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Sara
NAZI OCCUPIED RUSSIA, 1942. FIGHT HARD. SHOOT STRAIGHT. DO NOT LET THEM TAKE YOU ALIVE.
SARA is a gripping war story following a team of female Russian snipers as they beat back the Nazi invaders during a brutal winter campaign on the WWII Eastern Front.
Written by Garth Ennis (PREACHER, PUNISHER, THE BOYS), drawn by Steve Epting (CAPTAIN AMERICA, VELVET), colored by Elizabeth Breitweiser (BATMAN, OUTCAST), lettered by Rob Steen (PUNISHER), and edited by Sebastian Girner (DEADLY CLASS).
151 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2018
79 people are currently reading
1467 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,624 books3,169 followersEnnis 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
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
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November 19, 2020A brutal, skillfully drawn graphic novel about an all-women Soviet sniper unit. It might be writing from tree-top perches but certainly has its eye on the moral grayness in the trenches.
December 3, 2020
1942, the Eastern Front and the wolf is in the door and advancing further into the Motherland. Sara is the best sniper in a team of female Russian snipers doing what they can to push the Nazis back - and it turns out she’s so effective that the Nazis have dispatched their best marksmen to take her out specially. Who will win the duel - Russian or German snipers?
Garth Ennis is a big name in the comics world for a reason: because of books like Sara. This is another astonishingly high quality comic from a master of the medium on his favourite subject - war - alongside two other top tier creators, artist Steve Epting and colourist Elizabeth Breitweiser, the art team behind the excellent espionage series, Velvet.
Every part of this story was amazing. From Sara’s training, where she learns the trick of booby-trapping corpses to lay on live grenades so when their comrades turn the bodies over the grenades are activated, to the battle scenes, and the bloody finale in the tundra. The action sequences are mesmerising as we find out the order in which a sniper is meant to take out a German squad, to seeing Sara’s team being targeted by German tanks and having to figure out an exit.
Ennis provides no less a realistic portrait of war than he does in all of his war comics. We see not just the brutality of war and the Nazis, but just how horrendous the Russians - Sara’s own people - were to their countrymen. Stalin is rightly mentioned in the same breath as Hitler (though not at the time) for his insanely savage tactics that began even pre-war but went on, bafflingly, even as the Nazis were invading.
The details are compelling: the ever-present party adjutant hovering at the edges of Sara’s team, always listening for a stray word of dissension to report back on, the dogs with mines strapped on them, trained to charge under the enemy tanks. I know, this isn’t a cheerer-upper by any means but this was WW2 and this particular episode is set in one of the darkest times of the darkest war so buckle up: it’s a grim read, to say the least!
And, while the subject matter couldn’t be bleaker, Steve Epting’s there drawing it all so incredibly beautifully. If you’ve encountered his work before on the aforementioned Velvet or Captain America over at Marvel (he drew The Winter Soldier book the film was based upon), you’ll know just how talented the man is. He can do it all: peaceful danger, as Sara sits in snow-covered trees, waiting for her targets, to the heat of battle with Panzers firing and soldiers exploding, to tense evening dinners after bitter battles, and everything in between - his range and talent knows no limit.
Breitweiser’s colours deserve no less praise. Snow has never looked quite so good on the page before and the shading and colour choices always tell you subconsciously what time of day a scene is taking place. The bursts of red are unnerving and the explosions look photo-realistic. She’s one of the best colourists in the business and she brought her A-game to this one - I couldn’t have been more impressed.
“Page-turner” is a cliche but that’s exactly what Sara was for me - and that ending. Jaysis. Rarely do endings resonate with me but this one is still stuck in my head. Absolutely first-rate storytelling and art all the way through - if only more comics could be this damn good! The only blurb on this book is from Alan Moore who says - “One of the finest works of [Garth Ennis’] career” - and I totally agree. Sara is a stone-cold masterpiece.
Garth Ennis is a big name in the comics world for a reason: because of books like Sara. This is another astonishingly high quality comic from a master of the medium on his favourite subject - war - alongside two other top tier creators, artist Steve Epting and colourist Elizabeth Breitweiser, the art team behind the excellent espionage series, Velvet.
Every part of this story was amazing. From Sara’s training, where she learns the trick of booby-trapping corpses to lay on live grenades so when their comrades turn the bodies over the grenades are activated, to the battle scenes, and the bloody finale in the tundra. The action sequences are mesmerising as we find out the order in which a sniper is meant to take out a German squad, to seeing Sara’s team being targeted by German tanks and having to figure out an exit.
Ennis provides no less a realistic portrait of war than he does in all of his war comics. We see not just the brutality of war and the Nazis, but just how horrendous the Russians - Sara’s own people - were to their countrymen. Stalin is rightly mentioned in the same breath as Hitler (though not at the time) for his insanely savage tactics that began even pre-war but went on, bafflingly, even as the Nazis were invading.
