GARTH ENNIS PLANES and BOYS

[Dog Deever]

Heh, with "SUE ME, FUCKO" on the back.

[Kerrin]

Ezquerra in the next trade? Fuckin' A!

[strontium_dog_90]

oh man, why did someone have to post that the new issue of The Boys was out?? Was looking forward to a nice, peaceful few days in - now going to HAVE to go and pick it up from my local FP  man, it's an addictive title!

[Proudhuff]

Crossed is getting interesting, found issue one and thought that might help understand WTF going on...nope!

Unfortunately it's actually Issue 0 that sets out the stall and introduces the four main characters.

ggggrrrrrrr! what's THAT about? issue 0, that and fourty different cover for each issue could confuse a simple man 

[Mike Gloady]

I flat out HATE the idea of having an issue 0.  Annoying for PRECISELY that reason.  Needlessly confusing. 

[pauljholden]

You know, Garth's answering questions in the letter column of Battlefields - why not fire him off an email at letters@dynamiteentertainment.com - you might make it in time for Battlefields #3 ...

-pj

[Mike Gloady]

You shameless plugger, Peej!

[Tiplodocus]

OK, it's actually TANKS and BOYS but, despite not liking the last BATTLEFIELDS: THE TANKIES much, I still picked up the first two issues of THE FIREFLY AND HIS MAJESTY.

Mainly because the thought of Carlos drawing Waffen SS and King Tiger's was just too much to miss out on.

Happy to report that this is a much more focused tale and, in my opinion, much better for it.  The art is still delightful and the dialogue as clever and funny (and as chilling) as you'd expect from Ennis.  The characters still remain rough sketches but again, that's fine for me, they are filled out enough to make you care but not enough that you get bored with a list of "motivations".

The swings from comedy to tragedy are extreme and very quick so it's not always an easy read.

But yeah, very good stuff. Looking forward to part 3.

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah I've been getting this (I think the last part is out either today or next week?) and I've been really enjoying it, then I really enjoyed 'Tankies' which seems, at least judging from the response here, to have not been as well recieved as the other 'Battlefield' stories.

'Firefly and his majesty' has really cranked up the tension and there's a thrilling climax in issue 3 I suspect.

[Marbles]

yes the end of 'Firefly' was pretty intense, amother cracking 3 parter.

ennis + 2000ad artist + world war 2 = comic heaven for me

[Dandontdare]

Ennis does seem to be concentrating his best creative energies on WWII these days - I got Boys Vol 6 last week and it's definitely gone off the boil. They did clear up my niggling plot-point though, with a throwaway line to Hughie that "you haven't even got up to date with who's in the Seven" (ie his girlfriend!). Still fun, but going through the motions a bit.

[I, Cosh]

Yeah I've been getting this (I think the last part is out either today or next week?) and I've been really enjoying it

Last part was out last week. The Tankies was the weakest of the first lot and I really didn't think much of the individual issues of this as I read them. I was pleasantly surprised when I sat down to reread the whole story at how well it worked: I think I must've read the second part when I was drunk, if at all, as I had no memory of any of the dramatic momemts from it.

I think the War Stories one-shot is a better format for these stories.

[Proudhuff]

Cracking finale of firefly read it this week.

And the collected Happy Valley is out too, thought PJ would have shamelessly pimped that!  but the publishers missed a trick by not having the writer (and Artist!) name on the front of it. as I think the illustration is similar at a glace on the bookshelf as to old Battler Britton GN. 

[Colin YNWA]

While its not Garth Ennis this seems like an appropriate thread to mention DC is doing a set of one-shots of some of its classic war comics with some pretty decent looking creative teams.

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/05/28/dc-brings-back-key-war-titles-in-september/

[Colin YNWA]

Yike double post!

Anyway worth it as I've just read the last part of 'Firefly and His Majesty' and its chuffing superb. The thing that struck me the most was the end, the last page is a great example of why comics are a unique and powerful medium in their own right and not a lesser form of literature or a template for movies (ahem Mr Millar). I doubt any other medium would have had an ending quite like that, and certainly not one that was delievered with quite the same power.

This was a brillant series.