The Stringbags

by Garth Ennis, P.J. Holden (Illustrator)

If you do the incredible often enough, they'll want you to do the impossible. ​ Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy began World War II with aircraft that could devastate enemy warships and merchantmen at will. Britain's Royal Navy squadrons went to war equipped with the Fairey Swordfish. A biplane torpedo bomber in an age of monoplanes, the Swordfish was underpowered and undergunned; an obsolete museum piece, an embarrassment. Its crews fully expected to be shot from the skies. Instead, they flew the ancient Stringbag into legend. ​ Writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, War Stories) and artist PJ Holden (Battlefields, World of Citadel) present the story of the men who crewed the from their triumphs against the Italian Fleet at Taranto and the mighty German battleship Bismarck in the Atlantic, to the deadly challenge of the Channel Dash in the bleak winter waters of their homeland. They lived as they flew, without a second to lose--and the greatest tributes to their courage would come from the enemy who strove to kill them. Based on the true story of the Royal Navy's Swordfish crews, The Stringbags is an epic tale of young men facing death in an aircraft almost out of time.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, War, History, Sequential Art, World War II, Aviation

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2020

About the author

Ennis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.

Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.

Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.

Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.

While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.

Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.

After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.

In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.

Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.

In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.

In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous World War II comic from Garth Ennis. This tells the story of the Stringbags, an ungainly biplane that was instrumental in some major WWII Naval battles. Ennis combines telling the technical details of the battles with putting a human face on the battles by following a fictional 3 person crew of one of the Stringbags. The Stringbags were surprisingly hard to shoot down because of how slow they moved messing up the timing of more maneuverable planes and battleship gunners. I also finally learned why all those images of blimps in England were there in footage of the era. They are called barrage balloons and existed so the Luftwaffe couldn't maneuver between the ropes and would shear the wings off the planes. This was one of Ennis's better war comics.

Received a review copy from Dead Reckoning and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: https://historicalfictionreader.blogs...

Garth Ennis’ The Stringbags arrived on my doorstep as part of an unsolicited care package from the Naval Institute and Dead Reckoning Press. I confess that I’m not sure I’d have picked it up on my own, but the story struck a chord in me, and I’m immensely grateful to the publisher for bringing it to my attention.

The story is broken into three parts: To Your Lads In Their Enterprise, Our Belief in You, My Fuhrer, and By Either Side That Day. The events of each chronicle the attack on Taranto, the sinking of the Bismarck, and the Channel Dash, through the eyes of a three-person Fairey Swordfish crew. I was not familiar with this particular aircraft before picking up Ennis’ work, but I loved the insight the book afforded regarding both these biplane torpedo bombers and the engagements in which they were utilized.

Archie, Ollie, and Pops prove delightful protagonists, and I liked how their diverse personalities and perspectives shaped their individual opinions of the Second World War. I found their collective desire to offer meaningfully to the cause endearing and was moved beyond words with the story’s conclusion. The novel did not end as I expected it to, but I found something beautifully poetic in the final panel and feel it a powerful reminder of the realities faced by their real-life counterparts.

Though regulated to a supporting role, I also admired Captain Shanks. He begins the story as a stereotypical war hero, but his wartime experiences are anything but. I admit his arrogance held little appeal for me in the initial pages of the narrative, but he worked his way under my skin as the novel progressed, and I ultimately enjoyed his role as foil for the novel’s heroes.

The Stringbags is heavy on both combat and operational history, but I found it wonderfully diverting and have no trouble recommending it to fans of war fiction and graphic novels alike.

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the finest war comics of Garth Ennis’ career, which is saying a lot since he has written numerous fantastic war comics during his prolific career. This one follows the men that fly the Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber in WW2, which was extremely under-gunned and underpowered compared to the monoplanes at the time, as it flies through three keys events in WW2. Based partially on the true story of the crew of the Swordfish, it tells the horrifying tale of young men facing the reality of war in a machine almost out of time.

While this is a fantastic read, it needs to be noted this is not exactly a non-fiction story of this plane. All the events in the story happened, like the attack on Taranto, the sinking of the Bismarck, and the Channel Dash occurred, but the three main characters of this story are completely fictional. The three main events that take place throughout the story are very real, but no single crew of the plane took part in all three events. Ennis also explains his reasoning for this in the back, but it should be noted this is mixing truth with fiction to tell a story.

Nonetheless, this is one of Ennis’ strongest outings in war comics, telling an emotionally draining, yet powerful story. I enjoyed this one immensely and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about the realities of war as much as I do.

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting, little known story of the impact of an out of date British aircraft at three pivotal moments in the European theater in WWII. Follows a fictional air crew through the battle of Taranto (where aircraft carrier based Stringbags successfully destroyed an Italian naval force), the sinking of the Bismark (where the aircraft's contributions were middling to none), and the race through the channel, which for the Stringbags was basically a suicide mission. The comic focuses on the bravery of the pilots and crews and the realities of proving the value of naval aviation with outdated equipment.

On a personal level, this was really interesting to read. My dad was a huge world war two buff and read almost everything Naval Institute Press published on that era. And Garth Ennis' Preacher was really important to me in my early 20s and while I now think he's a little over the top, it was very interesting to see him be more restrained (yet still violent) and to see the two strands of my life come together.

**Thanks to the author, artist, publisher, and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Carlex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.

An excellent war comic, documented in historical facts but with imagined characters. Rightly, in my opinion, Garth Ennis explains that it would be disrespectful to the real heroes who flew in these precarious planes, while also this gives him more leeway to develop the fictional part. I also liked that the author does not take the too usual licenses by exaggerating the role of the protagonists, that is, as if they alone were going to win World War II; in this case quite the contrary, in this story they are only a little part of all the men who participated in this horrible conflict.

The drawing is good, to highlight the planes and war machinery (impressive the battleship Bismarck!). My only complaint, a very small one, are the comical situations between the three protagonists that are not quite funny.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I’m thinking Garth Ennis, these days it’s Boys. And it’s superb tv adaptation. And also, Preacher. (And also, erroneously, Transmetropolitan, though that’s actually Ellis.) But basically I’m thinking tough dudes, antiauthoritarian, antiheros, testosterone, violence, and oodles of fun.
But, as it turns out (the book’s author’s bio says so) Ennis is actually well known for his war comics and sure enough Wikipedia confirms his WWII fascination. So it’s perfectly logical that he took a lot of the elements of his male action driven style and applied it to tell this story of a British Royal Navy squadron that despite all odds proved to be crucial to significant naval victories, including but not limited to the sinking of Bismarck.
And odds were against them indeed, because the pilots, including the three main characters, had to fly the antiquated planes known as Stringbags for their ability to tow things/weapons/supplies around like a string bag. We’re talking biplanes from a bygone era of monoplanes, something that looked positively flimsy, especially when faces with Nazis’ technology. And yet…and yet, the sheer kamikaze bravery of the men who piloted the Stringbags was not merely inspirational, but instrumental during the war. These pilots represented the best of England during the worst of times. This is the fictionalized account of their courageous efforts.
So for what it is, it’s really good. To be fair, I don’t really like military fiction and the WWII stories I read are more character and less action driven. This reminded me in a way of Midway the recent movie about the US WWII pilots, though without all of the machismo and jingoism and much nicer for being jauntily British than steely American.
But just for the record, this was infinitely superior to Midway. Good story, well told, very seriously and with great attention to detail. Absolutely gorgeous art and color. Likeable protagonists. I was glad to learn about this (new to me) aspect of WWII. All in all, a good read, improved evermore by the reading experience in good company.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A team of skilled and experienced comics makers have put together a fine work of artistry and tribute to a little-know group of British WW2 pilots, those who flew the Fairey Swordfish. I began this one knowing absolutely nothing about this aspect of combat, and by the end, I felt like I’ve had a significant history lesson as well as the opportunity to experience some gorgeous artwork. For readers a across age-range and genre-preference, this is one that I highly recommend without reservation.

[Timo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good, Ennis in his best.
Strong art, really good exciting story with bits of real war history sliced in. Not too much of it, so the flow of story does not grind to halt.
Really good one, this.

[Alex Sarll]

As if taking the piss out of the number of different publishers for whom he's done much the same sort of war comic, Garth Ennis' latest comes from the Naval Institute Press – not a name one generally expects to see listed alongside Marvel and DC. But, as always (well, bar some iffy art on the Avatar run of War Stories), it's a belter. The subject this time is the Fairey Swordfish, a plane out of time – one thinks of biplanes as quintessentially First World War, but this one was a torpedo bomber flown by the Royal Navy's aviators in the Second. It was fragile, its armament was a joke...and still they managed to do remarkable things. The book is divided into three sections, each of which combines passages of what's pretty much an illustrated history lesson with narrative sections following the (mis)adventures of one particular Swordfish crew – though of course it does help that, in mission briefings, there's a perfect excuse to drop in more exposition and maps than fiction can normally accommodate without creaking. The first follows the crippling of the Italian navy at Taranto, about which I didn't know at all; apart from changing the balance of power in the Mediterranean war, there's an implication that it may also have influenced the Japanese tactics at Pearl Harbor. The second rejoins the protagonists while they're flying recon missions from Twatt (and yes, I checked – because Ennis knows his history, but does also have a weakness for puerile humour. This was indeed a real airbase, though he's tweaked the location), then follows them to the sinking of the Nazis' own Death Star, the Bismarck.