The details are compelling: the ever-present party adjutant hovering at the edges of Sara’s team, always listening for a stray word of dissension to report back on, the dogs with mines strapped on them, trained to charge under the enemy tanks. I know, this isn’t a cheerer-upper by any means but this was WW2 and this particular episode is set in one of the darkest times of the darkest war so buckle up: it’s a grim read, to say the least!
And, while the subject matter couldn’t be bleaker, Steve Epting’s there drawing it all so incredibly beautifully. If you’ve encountered his work before on the aforementioned Velvet or Captain America over at Marvel (he drew The Winter Soldier book the film was based upon), you’ll know just how talented the man is. He can do it all: peaceful danger, as Sara sits in snow-covered trees, waiting for her targets, to the heat of battle with Panzers firing and soldiers exploding, to tense evening dinners after bitter battles, and everything in between - his range and talent knows no limit.
Breitweiser’s colours deserve no less praise. Snow has never looked quite so good on the page before and the shading and colour choices always tell you subconsciously what time of day a scene is taking place. The bursts of red are unnerving and the explosions look photo-realistic. She’s one of the best colourists in the business and she brought her A-game to this one - I couldn’t have been more impressed.
“Page-turner” is a cliche but that’s exactly what Sara was for me - and that ending. Jaysis. Rarely do endings resonate with me but this one is still stuck in my head. Absolutely first-rate storytelling and art all the way through - if only more comics could be this damn good! The only blurb on this book is from Alan Moore who says - “One of the finest works of [Garth Ennis’] career” - and I totally agree. Sara is a stone-cold masterpiece.
December 22, 2020
Garth Ennis apparently can do it all: Preacher and The Boys, of course; and in another arena, the horror apocalyptic Crossed; Punisher, but one thing that has a whole different tone to it altogether, his war comics. Sara is part of a group of female Russian snipers fighting the Nazis in WWII. The storytelling by Ennis is wonderful against a bleak and unromantic backdrop, the fighting in Russia at the time, when so many died on both sides.
The artwork of Steve Epting (Captain America: Winter Soldier, Velvet) and Elizabeth Breitweiser (colorist, Kill or Be Killed and others with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips) is amazing, so the collective effort is powerful, affecting. I haven't read but a fraction of what I am told is now 1500 comics books/volumes/whatever that Ennis has produced, but I have read a lot of good stuff from him and this is one of his very best. A war comics masterpiece with a punch in the gut ending. Certainly one of the best comics of the year, too.
The artwork of Steve Epting (Captain America: Winter Soldier, Velvet) and Elizabeth Breitweiser (colorist, Kill or Be Killed and others with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips) is amazing, so the collective effort is powerful, affecting. I haven't read but a fraction of what I am told is now 1500 comics books/volumes/whatever that Ennis has produced, but I have read a lot of good stuff from him and this is one of his very best. A war comics masterpiece with a punch in the gut ending. Certainly one of the best comics of the year, too.
October 27, 2025
A squad of female snipers fights for Mother Russia - her daughters trying to hold back the tide of blood the Nazi juggernaut is leaving in its wake. Sara is the best; the other women look to her for guidance - even as she questions what she is really fighting for. Look up Lyudmila Pavlichenko - 'Lady Death' to understand how much female snipers contributed to the war. Garth Ennis and Steve Epting have just given some smart producer a hell of a war movie.
December 26, 2020
It's the winter of 1942. The Nazis have invaded Russia and by all means winning this war on Russian soil. Sara is the top sniper in the area. She's part of a team of seven women snipers out on the hunt for Germans in the field of war.
This is the pinnacle of Garth Ennis's many WWII comics. I loved everything about it, from Sara's training to how she goes about flushing outa top German sniper sent to take her out. It's Enemy at the Gates set in the Russian countryside. Ennis also brings in the NKVD and how they are always watching the Russian troops, looking for disloyalty to the Party.
Then there's Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser's art. This is the same creative team that worked on Velvet. They bring their 'A' game. They made the snow look so real I could feel the cold. Breitweiser really made the bursts of color on those white background really pop. And then those action scenes, I felt like I was there. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
This is the pinnacle of Garth Ennis's many WWII comics. I loved everything about it, from Sara's training to how she goes about flushing outa top German sniper sent to take her out. It's Enemy at the Gates set in the Russian countryside. Ennis also brings in the NKVD and how they are always watching the Russian troops, looking for disloyalty to the Party.
Then there's Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser's art. This is the same creative team that worked on Velvet. They bring their 'A' game. They made the snow look so real I could feel the cold. Breitweiser really made the bursts of color on those white background really pop. And then those action scenes, I felt like I was there. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
August 1, 2021
This graphic novel had been on my radar for a while, but after reading "The Unwomanly Face of War" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), I got even more curious. I haven't read anything else by Garth Ennis, but I've heard enough about "Preacher" and "The Boys" to know this wouldn't be a story featuring baskets of puppies...
Sara is part of a battalion of women snipers who defend the line during the second winter of the Nazi occupation of Russia. Her colleagues are good, but she is especially good: driven by the horrible fate that befell her native village and blessed with a great stillness, she is so deadly that even the Germans have heard of her.
