The Complete Battlefields, Volume One

Battlefields #1-3 and Extra

by Garth Ennis, John Cassaday, Garry Leach

Late summer, 1942. As the German army smashes deep into Soviet Russia and the defenders of the Motherland retreat in disarray, a new bomber squadron arrives at a Russian forward airbase. Its crews will fly flimsy wooden biplanes on lethal night missions over German lines, risking fiery death as they fling themselves against the invader- but for these pilots, the consequences of capture will be even worse. For the pilots of the 599th Night Bomber Regiment are women. In the deadly skies of the Eastern front, they will become a legend- known, to friend and foe alike, as the Night Witches. Dynamite presents the first stories of the acclaimed Battlefields series in one massive, oversized hardcover - Night Witches, Dear Billy, and Tankies. This edition features some ever-so-slight tweaks the creators have meticulously restored, plus bonus art material including a complete cover gallery and a special look at the making of the stories.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, War, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Military Fiction, Comic Book

268 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

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

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just to start...this book was very difficult to get hold of. It took me over a year to find a copy and luckily found one on eBay from the US for a bargain. It was worth the wait.

I doubted this book/series from beginning because I always compare all Ennis' work to his Preacher run which is probably my favourite comic of all time.

How wrong was I to doubt this book. The thing about this is you can't compare it to preacher, because preacher is crazy and off the wall. Mental. Battlefield however is based on fact. History. There however is one comparison you can make to his Preacher run; heroines! The way Ennis writes women is wonderful. He empowers them in a realistic manner and with dignity and strength.

In truth the writing blew me away just like most of the soldiers do in this book. Essentially even though there are two volumes it's really three stories.

Story 1, female Russian fighter pilots against the Germans: An empowering love story between two unlikely soldiers.

Story 2 female British nurse against the Japanese: A heartfelt story of tragedy and revenge. Probably my favourite Volume.

Story 3 male soldiers in tanks against Germans:
Ennis totally takes the piss out of the British in this with wild stereotypes and it made me piss myself laughing. I absolutely love the humour. Spot on old chap!

I'm now off to make a cup of tea.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following the success of "War Stories Volumes 1 & 2", Garth Ennis returns to writing WW2 stories with this collection of three books: "The Night Witches", "Dear Billy", and "The Tankies".

"Night Witches" is about a female squadron of Russian bomber pilots who have to contend with inferior planes to complete their nightmarish missions against the Nazis as well as condescending attitudes from the male pilots who see them as a joke. This first story sets the tone for the rest of the book. The violence is extremely graphic with desperate young men thrust into do-or-die scenarios where they must do gruesome things to survive. This violence changes and warps them so that they no longer behave like humans such as the violent rape by a battalion of Nazis of one of the female pilots who is then executed and left with the one soldier who refused to take part. The ending is surprising as is most of the story and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

"Dear Billy" is probably one of the best things Ennis has ever written. It tells the story of a British nurse in the Pacific Theatre of War who is raped along with the other women in her group by Japanese soldiers and sent out into the sea to be executed by machine gun. She somehow survives, is taken to a hospital in India, and, after recovering, becoming a nurse in the hospital, helping Allied soldiers recover. But when Japanese POWs start showing up, she cannot let her past go and begins a silent campaign of retribution against them.

The story examines the psychology of warfare on civilians and how a brutal act can become defining of a person's view of an entire race. For Carrie, her vendetta against the Japanese can never end because of what they did for her, so when the war does end? Then there is a final decision that must be made.

I feel that if Ennis had written this story as prose that he would win literary prizes left and right. That he chose his medium of comics should make the story no less praised, but of course it will be because of peoples' attitudes to comics in general. It's an amazing story nonetheless and the best in the collection.

The book closes with "Tankies", about the days following D-Day when the Allies were desperate to make in-roads into France in order to secure their position, except the British tanks were inferior to the Germans making their incursions more dangerous and slower. The story follows one tank as it gets left behind its battalion and makes its way through enemy lines. The side story of a unlikely hero leading a half dozen men against a wave of German soldiers was particularly brilliant, based as it was on a real story.

Ennis writes an extensive afterword to the book going into the historical detail of each of the stories. It shows a man who cares deeply about the subject matter and wants to give honour to the fallen in the stories who all had real-life counterparts. There's also a bibliography provided for those who want to read more on the subjects in the stories.

