Stringbags, Out of the Blue, Box Summary

I thought I was done with the Garth Ennis war comics, but I forgot I had these oversized comics on my shelf.  Here we go!

Stringbags

Ennis teaches me about the Fairey Swordfish, a plane so obsolete that its technical deficiencies worked to its advantage.  The crew of three isn’t the most likable, but they do an acceptable job linking the three major arcs in this hardcover.  It’s the ending that sets this book apart.  There’s a Light Brigade/Last Samurai/D-Day Dodgers/why the hell were they asked to do this horrible beauty to it that’s executed to heartbreaking perfection.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Out of the Blue 1-2

For some reason, Ennis felt like revisiting the camship pilot from Archangel.  Turns out he survived, married the girl, and went on to fly the Mosquito fighter-bomber.  He’s also a bit of a wet blanket, which makes him somewhat annoying.  But the stories are good, and Keith Burns is a great artist.  (Though the storytelling, especially in the final fight, is a little unclear.)

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

That’s it for Misc Box 12!  The early Bendis stuff was a bit of a slog, but Ennis’ war comics flew by, even the weaker stories.  

Box Summary

Time spent reading: 22 hours, 8 minutes

Issues read: 152

Issues cut: 0

Highlights (Good or better): Fortune and Glory; 303; Dan Dare; Dreaming Eagles; Enemy Ace; Johnny Red; Red Team; Red Team 2; War Story: Johann’s Tiger; War Story: D-Day Dodgers; War Story: Screaming Eagles; War Story: Nightingale; Battlefields: Night Witches; Battlefields: Dear Billy; Battlefields: Happy Valley; Battlefields: Motherland; Battlefields: Fall and Rise of Anna Kharkova; War Stories 23-26; Stringbags

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 48 days, 10 hours, 10 minutes

Issues read: 10147

Issues cut: 1094