I'm very glad that Ennis chose to highlight a lesser known aspect of the war, and while I'm not sure he based his story on any one specific historical account, he clearly did his homework, and this book is really a masterful character study, set against a bleak and brutal background. Epting's artwork is beautiful, his characters' face incredibly expressive and his gory bits just bloody enough.
An excellent graphic novel, especially if you are interested in WWII stories and/or Russian and Soviet history. Highly recommended.
Sara is part of a battalion of women snipers who defend the line during the second winter of the Nazi occupation of Russia. Her colleagues are good, but she is especially good: driven by the horrible fate that befell her native village and blessed with a great stillness, she is so deadly that even the Germans have heard of her.
I'm very glad that Ennis chose to highlight a lesser known aspect of the war, and while I'm not sure he based his story on any one specific historical account, he clearly did his homework, and this book is really a masterful character study, set against a bleak and brutal background. Epting's artwork is beautiful, his characters' face incredibly expressive and his gory bits just bloody enough.
An excellent graphic novel, especially if you are interested in WWII stories and/or Russian and Soviet history. Highly recommended.
January 16, 2021
Una storia di guerra brutale e mozzafiato ambientata nel 1942 sul fronte orientale della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, con una protagonista
Sara è la storia a fumetti memorabile di una banda di cecchine russe a caccia di nazisti, illustrata magnificamente, piena di colpi di scena e scene d'azione spettacolari, con uno scontro finale tra cecchini che ricorda parecchio quello nel gran bel film bellico Il nemico alle porte del 2001.
Una delle migliori storie mai scritte da Garth Ennis secondo me, ed i disegni di Steve Epting, coadiuvato dall'ottima colorista Elizabeth Bretweiser, sono talmente realistici che ad un certo punto mi sembrava davvero di stare nelle fredde ed innevate steppe russe.
Un capolavoro che sferra più di un colpo allo stomaco ed al cuore del lettore, con uno dei più bei finali che abbia mai letto.
Se vi piacciono le storie di guerra compratelo a mani basse, non vi deluderà.
December 18, 2019
I really enjoyed this WWII graphic novel, my first from TKO Studios, an exciting new publisher that uses a format of bulk releasing complete graphic novels in multiple formats. It's a thoughtful story that follows a team of female Russian snipers and their most enigmatic member Sara as they wreak havoc on Nazi patrols.
Surprisingly, it's much less graphic and extreme in its tone and content than most of Garth Ennis's popular work. Its storytelling is brooding and it steadily reveals surprising and deeper levels of Sara's character. I really enjoyed the non-linear storytelling and the jumping back and forth in multiple points in Sara's life. As much as I really enjoyed the writing, the art really stole the show here, especially the incomparable colorist, Elizabeth Breitweiser. She teams up with her Velvet partner Steve Epting, and the work here is just as impressive!
Surprisingly, it's much less graphic and extreme in its tone and content than most of Garth Ennis's popular work. Its storytelling is brooding and it steadily reveals surprising and deeper levels of Sara's character. I really enjoyed the non-linear storytelling and the jumping back and forth in multiple points in Sara's life. As much as I really enjoyed the writing, the art really stole the show here, especially the incomparable colorist, Elizabeth Breitweiser. She teams up with her Velvet partner Steve Epting, and the work here is just as impressive!
March 20, 2020
It's been a long time since I can finally say a Garth Ennis booked truly impressed me.
Sara is the story of a russian sniper and her band of other russian woman snipers killing Nazi pieces of shit. Now, any story involving murdering Nazis is wonderful. But add a little salt and pepper of badass woman snipers taking out groups before they can even move? That's my kind of story.
But Garth doesn't shy away from the darkness of war. The bitter cold outlook of this all as these brave soldiers take on the Nazis in winter time is brutal and fantastic to watch. Sara, the main lead, is usually keeping to herself and putting herself deep in her own mind. This leads to a path nobody wants to go down in the end.
The art in this book is stunning. I felt COLD just reading this book. On top of that the action is crazy good with some brutal deaths. I also enjoyed the company here, as Sara was a solid lead, but the band with her was even better. While it took awhile to get attached to the characters I eventually warmed up to most. The ending is one of the best in recent memories too.
A very easy 4 out of 5.
Sara is the story of a russian sniper and her band of other russian woman snipers killing Nazi pieces of shit. Now, any story involving murdering Nazis is wonderful. But add a little salt and pepper of badass woman snipers taking out groups before they can even move? That's my kind of story.
But Garth doesn't shy away from the darkness of war. The bitter cold outlook of this all as these brave soldiers take on the Nazis in winter time is brutal and fantastic to watch. Sara, the main lead, is usually keeping to herself and putting herself deep in her own mind. This leads to a path nobody wants to go down in the end.
The art in this book is stunning. I felt COLD just reading this book. On top of that the action is crazy good with some brutal deaths. I also enjoyed the company here, as Sara was a solid lead, but the band with her was even better. While it took awhile to get attached to the characters I eventually warmed up to most. The ending is one of the best in recent memories too.