Each time, the very factors which should render the Swordfish a liability prove its salvation – it flies so low, or so slow, as to completely fox the adversary's expectations. Still, a plane is nothing without people, and as ever, catching the fighting men is where Ennis really excels. Where most war comics tend either to follow the gung-ho Commando line, or the illustrated Wilfred Owen mode of Charley's War, Ennis always has the sense and the decency to know that neither is true, and both are. War is a horrible, ugly business, a terrible waste – in which glorious deeds are done; a thing that shouldn't ever happen, but sometimes the alternative is even worse. Accordingly, our protagonist aircrew are three somewhat hapless regular types, more or less accidental heroes as much out of wounded pride as anything, but still good men. Significantly, their role is always somehow to assist, rather than striking the magnificent killing blow; an afterword confirms that this is done out of respect, to avoid stealing the glory from real fliers; it's also a great way to show the importance of collective effort as against Hollywood bullshit. This also makes PJ Holden the perfect choice of collaborator; his faces always teeter on the edge of comedy, with British types straight out of an Ealing film, but then he can also handle the sudden flips into heroism or horror, the harrowing scenes of burning and drowning or the collective grief after the loss of the Hood.

And then there's the third story. Perhaps just because Netgalley has the ARC of this months ahead of the release, it's presented uncoloured, but that also serves to lend a sense of foreboding, an idea that this history is ready to catch up with this plane out of time. And where the first two stories follow brilliantly-executed and successful British ops, the last covers the Channel Dash, which was neither. I'm not sure if this counts as a spoiler when one is addressing historical fact, but good heavens, heroism is no less heroic when it's doomed, and this one really got me. Even without that, though, it would have been a powerful read. Despite it turning up, unheralded, in a week when I feel the least patriotic I have in my life, I loved this to bits.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Garth Ennis solidifies his claim on being his generation's premier writer of World War II graphic novels with this historical fiction about a World War II British naval aircrew. The plane they fly is the Fairey Swordfish -- nicknamed the "Stringbag" -- a biplane torpedo bomber that was considered obsolete at the start of the war due to its single torpedo capacity, fabric covering, open cockpit, and slow speed but by war's end may have sunk more Axis ships and submarines by tonnage than any aircraft in the Allies' arsenal.

Archie, Ollie and Pops bounce from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic to the English Channel as they take part in the Battle of Taranto, the hunt for the Bismarck, and the Channel Dash. They bicker and joke and occasionally find themselves in a spot of trouble, but their focus stays on doing the job beating the Nazis and protecting Great Britain.

I especially appreciated Ennis reverential afterword explaining the choices he made in his fiction and the historical basis for the events portrayed.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garth Ennis is famous for putting the "graphic" in graphic novels, but I think he deserves more attention for also attempting to tell "based on true stories" from the Second World War in interesting and compelling ways, which for the most part trying to remain respectful to those who survived or died in the actual events. Whenever I see one of these come out, they're an insta-buy for me. This book tells the story of the Fairey Swordfish squadrons, an RAF aircraft that was essentially obsolete the day it debuted in the late 30s. It's fabric and wood bi-plane structure harkened back to the days of the First World War, and it was easily outstripped in speed by everything else being built in the day...and yet little could anyone have known or predicted that these issues could come to be its greatest asset. This story explains the daring attack on the Italian Fleet in the port of Taranto that essentially knocked it out of the war, and then the sinking of Germany's greatest battleship, the Bismarck, and the sad final chapter in their Light Brigade-like attack during the Channel Dash as the remaining German battleships fled to home ports to sit out the rest of the war. While Ennis tweaked a couple of things, and created his own characters so that their stories would connect these three major events, the rest is essentially true. This book is also missing a lot of the author's more adult-oriented and sometimes gratuitous content, which makes it easier for me to recommend this to anyone who's a history buff but looking for something a little different for their book collection.

[Maddie O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.