If you enjoyed the remarkable "War Stories" series Ennis did a few years ago, you'll enjoy "Battlefields" as well. Dark and gritty, clever, emotional, tragic, and real, the book shows a writer at the top of his game working with tremendous artists to tell gut-wrenching stories - this is comics as Art, and for those who like reading WW2 history but not comics, this is one for them. For fans of Ennis, this is a must-read.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garth Ennis is well known for profanity, gouts of bloody violence, and writing about the depravity of humans. But in this collection of books he wrote -- all of them differently but competently drawn -- he hits a home run by grounding it in the brutal reality of World War II. Based on historic records, shaken well with imagination, Ennis tells three stories of the "Night Witches" (Soviet female pilots against the advancing Wehrmacht), survivors in the back lines of the War in the Pacific, and British tank units during the break-out from Normandy.

There are glimmers of hope and nobility and even desperate heroism in these stories ... but also of blood rage, vengeance, hatred, and the dehumanization of war. Ennis clearly cares about his subjects here, and there's a wistful sadness to the darker episodes in this collection.

Triffic stuff, not for the faint or heart or children, but a remedy for anyone who considers war an ennobling, heroic challenge.

[arjuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can unequivocally say I loved this. Three lovely tangents on the business of war and living with war and what it does to all concerned - I particularly loved "Dear Billy", but "Tankies" and "The Night Witches" are also very rewarding - and the gorgeous tank'n'gun'n'plane action artwork of the latter two were a real treat. Also very much appreciate a take on women in war which doesn't treat rape and rape fear as something titillative or sniggery - which far, far too many texts still do, while pretending otherwise. Kudos, gentlemen! Can't wait to get my hands on volume 2.

[Odo · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these stories in comic book format when they were originally published. This hardcover edition provides a nice reason to revisit these grim stories of war. The Night Witches and Dear Billy are remarkable for focusing on the experience of women at the frontlines of battle during World War II. Tankies is a fine series of vignettes about men operating tanks during the conflict, but suffers in comparison to the first two-thirds of the book from not having a solid story arc.

I like how Ennis captures the nightmarish aspects of war and the effect it has on the people who endure it. Dear Billy and Tankies contrast well with each other as they demonstrate how one enemy can be dehumanized and the other elevated to superhuman status based on race. All the stories touch on war crimes committed by all sides, with rape and summary execution of prisoners being most prominent. Far from glorifying war, Ennis captures the human aspects: the fear that pervades, the fleeting moments of joy that bring relief, and the callousness and outright evil that come out in the face of unrelenting violence and misery.

[Dave Glorioso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first two stories. Macabre and gripping. These stories are not nice but are realistic in telling and artistic depiction. The first two stories involved women which made the stories emotionally charged.
I found the combat and art great in the third story but it was emotionally uninvolving.
The afterword explained how the art and the stories were well researched and based on historical fact. It was a great addition and made the book more complete.
The first 2 stories are 5 out of 5
The third story was 3 out of 5

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

World War Two has been a favorite subject of comic books since the beginning of that conflict. Garth Ennis grew up on British war comics, and enjoys writing about the subject. So it’s not surprising that he did three miniseries for Dynamite Comics on various aspects of the war under the umbrella title of Battlefields. This volume collects them.

“Night Witches” art by Russ Braun, concerns the female pilots who operated as night bombers for the Soviet Army. Their outdated biplanes were notoriously noisy, so out of necessity they had to cut the engines kilometers from the target and glide in to drop their bombs. Their silent approach and seeming appearance from nowhere spooked the German troops, who nicknamed them the “Nacht Hexen.”

The story follows two viewpoints. The Soviet side is represented by Lieutenant Anna Kharkova, a short pilot whose co-pilot comes up with the gliding idea. At first, she and her squadmates are resented and belittled by their male comrades, but after they prove their bravery and skill, earn respect. Anna even starts an affair with a male pilot. But this is war, and death is all around even in the air–worse if you’re forced to the ground.