A very easy 4 out of 5.
April 14, 2022
I'm gonna write a full review soon, but wow! This was truly excellent. I'm a Garth Ennis fanboy but this is easily one of his best works ever. That ending was just stunning.
January 14, 2021
Another dark, brutal, and completely amazing World War II adventure from Garth Ennis. The artwork by Steve Epting is beautiful even when depicting the brutality of war.
Sara is part of a team of female snipers trying to beat back the Nazi invasion one well-placed bullet at a time. This is fiction, but there were indeed such women soldiers fighting for the Soviet Union. Ennis does not glamorize the women or go for over-the-top action like a Charlie's Angels movie. These are serious warriors fighting for their lives and the lives of their comrades.
Sara is part of a team of female snipers trying to beat back the Nazi invasion one well-placed bullet at a time. This is fiction, but there were indeed such women soldiers fighting for the Soviet Union. Ennis does not glamorize the women or go for over-the-top action like a Charlie's Angels movie. These are serious warriors fighting for their lives and the lives of their comrades.
January 28, 2021
I highly recommend this for those who like to read stories about World War II. This story features a team of female snipers in the Soviet army. This team mows through Nazis until the Germany army sends a top sniper to the front. From that point the story shifts from action to suspense as the German sniper could be anywhere. The thing that impressed me the most about this comic is that the art is phenomenal. Also, I appreciate that it addressed the complexities of war.
December 30, 2019
I mean... I think everyone who follows me and knew this exists knew I’d like this one, right?
What’s it about?
This story follows the lives of a group of female Russian snipers who have to fight Nazis in the woods during WW2 in hopes of being able to go home and the horrors of war that they face.
Pros:
The story is very interesting. Ennis always writes a good war comic and this is not an exception. He can still keep readers on the edge of their seat with a great tale in the war fiction genre.
The art is fantastic. Many comic readers may be thinking they’ve heard Epting and Breitweiser’s names together before, for anyone who doesn’t know that’s because they’re the same exact art team that did Velvet by Ed Brubaker. This book shows that their team up in a different kinda story still looks amazing and that they’re both incredibly talented!
The characters are pretty interesting as the story goes on.
There are some fantastic action scenes! This comic is always intense too. Ennis knows how to write great war action and the art team of Epting and Breitweiser are great at drawing it.
This can be a surprising one with some shocking twists.
The storytelling is good. It has a narrative style that really shows you the character’s POV and Ennis writes it in an amazing way so it works perfectly for showing what the character is experiencing.
The dialogue is pretty well written.
There’s a subtle element of social commentary that is pretty interesting.
This book can get kinda emotional at times and it’s done very well.
Why not 5 stars?
The ending. I didn’t care for the ending.
Overall:
Despite the ending this is a great comic. I mean how would it not be a great comic? Garth Ennis with Velvet’s art team in a war comic is an accurate description of this... which part of that doesn’t sound good? It’s a great story with amazing art and fantastic writing that is always intense in every part of the book. This comic is bloody fantastic overall, I recommend it.
4/5
What’s it about?
This story follows the lives of a group of female Russian snipers who have to fight Nazis in the woods during WW2 in hopes of being able to go home and the horrors of war that they face.
Pros:
The story is very interesting. Ennis always writes a good war comic and this is not an exception. He can still keep readers on the edge of their seat with a great tale in the war fiction genre.
The art is fantastic. Many comic readers may be thinking they’ve heard Epting and Breitweiser’s names together before, for anyone who doesn’t know that’s because they’re the same exact art team that did Velvet by Ed Brubaker. This book shows that their team up in a different kinda story still looks amazing and that they’re both incredibly talented!
The characters are pretty interesting as the story goes on.
There are some fantastic action scenes! This comic is always intense too. Ennis knows how to write great war action and the art team of Epting and Breitweiser are great at drawing it.
This can be a surprising one with some shocking twists.
The storytelling is good. It has a narrative style that really shows you the character’s POV and Ennis writes it in an amazing way so it works perfectly for showing what the character is experiencing.
The dialogue is pretty well written.
There’s a subtle element of social commentary that is pretty interesting.
This book can get kinda emotional at times and it’s done very well.
Why not 5 stars?
The ending. I didn’t care for the ending.
Overall:
Despite the ending this is a great comic. I mean how would it not be a great comic? Garth Ennis with Velvet’s art team in a war comic is an accurate description of this... which part of that doesn’t sound good? It’s a great story with amazing art and fantastic writing that is always intense in every part of the book. This comic is bloody fantastic overall, I recommend it.
4/5
March 25, 2021
Excellent. Great writing, beautiful art. A heart wrenching ending.
March 1, 2021
Un Ennis in ottima forma ci porta sul fronte orientale della seconda guerra mondiale, al fianco di una squadra di cecchine russe.
Una storia cupa e non banale, che mostra appieno la brutalità della guerra e di ciò che ci sta dietro.
Sara è una cecchina, a migliore del gruppo, addestrata a sparare al nemico.
E il nemico non è un uomo, non un essere umano: è un nazista.
E lei lo uccide per salvare la madrepatria, per vendicare tutti i russi morti e brutalizzati da questi invasori tedeschi.
Come la sua famiglia, il suo villaggio natale distrutto dal nemico.
Sara è una cecchina, e la vediamo in azione.
Assistiamo al contrasto tra la freddezza dell'azione, l'attesa solitaria nel nido, il cecchinaggio e il massacro dei soldati nemici, immersa nella neve e nel gelo della Russia, bianco su bianco, e il calore della casa dove alloggia il suo gruppo, l'amicizia con le altre ragazze, le risate e i tentativi di pensare al futuro dopo la guerra, alle loro vite, a cosa riserverà loro il futuro.
Sara è una cecchina, il meglio che c'è.
E al tempo stesso non sopporta la polizia politica, i superiori. Disprezza gli ideali, non crede più.
Fa fuori i tedeschi perché sono il nemico e perché è l'unica cosa che possa fare.
Finché non scopriamo il suo segreto.
E finché non arriva un cecchino crucco a dare la caccia alla misteriosa cecchina russa che sta distruggendo le truppe tedesche in quella zona...
Davvero un ottimo volume!
Una storia cupa e non banale, che mostra appieno la brutalità della guerra e di ciò che ci sta dietro.
Sara è una cecchina, a migliore del gruppo, addestrata a sparare al nemico.
E il nemico non è un uomo, non un essere umano: è un nazista.
E lei lo uccide per salvare la madrepatria, per vendicare tutti i russi morti e brutalizzati da questi invasori tedeschi.
Come la sua famiglia, il suo villaggio natale distrutto dal nemico.
Sara è una cecchina, e la vediamo in azione.
Assistiamo al contrasto tra la freddezza dell'azione, l'attesa solitaria nel nido, il cecchinaggio e il massacro dei soldati nemici, immersa nella neve e nel gelo della Russia, bianco su bianco, e il calore della casa dove alloggia il suo gruppo, l'amicizia con le altre ragazze, le risate e i tentativi di pensare al futuro dopo la guerra, alle loro vite, a cosa riserverà loro il futuro.
Sara è una cecchina, il meglio che c'è.
E al tempo stesso non sopporta la polizia politica, i superiori. Disprezza gli ideali, non crede più.
Fa fuori i tedeschi perché sono il nemico e perché è l'unica cosa che possa fare.
Finché non scopriamo il suo segreto.
E finché non arriva un cecchino crucco a dare la caccia alla misteriosa cecchina russa che sta distruggendo le truppe tedesche in quella zona...
Davvero un ottimo volume!
December 21, 2023
As someone who has been reading comics for fifteen years, I have never read anything by Garth Ennis, considered as one of the most prolific writers in the medium and whose creator-owned work has made it to television, such as Preacher and The Boys. Although he had done superhero comics for DC and Marvel, Ennis has had longevity with characters like the Punisher, someone who has been through wars, a subject that fascinates the writer, as evidenced in his TKO debut, Sara.
In 1942, Russia has been occupied by the Nazis. In the second terrible winter of the siege of Leningrad, seven female snipers find themselves caught up in the struggle against their German enemy. Amongst the women is Sara, who has the deadliest shot and whose inner demons may yet prove her undoing as she and her comrades fight to survive whilst claiming victory for their Motherland.
I haven’t read that many war comics and having no knowledge of female Russian snipers on the WWII Eastern Front, it piqued my interest and certainly lives up to it. From its literally cold opening, we see the eponymous sniper hiding among the trees as an enemy patrol walk by without noticing her. Although I don’t think Ennis is presenting a feminist angle to the narrative, this opening represents the rest of the book, which is about a group of women proven themselves to be capable in a battlefield, whilst the male soldiers are somewhat slumming it in their duties.
As great a protagonist as Sara is, through her narration and personal vendetta against the Nazis, the other women are just as compelling. Although Sara is the only one to have flashbacks, Ennis provides a distinction between the other women, who are all snipers, but have different views on the war, whilst their comrade lieutenant Raisa is trying to supervise them as a true patriot to their country.
The snipers may have clear enemies in the shape of Nazis dressed in winter coating whilst wielding MP 40s, there is also the conflict within themselves. Along with their fellow male soldiers, who flirt with some of the women, the women themselves have issues, such as a battle sequence that resulted in one of the snipers, Mari, fleeing from the situation. This causes Sara and ‘Rina to argue over whether or not they should report Mari’s moment of panic, which would’ve been seen as an act of treason. Patriotism can be problematic, especially during a time of war and although one can have a personal agenda in the duty to kill your enemy, how much of that agenda is manipulated by the government you’re sworn to protect.