I think I just wasn't the perfect audience for this book- it was a well-written graphic novel but I'm not super interested by military history so I wasn't as captivated as I probably would have been otherwise. Would definitely recommend if you like both graphic novels and military history, though!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garth Ennis and company have done it again! Using a fictional crew of a Stringbag (officially the Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber), Ennis takes the reader on a tour of three pivotal moments where the Stringbags shone. The first was the strike on the Italian fleet at Taranto that kept the Mediterranean Sea from being an Axis lake. The second was the strike on the Bismark that crippled the ship and allowed the British fleet to catch it short of France and safety. The third moment was the last ride of the Stringbags during the Channel Dash of the German battle cruisers when they attacked in broad daylight without adequate air cover. These are important tales told and illustrated well. Read, enjoy and reflect on what has been done in the past so that the future exists.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, Garth Ennis manages to put a human face to the war we all learned about in the history books. Though focused on British airmen, there is mention of enemy lives and their suffering. These characters were never indoctrinated to hate the enemy. They are true soldiers. Following orders, but also questioning them. Killing the enemy, but also worrying about the suffering they inflict. WW2 is more than a statistic. The story features men who feel real, who are players in events that shaped the world, even lauging about them when they get the chance. It seems that proper humor has an ever greater effect in a drama of this nature. Like War Stories from the same author, this comic is a true gem. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Archie, Pops and Ollie are a trio in the Navy. They're not the most effective bunch, but their hearts are in the right place. Their nearly-obsolete bomber starts their latest mission on a bad note when they lose some of their fuel. They press on regardless. On their return trip, they get attacked by a fighter and barely make it away. They land in the water which is often a death sentence. Thankfully, they get picked up by a ship.

The next big mission is one nobody wants. The Bismark is perhaps one of the most famous and deadly German ships of the time. Our trio barely manage to release their torpedo before they are shot down. They aren't even certain if they scored a hit, but after being rescued, they are told that the Bismark was indeed sunk during that epic battle.

In history, the Allies' Operation Fuller targeted three German flagships that still posed an obstacle on the seas. Here we get to see what some of the people that participated in that operation might have been thinking. Our trio face the insurmountable odds with the same stoicism. This time, they don't make it.

[PETER MICHAEL · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly good read! I really did not expect this book to be an adult comic, it was quite a shock when I opened it up. However....the illustrations and colourising were very professional and reminiscent of my amazing childhood comics like The Eagle and Hotspur. The author's description of the storyline, at the back of the book, really helped explain the events of the time and the lead-up to the various battles that the fictitious aircrew took part in.
I have always admired the incredibly brave aircrews who flew the 'Stringbag' on incredibly dangerous, potentially one-way missions. Having seen the Swordfish flying displays on a number of occasions, I am always astounded at how exposed the crew members are in the open cockpit, the slowness of the aircraft and the obvious flimsiness of the airframe.
I really liked the unassuming three main characters and their interaction with the other characters in the book.
Well done to the team who made the book possible and who have helped keep alive the memories of the courageous Fleet Air Arm air crews

[Reverenddave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only knowing Garth Ennis from his run on Punisher as well as Preacher and The Boys, I admit I was a little dubious about how his style would translate to historical fiction. There was no need to be. This book is excellent. It casts a colorful and well-researched eye on a largely overlooked (if such a thing can still exist) corner of WWII, the adventures of Britain's Fairey Swordfish squadrons, biplanes in the new era of air combat. The real-life details of the titular Stringbags' major engagements (the Battle of Taranto, the hunt for the Bismark, and the Channel Dash) would be thrilling enough, but depicting them through the eyes of a fictional hard-luck crew humanizes the stakes and add's a level of humor and pathos.

Visually this book is stunning. PJ Holden's art makes the battle scenes jump off the page in a way that I wish more war comics were capable of, and the level of research put in to ensure the historical accuracy of the planes, ships and equipment is evident and appreciated.

A strong recommend for those with interests in WWI and/or graphic novels.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Stringbags' by Garth Ennis with art by P.J. Holden is a series of 3 stories about World War II and the men who flew Faerie Swordfish planes.

The three linked stories in this volume follow three fictitious characters as they fly the slow, biplanes to drop torpedoes to hit ships. In the first story, the raid on Taranto is the focus. The second is about an attack on the Bismarck, a huge German ship, and the third is about the German fleet running up the coast of England and getting attacked.