On the German side, we follow Kurt Graf, a foot soldier of the Third Squad. He’s already questioning the wisdom of invading Russia. He’s okay with killing Commie soldiers–this is war, and he’s a soldier. But he is less down with the idea that the enemy is subhuman, and with the atrocities his sergeant wants the squad to participate in. But when you put on a Nazi uniform, you’re a Nazi, regardless of your personal qualms or low opinion of Hitler.

These two eventually cross paths. Who will survive?

“Dear Billy”, art by Peter Snejbjerg, introduces us to British nurse Carrie Sutton, who’s writing a letter to Billy Wedgewood, a pilot she’s been having an affair with. We learn that she was in Singapore when the Japanese invaded. She and the other women at the British hospital there were raped and shot, left for dead. Carrie somehow survived, and wound up being treated at a hospital in Calcutta. When she recovered physically, they voluntold her to become a nurse there, as there was certainly a need.

Carrie, raised in the “soiled forever” tradition, doesn’t tell anyone what happened before she was shot, and buries herself in her work until she meets Billy. He fibs that he’s got a digestive ailment, but he’s actually at the hospital to get counseling for the nightmarish experience he himself had with the Japanese. Carrie overhears this and feels a connection. She doesn’t tell him that she knows, or her own trauma, even as they become romantically involved.

While Billy’s back at the front, a Japanese soldier is brought in under guard. He’s been badly injured enough that he was captured/surrendered. Indeed, he was so badly injured that no one suspects a thing when Carrie murders him.

Carrie becomes something of a serial killer of Japanese prisoners. Naturally, she keeps this from Billy, even as their relationship deepens and the war winds its way towards the end. It’s not sustainable, though. Eventually, it all falls apart and Carrie must face that she and Billy have different goals.

“Tankies” pencils by Carlos Ezquerra, inks by Hector Ezquerra, takes place in the days after D-Day as the British Army tries to get to the positions it needs to be in to allow the Americans to strike the German army properly. One Churchill tank, Oboe One Baker, loses its ranking officer to an artillery barrage.

To get the relatively green crew moving again, they’re sent Corporal Stiles, a Geordie hard man with a thick accent as their new tank commander. The rest of the crew is from around London, and the only one that can decipher his words at first is Cockney gunner “Robbo” Robinson. Unfortunately, Robbo is none too fond of hard men, Geordies, or non-commissioned officers, so there’s a lot of friction.

This one’s a bit more in the traditional war movie mode, with several subplots involving characters elsewhere in the battlefield, and the O1B crew learning to work together and even enjoy a small triumph against a far more powerful Tiger tank.

These are three very different stories with different presentation styles, though I can very much tell Garth Ennis wrote all of them. I liked Tankies best, perhaps because of the Ezquerra art I remember so fondly from British comics of the past. There’s plenty of action, and some philosophy.

Mr. Ennis includes an afterword which sorts through what’s based in fact and what’s fictional. He defends the depiction of atrocities as true to the history. There’s also concept art, and a bibliography of sources if the reader feels like doing their own research.

Content note: Frequent lethal violence, often with gore, and sometimes very personal. Suicide. Rape. Consensual extramarital sex. Male and female nudity (no genitals). Racism and ethnic prejudice. Period sexism. Homophobia in passing. Lots of rough language. Very much not for children or sensitive readers.

If you’re a fan of Garth Ennis’ other works, and want something more realistic, or if you enjoy your war comics with moral ambiguity, this might be the collection for you.

[Justin Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

“From mud, through blood, to the green fields beyond.” Just a shame nae bastad ever gits there.”

Garth Ennis and a whole battalion of incredibly talented artists deliver the spiritual sister series to War Stories and it’s…just as unsettling and terrifying and enthralling as you would expect it to be.

Packaging the first three “episodes” of the Dynamite Entertainment series The Night Witches (vol 1) Dear Billy (vol 2), and Tankies (vol 3), this omnibus gives you all the blood, guts, and sudden shocks of real life horror you would expect from a Garth Ennis war comic.

But at the same time, I don’t think people realize (or will allow themselves to realize, since, ya know, it’s now apparently gauche to admit that DE once put out quality books and/or you are into late period Ennis since that’s apparently a Twitter Comics™️ No-No) just how goddamn HUMAN these stories are. And how there is so much more about human nature, trauma, the mentality of wartime, and the mundane terror of conflict underneath all the very grim and very present unpleasantness of the depicted.