Having done a ton of superhero comics, most notably in Ed Brubaker’s Captain America run, I’ve always praised the realistic look of Steve Epting’s art, which is particularly great when applied to more grounded narratives from Image’s Velvet to this. With the primary setting of the snowy woods in Nazi-occupied Russia, you feel the chilling atmosphere that all the soldiers and whilst I wouldn’t necessarily call this an action-orientated comic, the few battles showcase the chaos and brutality you expect from war. It also helps that the art is enhanced by Elizabeth Breitweiser’s moody colours that is predominately blue with splashes of red blood.
As my introduction to Garth Ennis’ work, it’s a great place to start, whilst Sara is like the best war stories, where there is an underlying anti-war message as this comic explores the deceitful nature of fighting for one’s country.
In 1942, Russia has been occupied by the Nazis. In the second terrible winter of the siege of Leningrad, seven female snipers find themselves caught up in the struggle against their German enemy. Amongst the women is Sara, who has the deadliest shot and whose inner demons may yet prove her undoing as she and her comrades fight to survive whilst claiming victory for their Motherland.
I haven’t read that many war comics and having no knowledge of female Russian snipers on the WWII Eastern Front, it piqued my interest and certainly lives up to it. From its literally cold opening, we see the eponymous sniper hiding among the trees as an enemy patrol walk by without noticing her. Although I don’t think Ennis is presenting a feminist angle to the narrative, this opening represents the rest of the book, which is about a group of women proven themselves to be capable in a battlefield, whilst the male soldiers are somewhat slumming it in their duties.
As great a protagonist as Sara is, through her narration and personal vendetta against the Nazis, the other women are just as compelling. Although Sara is the only one to have flashbacks, Ennis provides a distinction between the other women, who are all snipers, but have different views on the war, whilst their comrade lieutenant Raisa is trying to supervise them as a true patriot to their country.
The snipers may have clear enemies in the shape of Nazis dressed in winter coating whilst wielding MP 40s, there is also the conflict within themselves. Along with their fellow male soldiers, who flirt with some of the women, the women themselves have issues, such as a battle sequence that resulted in one of the snipers, Mari, fleeing from the situation. This causes Sara and ‘Rina to argue over whether or not they should report Mari’s moment of panic, which would’ve been seen as an act of treason. Patriotism can be problematic, especially during a time of war and although one can have a personal agenda in the duty to kill your enemy, how much of that agenda is manipulated by the government you’re sworn to protect.
Having done a ton of superhero comics, most notably in Ed Brubaker’s Captain America run, I’ve always praised the realistic look of Steve Epting’s art, which is particularly great when applied to more grounded narratives from Image’s Velvet to this. With the primary setting of the snowy woods in Nazi-occupied Russia, you feel the chilling atmosphere that all the soldiers and whilst I wouldn’t necessarily call this an action-orientated comic, the few battles showcase the chaos and brutality you expect from war. It also helps that the art is enhanced by Elizabeth Breitweiser’s moody colours that is predominately blue with splashes of red blood.
As my introduction to Garth Ennis’ work, it’s a great place to start, whilst Sara is like the best war stories, where there is an underlying anti-war message as this comic explores the deceitful nature of fighting for one’s country.
June 25, 2019
4 1/4 stars>
February 25, 2021
A cleverly thought-out story set in a Nazi-occupied Russia while following an all-women Russian sniper squad as they expose the cold and merciless war and their brutal predicament.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
April 10, 2019
Sometimes it's about reading the book at the right time and with Sara, I guess I've hit the jackpot. Started it at 11 PM and put it down finished at 1 AM.
I am not a big fan of Ennis's work. You could even say I have a serious disdain for some of it, especially Preacher and everything else drawn by Steve "I-can-draw-only-one-face" Dillon. But this was something else.
The story is pretty simple - a group of Russian female snipers is fighting the Nazis during the invasion. Sara's family was killed by the Germans and she took a vow to kill every Nazi she will meet. Nice and simple. I really appreciated two things - Sara doubting the Soviet propaganda (the reason will be revealed as the story goes on) and avoiding the cliché "Nazis are bad and whoever's fighting them is good".
I really like Steve Epting's art and Bettie Breitweiser is one of the best colorists out there. The only thing that bugged me a bit was that all the girls were really good looking (except for sadistic Vera) even there's a frigging war going on.
TKO Publishing hit a home run with Sara and I am looking for more. I am wondering how good will be the rest of their books which doesn't have an A-list creative team on the cover. Btw the book itself is probably the best-crafted paperback I've ever held in my hands. Fantastic paper and the size of OHC... really worth the money.
I am not a big fan of Ennis's work. You could even say I have a serious disdain for some of it, especially Preacher and everything else drawn by Steve "I-can-draw-only-one-face" Dillon. But this was something else.
The story is pretty simple - a group of Russian female snipers is fighting the Nazis during the invasion. Sara's family was killed by the Germans and she took a vow to kill every Nazi she will meet. Nice and simple. I really appreciated two things - Sara doubting the Soviet propaganda (the reason will be revealed as the story goes on) and avoiding the cliché "Nazis are bad and whoever's fighting them is good".