The stories alternate between lighthearted and nail biting. The three main characters are wholly made up and this is explained in an excellent afterword by the author. The art is really great. I learned a lot about these planes and the men who flew into the face of danger.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dead Reckoning and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Craig Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. 'Stringbags' is a wonderful combination of fiction and history in a colorful and detailed book. This is the story of the Fairley Swordfish torpedo plane, an obsolete bi-plane, and its effective use by the British Navy. Three actions are shown, the sinking of the German battleship Bismark, the attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto, and the Channel Dash by the German fleet. This book follows the fictional exploits of the three man crew of one Stringbag.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Garth Ennis' titles and as an amateur historian, I was thrilled when this title was released. The three main characters and their wartime stories interweaved into the larger events of WWII provide a unique engagement with the war that is not often portrayed and/or discussed. Excellent writing and illustrating of this title. If I have one negative to say about this book is that I wish they would have stayed with the same artist throughout the entire book. The differing artistic styles is jarring and disruptive to the flow of the visuals. Highly recommend!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge Garth Ennis fan, but his obsession with the machinery of war is one that I just don't share. His character-driven war stories are fine, but when he gets all glassy-eyed about tanks and planes, I kind of tune out. THE STRINGBAGS is one if his machinery stories. The art, by PJ Holden, is clean and attractive, but, and this is a normal failure in Ennis' war stories, two of the three main characters are very hard to tell apart, and they also have interchangeable personalities, so their perpetually impending doom didn't really tug at my heartstrings.

[Jim Shaner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reader can sympathize with the characters created by Garth Ennis. They are relatable, and help the reader understand the human reactions to the situations of war. Politics, strategy and the bigger picture can fill a history book – but the lives of those who fought their fellow man are forever changed by their experiences. And their accounts will affect the reader’s understanding of life itself.

The artwork in The Stringbags is excellent, and it was interesting to revisit three historic campaigns influenced by the brave crews of the lumbering, stinging Swordfish – the most indomitable anachronism of the air in WWII.

[Thom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read through Preacher and The Boys I went in expecting the level of gross social commentary that I know Garth Ennis for. This book does not have that. I could hardly recognize it as a Garth Ennis book. With that out of the way, Stringbags tells a well paced story of a trio of everymen that do some cool war stuff in planes. The art was fabulous except for the similarity of characters' looks made it difficult to tell them apart at first glance.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice fictionalized story of the Fairey Swordfish, a biplane that was technically obsolete by the start of the war but in some cases that ended up being an advantage since the defenses were typically set up expecting faster and more technical airplanes. Ennis is very good at telling these stories where he creates characters and throws them into these real-life, historic events to create a personalized account on these stories. Nice large-format book with lots of colour.

[BIGnick BIGnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story telling is a little clunky, which is probably because the comic follows the actually history of the Swordfish pretty tightly.
The characters are pretty bland for them being Garth Ennis’s work, but again, probably so as not to distract from the events going on. That all sounds negative but it really is a great graphic novel and would recommend it to any history buff willing to step outside the pocket of non-fiction books and documentaries.

[Julian Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up off the shelf at the local library, found myself quite entertained. A war graphic novel with a lot of heart, "The Stringbags" boasts terrific art and some magnificent two-page panels alongside solid dialogue and characterization, taking time to develop the characters as people beyond throwing them into their historical missions. A good read for the military history buff.

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the official sign that people who grew up with comics are now entering Old Man Phase in which we become obsessed with World War II, especially the vehicles. It's happened, the comic book generation is now old enough to be interested in the minor details of aircraft put to use in WWII, as well as battleships.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel about an apocryphal Fairey Swordfish crew who fly in three historical major events: the attack on Taranto, the hunt for the Bismarck, and the Channel Dash. It's not a book for children or youngsters, as there is a lot of strong and sacrilegious language. That said, as a full-grown adult with an interest in military history, I did actually enjoy the story.

[Relena_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fascinating portion of WWII history. Ennis's choice to make up 3 characters to bring us through the story made sense and enhanced the story, though the ending was abrupt. I was annoyed that the ebook version didn't work with the normal ebook comics controls, but that's not really the book's fault.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Ennis best

Garth tones it down a bit, and writes his best war comic since enemy Ace:the war in heaven. Yrs, the three main characters are fictional-so what? The story is real. Men who flew horribly outdated planes to glory. A great story.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and well-drawn tale that draws together the three most important battles of the Fairey Swordfish and its crews, using a fictional crew to cover Taranto, the Bismarck, and the Channel Dash.