I totally missed this series when it was originally on shelves but had I given it the chance, i would have been just as taken with it then as I was now. That was on me thinking that “historical” comics equated to “boring”. This volume has absolutely disabused me of that notion. Though I will freely and openly admit that these aren’t for everyone and even those “hardcore” enough might also have some troubles with it (especially Dear Billy which just…hits like a goddamn hammer through all three issues), these are tremendous comics and even more tremendous examples of a section of comics that have sadly fallen by the wayside.

[Tarn Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adult version of Warlord, giving Ennis and co the opportunity to litter the comic boxes full of expletives and carnage, that give the three stories a suitably visceral and real feel. Each story is better than the last.

'The Night Witches' is a rather flat story of female Russian fighter pilots, grim Nazis, hardened Russians and a hackneyed love affair doomed to failure. Never really manages to get off the ground. A sense that Ennis was finding his feet with this series. ***

Better is 'Dear Billy' which is a fascinating story of nurse who suffered at the hands of the Japanese and then went to work as a nurse for the British Army. A very clever way of demonstrating how war breeds hate and how we all cope differently with the horror witnessed through atrocity. (It also contains the most affecting comic panel I have ever seen, the opening panel of women walking out into the sea). ****

Finally, the best of the lot, Tankies, a blustering story of a hard as nails tank corporal taking on the might of the German Tiger tank. Drawn by Dredd master, Carlos Ezquerra, for me this was a joyous romp, finishing off the compilation in high spirits. *****

[William M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garth Ennis, mainly known for his writing on the comic book series, Preacher, The Boys, and Hitman, along with a very respectable run on Hellblazer and Punisher is clearly inspired when he writes these World War II stories. This first volume contains mainly fictional characters based on real stories throughout the war. When originally published, each story was three comic book issues long, so in total, you are getting 9 issues in this one volume. Not only that, but Garth goes into great detail about each story in his afterword which is worth the price alone.

All three stories are very engaging and sometimes shocking, even more so when realizing they are based on true events. My ratings are as follows: 3 STARS for The Night Witches, 5 STARS for Dear Billy, and 4 STARS for the final story, The Tankies. Any fan of Ennis should definitely pick this up, along with any fan of war stories or wanting to read quality dramatic adult material. I hope the publisher eventually puts out all Ennis' war stories into one massive hardcover, because this is one to come back and read every few years.

[Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

No es sorpresa que esto sea una maravilla, es de Garth Ennis. Es muy distinto a las otras cosas que he leído de él, pero comparte la crudeza que caracterizan sus obras. Tres historias durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, sobrecogedoras y basadas en la realidad. La primera basada en el escuadrón ruso de las brujas de la noche, la segunda en el teatro Pacífico, y la tercera sobre tanques en Francia después del Día D. Las ilustraciones calzan de manera perfecta con la narración y son muy evocadoras por su realismo. No describo mucho las tramas porque vale la penas descubrirlas dentro de la lectura, pero la que ocurre en el pacífico es la que más me gustó. Sumamente dura. Recomendada 100 por ciento.

[Terry Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and sobering triptych of wartime tales.

Having been in an Ennis binge lately, I wasn't sure if some of the more distasteful work from the early Aughts would sour me on this book.

Anything but.

The tales collected are, for the most part, mature in the best sense of that word. Ennis' penchant for exaggerated violence is toned down somewhat, and his over-sexualization of female characters is, blessedly, completely absent.

Of particular note is the second story, which focuses on a introspective tale about hatred and revenge.

All in all, a stellar book, and one that I hope maintains the same tone through the ensuing volumes.

[Garrett Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

if your a WW2 historian, READ IT !

I’m a huge amateur WW2 historian (especially the war in Europe and the “great Patriotic war “ ) and I absolutely loved this collection. I’m usually not a fan of “WW2 comics” because they tend to go one of two ways . It’s eaither “every soldier was a superhero “ or “war is terrible and we should all feel bad about going to war and just never do it. However this book is a wonderful exploration of those two sides , and many more . Please try this if your a history nut like me .

[BIGnick BIGnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garth Ennis respectfully captures the horrors of WWII in the comic book medium, making it both difficult to put down and painful to read. The artwork in all three stories is incredible with their own distinct styles. I was thoroughly impressed at the level of detail and research they’d gone to to recreate the atmosphere, vehicles and equipment of the time. It’s great fiction that respects the history it’s molded after. Cannot recommend highly enough!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garth Ennis is a badass writer. Seriously.

Bad. Ass.

[Lockpick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Průměrné příběhy. Od autora bych asi ani víc nečekal, ale nebylo to vyloženě špatné a většinou je to doprovázené přijatelnou kresbou.

[Alyssa Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s good but it is really gory and is full of blood and war. I am intrigued by this stuff but if you can’t stand blood and violence then this is book is not for you.

[Frederic Van Laere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Afterword too by the way.

[neil chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody marvellous

Unusual. Wouldn't find a better war comic anywhere.
Garth Ennis stuff deserves great accolades as it hits the spot...treet yourself.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent start. Really appreciate Ennis' break down of how and why he wrote the series the way he did.

[Gav451 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be easy to do a war comic like some Boys Hero glory Rag. War stories lend themselves to that because there was a time when society needed that to encourage people to go into the army and to go to war.

This was not that. This was something else. This was darker, more visceral and not afraid of the grey moral areas of war. In this book almost everyone was a circumstance of the place they found themselves in.

The first 2 stories about the nurse and the night witches were amazing. Played straight. Shocking but also fascinating. The characters were fleshed out enough for you to see why they were doing what they were doing. The tank story had a narrative I kept losing. One character was written with an accent and I always find that slightly annoying. It never quite works. Look at some examples. The Scottish accent here, the Scottish accent in the Boys, Bum face in the preacher and Mase in Lucifer. All characters slightly weakened by writing techniques that do not work very well.

Ian Banks, an author I love, wrote one of his books phonetically as well. It was not very good.

Garth Ennis is a great writer. The voices of the characters are unique enough without these gimmicks.

The art is fantastic in this as well.

This is a great book. Apart from the one annoyance I enjoyed it loads. More power to Garth, but please stop with the accents, they are as well received as the magic Dogs Dean Koontz uses all too often these days.

[Alex Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read previous novels by Garth Ennis on World War 2, his War Stories Vol 2 which I enjoyed a lot. So reading this one wasn’t a difficult choice.
Here, in this book the themes are very similar, a number of stories following a mix of characters, both military and civilian, in different theatres of the war and from both axis and allies’ sides. Compared to War Stories, Battlefields has less stories (only 3) but these are longer.
The three stories are:
The Night Witches, set on the Eastern Front following a squadron of female soviet bomber pilots, while also featuring a German army patrol.
Dear Billy, is a change of pace. It follows a British woman in the Far East, who manages to survive a gang rape and massacre in Singapore, becoming a nurse in Calcutta. Falling in love with a RAF pilot who has his own horrors of the Japanese.
The third story, is Tankies following a sole British tank crew and a British army infantry attack as they push into the French countryside after D-day.
All the stories are good, each has its own individual story and characters. Night Witches starts off better than it ends. The female pilots thrown into battle with useless bi-planes, and the German unit on the frontline. The ending is a bit of a let-down compared to its start.
Dear Billy is my favourite of the three, as it is a different tone to the others following this British nurse. The way its told with a mix of narration of a letter she’s writing is a nice touch. The story of vengeance, grief and being unable to forgive and forget makes for a more emotional tale.
Tankies, I think maybe the weaker of the three. Not that its bad, just not as good as the others. The story seems like a British version of the film Fury. Like with Night Witches, the beginning is stronger than the end. While the action is good, the tank crew for the most part don’t seem to gel right for the story.
The artwork, is similar to a lot of Garth Ennis’ stuff and it’s a style I like. Vivid colours with a kind of mix of realistic and comic book feel to it.
The book is well researched, with much of the stuff mentioned based on historical fact, and parts taken from actual accounts of people during the war that weave through the stories.
As a change of pace from most graphic novels, it might appeal to more people who might not be into the ‘comic book scene’. Being well written with sometimes moving stories and having good artwork I’d recommend it.

[Đenis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krásna grafika. Príjemné príbehy z druhej svetovej vojny.
1. O prínose ruského ženstva v bombardovaní nemeckých jednotiek prelínajúce sa s putovaním nemeckej jednotky pešiakov na Stalingrad.
2. O zdrtenej anglickej zdravotnej sestre, ktorú znásilnili a skoro zavraždili japonci a jej pomsta na privezených žltých v nemocnici.
3. Príbeh anglickej tankovej jednotky v Churchilloovi, ktorá sa potáca na hrane vyhladenia a bojuje proti lepším Tigerom.

[Nate]

Garth Ennis' war comics are some of his best work. Battlefields offers proof. The gritty realism and emotion he and the talented artists bring to these stories is remarkable. Like War Stories, Ennis’ similarly excellent Vertigo series, Battlefields delves head-on into the hardware, horror, honor, and bravery of soldiers – in this case, of World War II. Not only are these stories masterfully told with compelling characters, but they never for a second shy away from the physical and psychological effects war has on those who fight it.

“The Night Witches” follows Anna Kharkova, a Russian aviator part of an all-women bombing regiment. Ennis contrasts Anna’s story with a brutal squad of German soldiers to great and horrific effect. “Dear Billy” is an absolutely shattering account of a British nurse raped by Japanese soldiers who sets out to exact revenge. This one is especially difficult to read, but nonetheless superbly written and drawn, and hugely effecting - among the best stories Ennis has written. In “Tankies,” we see a veteran British sergeant command a Churchill tank crew against vastly superior Nazi Tiger tanks just after the battle of Normandy. The determination in the face of nearly impossible odds makes this story very inspiring.

Ennis writes an afterword to the book, and you can see how passionate and respectful he is towards the subject. I found the history behind these stories fascinating, especially regarding the Night Witches.

This book is a great place to start with Garth Ennis' war comics. Amazing stuff.

[Marcus Lagré · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first two stories of this book are excellent. The third didn't quite grab me as much, though all are beautifully drawn. All three stories present the war, and war in general, from different perspectives.

The first one, presented largely from the perspective of female pilots in the Russian airforce, was my favourite. I've always been a sucker for WW2 aeroplanes and stories about them and their crew. But it also presents the story from the other side, the German troops on the ground, who had to suffer the nightly raids of the "Night Witches".

The second, about a young English nurse raped and nearly killed by the Japanese in the pacific region, was very gripping. A story of love and revenge, as a story, it was perhaps even more captivating than the first.

The third one, about an English tank crew, while filled with action, felt a little slow. Perhaps I'll think otherwise on a second read.

[Ruz El · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collects the first three, three-issue story arcs of the acclaimed (?) series. It's Garth Innis, it's based in world war two, of course it's brilliant. Each story is quite different which makes this a great read. The first deals with the Night Witches of Russia, focusing on both the women and the German soldiers they are terrorizing. The second is a more personal tale of a woman dealing with a savage assault in east Asia, and the last is a day in the life of a British tank squad.

All are brutal, all reek of the truth of war and the whole thing is exhilarating in execution. The art in each is top notch, and I'm eager to get to volume two.

[Matej Kondas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garth Ennis jak ho neznáte. V prostředí válečném a veskrze zajímavé.
To neznamená že nedojde na solidní brutalitu, ale tady je taková... opodstatněná.
Vynikající příběh s hloubkou jsou Noční Čarodějnice a Drahý Billy je příběh, z těch
kterých se za války určitě stalo spousty, z dob kdy si lidé posílali dopisy a kdy neexistovalo
něco jako psychologická pomoc. Akorát finální tankisté balancují nad prospastí vážné road movie a trošku dadaisticky nepochopitelné variace na čtyři z tanku.
Každopádně vynikající práce BBArtu za to že to konečně vyšlo i u nás.

[Hagay Hacohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

As always, Garth Ennis is able to explore profound questions (esp what does it mean to be a man or a woman) while presenting even people unaware of military history with unmatched research and skill poured into this collection. In other words, not just for history buffs. Top notch work!

[PJ Ebbrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost a dying breed of war comics, I found this Garth Ennis very good. Thoughtful and visceral in its look at stories from World War 2, not flag waving patriotism but a fairly even hand view. Dear Billy was especially good and a slow burn. Snejbjerg's art was wonderuful and Rob Steen's colouring complimented it as well. These stories are not for the faint hearted and very graphic.