I really like Steve Epting's art and Bettie Breitweiser is one of the best colorists out there. The only thing that bugged me a bit was that all the girls were really good looking (except for sadistic Vera) even there's a frigging war going on.
TKO Publishing hit a home run with Sara and I am looking for more. I am wondering how good will be the rest of their books which doesn't have an A-list creative team on the cover. Btw the book itself is probably the best-crafted paperback I've ever held in my hands. Fantastic paper and the size of OHC... really worth the money.
September 30, 2020
Enemy at the Gates
with a better ending. WW2 sniper duel. The protagonists fight under a regime that is no less abhorrent than that of the invaders. Life is cheap and short. Hope is a lie. But she can fight for the women in her platoon.
This is Ennis--the deadly serious war side of Ennis--at the top of his game. His snipers are lethally effective because they're smart, resourceful, and experienced. And most of all, infinitely patient. No Rambo bullshit. And it has the best possible ending.
The art is perfectly matched to the story. Every page is unobtrusively composed to track for the viewer the positions of all the characters and targets, while also displaying gorgeous, fully realized Russian winter forest landscapes. Yet it never distracts from the relationships between the women in the sniper unit.
There is nothing about Sara that I didn't love.
This is Ennis--the deadly serious war side of Ennis--at the top of his game. His snipers are lethally effective because they're smart, resourceful, and experienced. And most of all, infinitely patient. No Rambo bullshit. And it has the best possible ending.
The art is perfectly matched to the story. Every page is unobtrusively composed to track for the viewer the positions of all the characters and targets, while also displaying gorgeous, fully realized Russian winter forest landscapes. Yet it never distracts from the relationships between the women in the sniper unit.
There is nothing about Sara that I didn't love.
January 5, 2021
Ennis successfully dips into the war genre once again, and pulls off the all to rare trick of writing female characters without churning out woke talking points.
February 18, 2019
Sara is your Obi Van. Smart, calm, skilful, determined to the cause but bit her own opinion in mind. She is killing machine, but take no pleasure from it. So she is becoming a legend. German infantry is stormtroopers here. Comes in great quantity, high morale and unable to hit anything. So our Sara Van Communist is unstoppable until the worthy opponent emerge (like Boba Fett). So much for the story, I won't spoil anything since it's the kind you're able to read only one time (and if you're going back, it's for some scenes and sceneries). Frankly, the story is nothing new. You surely saw/read this kind of story in many variations. But... it's very well executed. You wouldn't believe it is Ennis. The same guy who did World of Tanks (rather World of "No, Thanks"). I actually like Ennis, but his quality of storytelling vary. But this time, it's good. And well oiled by the art - Epting's drawing and Breitweiser's colours. And it looks very very good. But, of course, there are few clouds. People look good, their faces look good (well, "stormtroopers" have very similar faces, just look on page twenty-something where Sara is splashing some officer's brain on the line of them), the winter landscape looks beautiful, especially woods. But the style of how the people are drawn&coloured do not match the art style of the woodland, so it looks like paper cut figures with some painted background. nevertheless, this is just minor annoyance, which you'll forget in the first action - gunfights look brilliant here. The note is more cinematic and upbeat here (and the panels looks cinematic too). No dark sides of the war, it's a neat and polished picture of Eastern front as far as it gets. Some nasty thing here and there, but just for the show. If you're war comics lover (but not too big WW2 enthusiast), this is a good choice. The story is good with perfect tempo, the art is amazing (with its flaws) and the covers look nice (a bit too "fan art" stylization, as one of my friends would say), I like the first two best.
As a fan of this genre, I'm obliged to rate by four stars here.
As a fan of this genre, I'm obliged to rate by four stars here.
January 2, 2020
Rovnou to odpálím a řeknu, že Sara je skvělá. Jde o jednoduchej a rychle ubíhající příběh party ruských odstřelovaček za druhý světový války. Nesnaží se bejt osudovej, rozhodovat celou válku a zachraňovat planetu, je to malá, lokální část obrovskýho kolotoče a přesto dokáže zaujmout a udržet člověka v napětí. Hrdinky jsou dobře napsaný, takhle maj sakra vypadat silný, ženský postavy. Žádnej over the top feministickej patos. Co víc, dočkal jsem se kvalitního konce. Skvělá scénaristická práce. Opravdu plnohodnotná story se začátkem, středem a koncem (na kterej se dneska obvykle dost okatě kašle).
Kresba mi nesedí. Resp. nesedí mi stylizace ale kompozice a práce s panelama je super. Co mě ale po výtvarný stránce odpálilo do vesmíru byl coloring, kterej měla na starosti Elizabeth Breitweiser. Sakra ta se vytáhnula. Je vidět, že nad každou barevnou paletou pořádně přemejšlela a celej ten komiks po výtvarný stránce táhne.
Strašně mě bavilo, že dvojstránky/čtyřstránky, byly zezačátku ve stejný barevný paletě a střih byl na každý lichý stránce. To se bohužel přesně v půlce druhýho sešitu posunulo o stránku, takže už to nebyla taková potěcha pro oko ale je mi jasný, že to nikoho trápit nebude. 🙂
Je to tak na 4,5 hvězdy, pět dávám hlavně kvůli stylu, jakym se to vydalo. 6-10 sešitů co vyjdou najednou je podle mě ta nejlepší cesta vůbec.
edit: po zpětný revizi ubírám jednu hvězdu, nicméně pořád za mě platí co jsem psal :D
Kresba mi nesedí. Resp. nesedí mi stylizace ale kompozice a práce s panelama je super. Co mě ale po výtvarný stránce odpálilo do vesmíru byl coloring, kterej měla na starosti Elizabeth Breitweiser. Sakra ta se vytáhnula. Je vidět, že nad každou barevnou paletou pořádně přemejšlela a celej ten komiks po výtvarný stránce táhne.
Strašně mě bavilo, že dvojstránky/čtyřstránky, byly zezačátku ve stejný barevný paletě a střih byl na každý lichý stránce. To se bohužel přesně v půlce druhýho sešitu posunulo o stránku, takže už to nebyla taková potěcha pro oko ale je mi jasný, že to nikoho trápit nebude. 🙂
Je to tak na 4,5 hvězdy, pět dávám hlavně kvůli stylu, jakym se to vydalo. 6-10 sešitů co vyjdou najednou je podle mě ta nejlepší cesta vůbec.
edit: po zpětný revizi ubírám jednu hvězdu, nicméně pořád za mě platí co jsem psal :D
April 1, 2019
#naennisedobry
December 18, 2020
What a beautiful book. The art work is one of the best of the year! The way the artist captured the fear and thrill of War was realistic and stunning. And the writing... Garth Ennis at his best
August 12, 2021
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
War often demands an unequivocal loyalty towards your country from its soldiers. Indoctrinated to do everything in their power to foil an enemy’s plans to invade, there is little room for selfish desires under such pretenses. However, every single person is burdened by their own understanding of ongoing events, of their own individual history with war, and of their own desire for justice. Writer Garth Ennis (Punisher, Preacher, The Boys), artist Steve Epting (Captain America, Velvet), and colourist Elizabeth Breitweiser (Batman, Outcast, Kill or Be Killed) join forces to deliver an astounding World War II tale exploring the ruthless predicament of an all-female sniper battalion confronted to the raw truth regarding armed conflicts and the governing state.
What is Sara about? In the year 1942, Russia is occupied by Nazis. During the second winter of the siege of Leningrad, seven women snipers are gathered together in an effort to shut down marching German invaders. Among them is Sara, the deadliest shot in the squadron, capable of unleashing a strategically sound execution without any remorse whatsoever. In the midst of this freezing war, no life is safe with death prowling under the blanket of snow. With Sara fighting her own inner demons, having lived through a terrible emotional ordeal as a result of this war, it is up to her to find a reason to fight that goes beyond what her comrades believe in and what they are willing to do for their country.
Writer Garth Ennis delivers a remarkably poignant story through Sara. In this self-contained event, he swiftly explores the psychological state of mind of actively participating soldiers and captures the bone-chilling circumstances that represent their reality. Not only does he succinctly portray the frightening context of war, but he also defines the political landscape through authentic characters who each justify differently their raison d’être and embrace their fate as pawns of war with varying fervour. He also juggles both past and present narrative threads with fascinating ease, allowing him to brilliantly build up all the brewing turmoil in Sara that ultimately leads her to become the cold-blooded, meticulous, and resolute protagonist of this story.
Artist Steve Epting also elevates the game with his exquisite art. While perfectly drawing Sara’s passive-aggressiveness whose own personal trauma scarred her into a merciless assassin who doesn’t show a hint of emotion, he also does an incredible job in penciling the rest of his characters, effortlessly displaying a whole spectrum of emotions. The rough environmental conditions are also flawlessly designed, whether it’s debris or snow, there isn’t a moment throughout the story where the reader isn’t reminded of the brutal nature of their lives during this period. Elizabeth Breitweiser’s colouring also merits equal praise, gorgeously transforming the visual medium with masterful shading and fantastic colour-coordinated hues.
Sara is a narratively and visually striking World War II tale featuring an all-women sniper squad and the complex and grim conflict they face.
Thank you to MediaLab PR for sending me a copy for review!
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
August 16, 2023
Daaaaaaamn. Epting's art is completely on point for this spare, emotionally brutal war story. I'm mixed on Garth Ennis - sometimes I'm meh, but when he hits for me, he *really* hits and this was one of those times.
March 26, 2019
Few interesting ideas, average art and good ending. Constant jumps between past and present makes it painful to read though. Little chaotic from the start, and full of motherland bullshit. Reminded me Enemy at the gates, but movie was better crafted.
August 2, 2019
Nice to look at, not so interesting to read. I don't know what more to say. I didn't like the main character at all.
April 30, 2020
This book is beautifully, expertly drawn, and depicts women with different faces and body types!! A very gripping story. 4.5 rounded up
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