War Story
Encyclopedia
War Stories was a comic book
series written by Garth Ennis
and illustrated by a number of artists
.
the two series were printed monthly, the first beginning in November 2001
and the second beginning in January 2003
.
Each mini series consisted of 4 stand alone issues primarily set during World War II
(one was set during the Spanish Civil War
). Each deals with the horror of war experienced by those on the Front line
.
tries to save his men by convincing them to desert so they may surrender to the Americans before they are killed fighting the Soviets.
With pencils by Chris Weston
and inks by Gary Erskine
.
With art by John Higgins
.
With art by Dave Gibbons
.
, The Nightingale is a ship assigned to escort convoys on the Murmansk Run. When they are given foolish orders that lead to ships under their care being lost she gets a reputation as cursed. Her crew are forced to make the ultimate sacrifice to set things right.
With art by David Lloyd.
When asked at Wizard World, Philadelphia, what comic Ennis was the most proud of, his response was this issue, saying, "if I had to hold up one thing and say this is what I can do, that would be it."
in North Africa
. Conflict begins between the groups Commanding Officer and his second in command when it seems the former is more interested in satisfying his lust for blood and glory than fighting a war.
With art by Cam Kennedy
.
With art by David Lloyd.
, four soldiers from different sides and different countries seek shelter in a shell hole during a battle. Unarmed, they each tell their stories for entering the war to pass the time.
With art by Carlos Ezquerra
.
as part of a string of unfortunate luck. But his experiences make him realize he shouldn't put off living his life just because he might die at any moment.
With art by Gary Erskine
.
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series written by Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
and illustrated by a number of artists
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
.
Overview
The series consisted of two, 4-issue mini-seriesLimited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
the two series were printed monthly, the first beginning in November 2001
2001 in comics
-Year overall:* Marvel Comics withdraws from the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system for its publications.- January :* January 23: Fred Ray, Superman's primary cover artist of the 1940s, passes away at age 80.- September :...
and the second beginning in January 2003
2003 in comics
-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
.
Each mini series consisted of 4 stand alone issues primarily set during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(one was set during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
). Each deals with the horror of war experienced by those on the Front line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
.
Johann's Tiger
In the final days of World War Two the commander of a Tiger tankTiger I
Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
tries to save his men by convincing them to desert so they may surrender to the Americans before they are killed fighting the Soviets.
With pencils by Chris Weston
Chris Weston
Chris Weston is a British comics artist who has worked both in the US and UK comics industries.-Biography:Weston was born in January, 1969 in Rinteln, Germany, and lived in various countries as a child...
and inks by Gary Erskine
Gary Erskine
Gary Erskine is a Scottish comic book artist born in Paisley, near Glasgow in 1968.-Biography:Erskine started drawing work for fanzines while at art college and aspired to be a comic book artist. After sending samples of his work to Marvel UK he was eventually given Knights of Pendragon to draw on...
.
D-Day Dodgers
A young British officer is assigned to the Italian campaign. Once there he finds that their sacrifices are being ignored at home in favour of news about the battle in France and a massive, possibly suicidal, push is planned to attract headlines.With art by John Higgins
John Higgins (comics)
John Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
.
Screaming Eagles
In the last days of the war four American soldiers, all that remains of their company, are sent to secure a mansion to be used as a General's head quarters. Once there they find Nazis have been storing a fortune in stolen artworks, antiques and valuables. The men decide to enjoy themselves for a few days before they have to return to the front.With art by Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
.
Nightingale
Narrated by her executive officerExecutive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
, The Nightingale is a ship assigned to escort convoys on the Murmansk Run. When they are given foolish orders that lead to ships under their care being lost she gets a reputation as cursed. Her crew are forced to make the ultimate sacrifice to set things right.
With art by David Lloyd.
When asked at Wizard World, Philadelphia, what comic Ennis was the most proud of, his response was this issue, saying, "if I had to hold up one thing and say this is what I can do, that would be it."
The Reivers
A story of the SASSpecial Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. Conflict begins between the groups Commanding Officer and his second in command when it seems the former is more interested in satisfying his lust for blood and glory than fighting a war.
With art by Cam Kennedy
Cam Kennedy
Campbell Kennedy is a Scottish comics artist. He is best known for his work on 2000 AD, especially the flagship titles Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper.-Biography:...
.
J for Jenny
A British pilot hopes to take revenge on the Germans who killed his family by bombing civilian targets but his co-pilot is more of a pacifist who sees their missions as a necessary evil. Their conflict leads to brawling and eventually threatens to destroy the crew when they're shot down over Germany.With art by David Lloyd.
Condors
Set towards the end of the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, four soldiers from different sides and different countries seek shelter in a shell hole during a battle. Unarmed, they each tell their stories for entering the war to pass the time.
With art by Carlos Ezquerra
Carlos Ezquerra
Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra , who has also worked under the alias L. John Silver, is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra...
.
Archangel
An RAF pilot is assigned to a Cam ShipCAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
as part of a string of unfortunate luck. But his experiences make him realize he shouldn't put off living his life just because he might die at any moment.
With art by Gary Erskine
Gary Erskine
Gary Erskine is a Scottish comic book artist born in Paisley, near Glasgow in 1968.-Biography:Erskine started drawing work for fanzines while at art college and aspired to be a comic book artist. After sending samples of his work to Marvel UK he was eventually given Knights of Pendragon to draw on...
.
Collected editions
The stories were collected as two trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- War Stories (Vertigo, two 4-issue mini-series, each story is a standalone):
- Volume 1 (20042004 in comics-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
ISBN 1-84023-912-3) - Volume 2 (20062006 in comics-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
ISBN 1-4012-1039-2)
- Volume 1 (2004