War Story

If I remember right, this is Garth Ennis’ first real foray into war comics, without the pretense of wrapping his stories inside the bookends of Hellblazer or Demon or what have you.  These are the issues that cemented Ennis war comics to my buylist.  

War Story: Johann's Tiger

The prototypical “soldier survives while all of his friends die around him” story.  Bonus points due to how much he wanted to die. 

Rating: Good

 

War Story: D-Day Dodgers

The best of the bunch.  The ending montage, juxtaposed with the ironic lyrics of The Ballad of the D-Day Dodgers, is horrifyingly tragic. 

Rating: Really good

War Story: Screaming Eagles

I’d probably like this more if it wasn’t already so familiar from Band of Brothers.  It’s not Ennis’ fault (he makes it clear that he wrote this before the show came out), but there’s no avoiding the Stephen Ambrose influence.  

Still, the cold cataloging of the deaths of the original company members is soberingly effective in conveying the losses.

And the ending is just as beautiful of a tag as the one in the show.

Rating: Good

War Story: Nightingale

My first education about the Atlantic convoys, years before Tom Hanks’ excellent Greyhound committed it to film.  

Chills.

Rating: Good

War Story: Archangel

I had no idea things got so desperate during these convoy runs that they launched planes off of ships as a one-use protection gambit.  Or that the planes had no way of landing back with the convoy.  It’s insane the things people will try in times of war.

Rating: Pretty good

War Story: Condors

Ennis contrives a situation where four people get the chance to express their different points of view about the Spanish Civil War.  (Something I know zero about.  This is the only thing I’ve ever read about it.)  It’s a credit to Ennis’ talent that I wasn’t bored silly.  He’s such a deft writer that I often forget just how much social and political commentary he mixes into his stories.

Stuff like this, which I do enjoy reading, is easier to digest when it's combined with...

...the stuff of nightmares.  Just the thought that this could be my daughter and wife...

Rating: Pretty good

War Story: Reivers

The weakest of the bunch.  A British SAS commander gets a little overzealous and gets his whole command killed off.  One of the few Ennis stories where the group dies because of poor squad command decisions.  (Soldiers often die because of incompetent higher level orders.)

Rating: Fine

War Story: J is for Jenny

Follows the exploits of a WWII bomber crew.  Very average.

Rating: Nice

For all of the issues:

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes