Comic Book Review - Battle Action Special

Rob reviews Battle Action Special...

When it comes to British comic books both Battle and Action cemented their names in the memories of many children throughout the 70s and 80s. While Battle, Action, and their many incarnations are now but a distant memory, the publication's legacy lives on through its influences within the current 2000 AD weekly Progs. 2000 AD fans will already know this as both Battle and Action were helmed by 2000 AD creators;  Pat Mills and John Wagner.

Now, 34 years after its final issue Battle Action is back! Written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by a wealth of artists such as PJ Holden, Kevin O'Neill, John Higgins, and Mike Dorey, this Battle Action Special anthology aims to celebrate the legacy of one of comics' golden oldies. 

Featuring seven self-contained stories set around World War 2, Battle Action Special is an action-packed thrill-ride along side some familiar faces. Characters such as Crazy Keller, The Sarge, Johnny Red, and Dredger all appear within this anthology - which also acts as a continuation rather than a complete reboot.

If you're like me and are a little too young to remember Battle during its heyday, Garth Ennis has added a great fact sheet that introduces each character. Each is well thought out with plenty of facts and figures about the origins of the character as well as their creator. Regardless of whether, you're a seasoned Battle Action veteran, or a first-timer (like me), there's a lot of care and attention here to satisfy both parties. 

When it comes to writing, it's clear from the get-go that Ennis has a great understanding of these characters. From his heartfelt introduction, it's obvious that the publication truly means something to the writer. Ennis perfectly captures the scope and depth of what made these characters great, whilst also adding his spin to proceedings. The classic signature fast-pacing style is present throughout as each of the featured stories sends you on a rollercoaster of action, adventure, and a little bit of murky-ness. 

Kicking things off is ‘Johnny Red Vs Skreamer Of The Stukas’. As an air combat fan, this one was right up my street. The basic premise of this dogfighting spectacle revolves around ace pilot Johnny Red and his battle against the Nazi Otto Skreamer. While the two characters don't share any dialogue, Ennis perfectly captures the tension of this battle for air supremacy. Accompanying Ennis for this strip is Keith Burns who's no stranger to drawing Johnny Red. There are plenty of gorgeous shots which capture the magnificent spectacle of these two aces, as well as the heightened drama and tension as both sides attempt to outwit the other. 

Next up is a fresh take on Gerry Finley-Day's 'The Sarge'. If anything this one is a more simple tale than the others. Here, we follow Sgt Masters and his unit as they attempt to traverse through the Italian countryside as part of the Allies plan to liberate the country. Naturally, the focus of this tale is all about Jim Masters (after all he is 'The Sarge'). While Masters does feature prominently within the strip, Ennis also takes time to give us insight into the other members of the unit. 

Art duties for 'The Sarge' come from PJ Holden. The great thing about Holden's work is that it's so versatile. Whether he's drawing the super-intelligent Noam Chimpsky or the gritty horrors of World War 2 - you know it's going to look superb. Here, Holden utilises a detailed black & white style to capture both the humanity of Masters and his squad and the disparity that surrounds them.

Next up, we have 'Crazy Keller' which is a very simple tale driven by money. It's something that's played out in plenty of war films as our charismatic hero attempts to make a profit from the war economy. Blackmailed into performing a daring "rescue" of a German scientist that's been captured by the Russians, Keller has his work cut out! Throw in a less-than-willing sidekick, lots of Hollywood-style stunts, and a dash of Chris Burnham art, then 'Crazy Keller' makes for a fun read. 

Leaving the war theme behind, Ennis teams up with John Higgins to re-visit 'Dredger'. In something that can only be described as Battle Action's version of The Punisher, Ennis replaces a coherent script for full-on gratuitous violence. It's violent, brutal, and full of "holy shit" moments that wouldn't look out of place in the 2000 AD Progs (hint, hint Rebellion!). And of course, Higgins delivers some stunning art yet again. 

Calming things ever-so-slightly and we're back in World War 2 with 'Hellman Vs Glory Rider'. Back during Battle Action's heyday and the adventures of Major Kurt Helman were very popular. Here we get another tale as German tank commander Kurt Helman takes on his counterpart, the American Steve Hilts. Considering WW2 tales rarely paint the Nazis as "heroic", Helman does have an unnatural moral compass. 

Anyway, as Helman and Hilts take their battalions into battle across the plains of Africa, Ennis re-creates what originally made Hammer Force such a hit. Mike Dorey was also a great choice to illustrate this strip, and his black and white style is a perfect match to Ennis' script. 

Next up is a return of arguably Action's most controversial strip - 'Kid's Rule OK!'. Back in the day, 'Kid's Rule OK!' was thrown into the spotlight by Carlos Ezquerra's striking cover image of a juvenile standing over a broken Policeman whilst wielding an industrial chain. Considering the 70s was filled with Mods, Rockers, and Punk gangs, then if anything the original strip could have been seen as a bit of social satire. 

In the here-and-now, we get a somewhat continuation as Ennis shows what happens when the kids do rule. He also manages to break the 4th wall with a couple of narrative cells that harken back to THAT cover. It's a well-thought-out strip, that doesn't shy away from the controversy it caused. It's also great to see Kevin O'Neill back doing what he does best. 

Last but no means least, is 'Nina Petrova & The Angels Of Death. Originally a side-character to Johnny Red, Nina and her Night Witches squadron have also made appearances within Ennis' own 'War Stories' graphic novel. There's a great degree of care and attention brought to this outing as the women of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment get their moment to shine. It's a very poignant ending that also brings this special full circle as it ties into the opening strip - 'Johnny Red Vs Skreamer Of The Stukas'. 

Patrick Goddard and Jason Wordie also capture the emotional script with plenty of solid line work and some striking colours. If 'Nina Petrova & The Angels Of Death' was always planned to be this specialist final strip then it's gone out with great applause. 

All in all, this Battle Action Special is a masterclass in storytelling. Each strip is well written and accompanied by plenty of great art. Garth Ennis and his creative team have put a lot of passion into this anthology and the whole product is a real labour of love. With Rebellion recently bringing back Monster Fun could we also see Battle Action back on shelves? 

Rating: 10/10 

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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev