Battle Action #5 Hellman of the Condor Legion/Nina Petrov & the Angels of Deat

[Tjm86]

It does continue to amaze me how little love there appears to be for this series.  Anyone who has not had a chance to sample these seriously does not know what they are missing.  Each issue has been a true delight but this one has to be, rather surprisingly, one of the best.

Hellman has always been a popular strip, understandably so.  From the very outset it has been a strong concept with consistently high standards of artwork.  His recent outing in the Tooth mashup has given it a whole new dimension and in some respects Ennis does it again with this tale.

In Hellman of the Condor Legion, Ennis takes us back to Hellman's earliest adventures.  We also get a different perspective on the Spanish Civil War. Such tales as do exist generally focus on the International Brigades that fought on the Republican side.  The influence of Hemingway or Orwell is obvious.  German involvement in the conflict is generally epitomised by Guernica.

Yet Hellman has always been a nuanced character.  From the very start it is made clear that whilst he is German, he is not a Nazi.  Once more then we see this explored in the more youthful and inexperienced tanker.  Supporting the 'fascist' forces in a simple action against a small village, things rapidly unravel, forcing Hellman out of his tank.

The source of real conflict though is an Italian officer fresh from the fields of Ethiopia to train Franco's forces.  As with the Nazi officers Hellman often clashes with, he present an unsavoury attitude to conflict and the treatment of the enemy that a more naive Hellman struggles with.  Events force Hellman into a response he finds deeply disturbing. As events progress he faces even more disturbing circumstances that lead him into a fairly predictable response for him as a character.

This is Ennis' strength when it comes to his war stories.  He can be brutal and uncompromising but he also never holds back from the ambiguity and ultimate immorality of war.  In this tale he takes the Hellman we are familiar with, the staunchly honourable tanker who serves his nation without betraying his humanity but he also explores how that would play out in a far less experienced, idealistic Hellman.  At a time when the Nazis had yet to show their true faces on the battlefields of Europe, he had yet to face the most abhorrent aspects of man unleashed by war.  Here we see his first experiences, his earliest contact with his true 'enemy'.

Of course it goes without saying that the artistic support for this endeavour is equally exceptional.  Once again Mike Dorsey transports us into Hellman's world.  As ever the artwork is of the highest standard.  After literally decades his work shows no sign of diminishing in quality.

Nina Petrova and the Angels of Death: Night Will Fall is another piece in which characterisation is the beating heart of the piece.  Torunn Gronbekk is a writer with whom I must confess a lack of familiarity with.  A quick internet search turns up an array of Marvel titles she has worked on but much of these have been in the last few years when reading that publishers output became too expensive to continue. 

Once again though we are taken into a different aspect of former Battle strips to those we are familiar with.  Nina Petrova's appearance in Johnny Red was as one of the myriad supporting characters for his adventures.  One of Russia's female aviators that served the Rodina in outdated aircraft, she left a lasting impression on many who read the strip at the time.

The sheer brutality of the Eastern Front is nothing new to anyone with even a passing familiarity with the history of the Second World War.  In many respects it serves as a backdrop for this tale.  From an idealistic female commissar to desperate and depressed German infantry, nothing is held back.  No character emerges unscathed from the events.  Actions chew them up and spit them out.  They may come back alive but not unaffected.

Visualising this tale, Partick Goddard gives as good as Dorey.  Every aspect of the tale is delivered in his usual crisp, detailed style.  Whether it is the airwomen, infantry or the ancient biplanes, even frozen corpses.  Layouts zoom in and out on the action, colour emphasises scenery.  It is almost possible to feel the bitter cold emanating from the page.

Each of these has been a masterclass in the art of the war story.  Characters that have not seen the light of day in years are given a new lease of life.  Whether there is sufficient interest to make this a lasting ongoing endeavour remains to be seen.  Until now Ennis has been the beating heart of this project but one thing has been clear from the array of supporting writers; there are plenty of a sufficient calibre to breather greater life into them.

This run may be over for now  but we are promised a new run in 2024.  For those who have not yet taken in this run, that is an omission you would do well to correct.  Personally my only regret is that I will most likely end up double dipping with the inevitable collected hardback edition.

[JohnW]

It does continue to amaze me how little love there appears to be for this series.  Anyone who has not had a chance to sample these seriously does not know what they are missing.

I'm waiting for the collected edition to come out next February. Until then I'm keeping my eyes squeezed shut every time you post another of these reviews

[Darren Stephens]

Another superb issue. I too will be picking up the collection and look forward to more in 2024.

[Richard]

I doubt that this title is unpopular, given that Tharg has already decided it's coming back next year. It doesn't get as many comments on this forum as it deserves, but I think you've just single-handed my made up for that! There's nothing I can add except that both stories were very good and the art is glorious!

[Le Fink]

Excellent review of another very good comic in the series TJM. The Hellman story was quite horrible, in a good way, and Nina's tale fair carried me along. Excellent art on both.

I picked these up because of the very positive reviews by forum contributors. I wouldn't have otherwise, because I didn't think I was interested in historical war comics - they are new to me. Really! But they've been great, and I picked up the recent Battle Action hardback too. Now we've got them all I'll be giving them another read. I think I'm more Battle than Action. I'll have to check what proportion of stories are from one or the other.

I'd certainly recommend these comics to anyone sitting on the fence.

[Funt Solo]

It does continue to amaze me how little love there appears to be for this series.  Anyone who has not had a chance to sample these seriously does not know what they are missing.

I'm waiting for the collected edition to come out next February. Until then I'm keeping my eyes squeezed shut every time you post another of these reviews

Me this also. Love me some war comics, I do.

[broodblik]

I also love this series. Just had some issues purchasing the latest one.

[Barrington Boots]

Another superb issue. Tjm's review above is so good, there's little I can add. Brilliant stuff: a more modern take on classic tales, but with real love and respect for the original concepts and creators. The passion for the source material really shines through but with a desire to tell new tales for a new audience.

I've hugely enjoyed this mini-series and I'm delighted it's back next year. Assuming we were to get a similar choice of stories, I wouldn't change anything about the creative teams either. I'm likely to get the collected hardback too.

[Colin YNWA]

Thrillmail today confirms we're getting more next year!Excellent news.

[Colin YNWA]

Having said that the fifth issue confirms this series hasn't meet my expectations. Now fair to say my expectations where very high. After the Special last year that felt justified. Here though we have another pair of fair stories with great art from Patrick Goddard.

The Hellman 'origin' story is good, nothing more. It didn't offer anything particularly new. Same could be said for Nina Petrova. His is fine nothing more and I was hoping for more...

... hopefully when we get more next year we will get more... if you see what I mean.

[Le Fink]

Having said that the fifth issue confirms this series hasn't meet my expectations.

That's interesting, I wonder if it's because the brief is they are all 14 page one-and-dones rather than longer series one can get more drawn into over time. I don't know if the writers have any preference either way.
I didn't have any expectations really and found things to enjoy in all the issues. I'd probably pick up the next set, whenever they arrive.

[Colin YNWA]

Having said that the fifth issue confirms this series hasn't meet my expectations.

That's interesting, I wonder if it's because the brief is they are all 14 page one-and-dones rather than longer series one can get more drawn into over time. I don't know if the writers have any preference either way.
I didn't have any expectations really and found things to enjoy in all the issues. I'd probably pick up the next set, whenever they arrive.

Yeah I think its likely the lack of time to develop things which Ennis uses so effectively in his other work. Don't get me wrong these are bad by any stretch - but I was expecting something as effective as the Special and its not been for me.