Sergeant Stiles, last seen in the arc 'The Tankies'. Time has passed, and Stiles and the other tank units have taken the war into Germany. They are pushing their way closer and closer to Berlin, although as usual, Stiles's team is way behind their main force and perhaps a little lost.

Stiles and crew meet up with a group of American Shermans which have been attacked by a King Tiger - the German super tank. What follows is some soldierly conversation, a good story about how the newest crew member was needed in the tank, and generally, set up for the fight between Stiles's Firefly tank (American tank, British gun) and this Tiger that we keep hearing about.

As usual with an Ennis war comic, this is some pretty good stuff. When he works with Ezquerra, he always find a nice balance between the comic and the gritty.

Battlefields #3

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by PJ Holden

This issue closes off the 'Happy Valley' story in Battlefields. The crew of B-Beer goes on their last mission before they finish their tour, and as is to be expected, things don't go exactly according to plan.

Ennis has given us an excellent example of a story that celebrates the camaraderie of warfare, and the bonds that grow between men placed in dangerous situations. Running in the background is the implication that the Commonwealth soldiers' sacrifices were especially poignant, given that they were not fighting for their own country or security, but instead for some rather abstract notions of duty to their former rulers.

Holden's art looks great in this issue, especially in the scenes in the back of the Wimpy. Those pages reminded me of Joe Kubert, which is high praise. I don't know what was up with the undershirt on the pilot during the scene in his dorm room - it's obviously been added on by the colorist, but I can't imagine why.

Battlefields #2

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by PJ Holden

When reading this latest Battlefields story, you can really feel Ennis's affection for his characters. The Australian Wellington bomber crew this story is centred on consists of your usual assortment of characters: the earnest, talented newbie pilot, the irreverent, wise-cracking but skilled second pilot, and the other crew members who sort of blur together, but are all good chaps.

The story itself is pretty standard - the experienced crew is close to finishing up their tour, the Brits look down their nose at the guys from the colonies, etc., etc. Like I said, nothing you haven't read before, if you've only just glanced at some previous war comics or stories. But, since it's being written by Ennis, when he's not just trying to shock you or gross you out, it's pretty compelling and enjoyable stuff. I'm becoming quite fond of Holden's work too, and would like to see more from him.

Battlefields: Happy Valley #1

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by PJ Holden

Garth Ennis's war series returns, with another well-crafted tale of the Second World War. I feel like that's all I have to say about the book - Ennis really knows how to write these things.

This time around, he's focusing on an Australian bomber crew flying missions into the German industrial zone, dubbed 'Happy Valley' by the bombers. This particular bomber crew has flown together for a while, and have only three missions remaining in their tour. However, they receive a new pilot to replace their injured former one, and he's right out of flight school.

At first, the veterans are loathe to take on a newbie, but they have no choice, and he proves himself to them. It's the standard war story stuff, but Ennis elevates the material through his strong attention to technical detail (I learned a few things about bombers), character development, and humour.

Holden's art is nice. His characters look a little cartoony, but he draws military equipment and flight suits in a more detailed, almost Kubertesque style. This is a good book.

Battlefields: The Tankies #3

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos Ezquerra and Hector Ezquerra

This was the strangest of the three Battlefields mini-series. The first gave us a story told from both sides or perspectives in the war. The second was the most tightly-plotted thing that Ennis has written in years. This one was one of the loosest.

I expected that the various groups of characters that have been in this book since the beginning might meet up at some point. I also expected that some major battle might get fought. Not really. Perhaps this adds a layer of veracity to the war story - it's a lot of driving around lost, followed by some waiting. As a plot for a comic, it's strange though.

That said, I enjoyed this series, and I'm pleased to read that Ennis is bringing it back for three more series next year. I'm in.

Battlefields: The Tankies #2

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos Ezquerra

As a series of individual moments, this title is quite standard Garth Ennis war story fare. There is a tough-as-nails sergeant, a group of likeable, but inexperienced tank soldiers, and some pretty twisted moments ("I say, d'you know you've a chap in your tracks?" being pure Ennis gold).

The problem with this particular iteration of Battlefields is that the story just seems to be a string of these moments, with no real larger plot being furthered. The action shifts from our tank crew to different groups of British soldiers strung out along the Normandy offensive, but there are no caption boxes to inform us of the change of setting. The art doesn't help that much with this, as, like in many war movies, the characters kind of all look the same.

The book is enjoyable, I just have come to expect slightly better.

Battlefields: The Tankies #1

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos Ezquerra and Hector Ezquerra

In this, the newest of the Battlefields series, Ennis is giving us a story about a tank crew advancing through Normandy following D-Day. The crew, made up of soldiers who have yet to see action, are quickly decapitated by the loss of their Lieutenant, who is then replaced by a Corporal from Newcastle.

This is standard Ennis: the Corporal speaks in a thick brogue, transmitted off the page by phonetic spelling, and fits the archetype of the 'soldier who gets things done.' The rest of the crew, still splattered with the remains of their former commanding officer, follow along and work to please.

Meanwhile, Ennis portrays the Germans as desperately holding on to the land, and fighting even after the point of surrender. The stakes for our little crew are quite high.

Ezquerra has long been a collaborator of Ennis's, and together they excel at portraying the innocence (and perhaps stupidity) of the soldiers. As Vertigo's recent Haunted Tank mini-series revealed, it is difficult to convey an exciting tank battle in comics, but the Ezquerras manage to do so nicely here.

This iteration of Battlefields completely lacks the subtlety and beauty of Dear Billy, but it is still an enjoyable comic.

Battlefields: Dear Billy #3

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Peter Snejbjerg

I think this has to be one of the best books Ennis has written in years. In the first issue, the two protagonists manage to find each other amid the chaos caused by the Japanese during the war, and it is due to their similar experiences that Carrie first feels so attracted to Billy. In the second issue, they both go about their business of killing Japanese - Billy with much bravado as a bomber pilot, Carrie much more furtively and with slighter success.

It is in the third issue though that the differences between them come so strongly to the forefront. Carrie has never really left the atoll where she was raped, shot, and left for dead. Billy, however, is able to separate his past from his present, and views the war as a duty, and killing as his job. Their relationship comes to a terrible end, and we see the circumstances in which Carrie writes the letter that has formed the basis of narration through this whole book.

Ennis's writing is fantastic in this book, and it is aided to no small means by Snejbjerg, who completes the best work of his career. This has been a fantastic title.

Battlefields: Dear Billy #2

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Peter Snejbjerg

This continues to be one of the better war stories Garth Ennis has written, as he focuses on a British nurse in India who has fallen for a British pilot. The story is told from the point of view of a letter she is writing him, in which she reveals her secrets and actions, which at this point, consist of her murdering any injured Japanese soldiers she can safely gain access to.

This is a form of revenge for her, and it is interesting that there is no real catharsis in it. She marvels at her lover's ability to compartmentalize his feelings about the war and the enemy, especially given the rough treatment that he suffered at the Japanese's hands.

The art in this book continues to be phenomenal, as Snejbjerg is doing some of the nicest work of his career.