GARTH ENNIS PLANES and BOYS

[Colin YNWA]

Uh Garth Ennis and Scroobiius Pip, my worlds collide... though if I'm honest I didn't know he even had a Podcast and haven't bought a record by him since The Logic of Chance, something I should rectify... assuming  there's more to be bought?

[Richmond Clements]

His last album, Distraction Pieces, is great. As is the podcast - highlights are the interviews with Alan Moore, Stewart Lee, Warren Ellis and the best one of the lot - Billy Bragg.

[Colin YNWA]

Wow we've been neglecting dear old Garth now haven't we.

So I'll set a poser and we'll see it that stokes some life in the old boy.

Just stumbled across the fact that Mr Ennis is teaming up with Carlos to do a 5 issue mini called 'World of Tanks' set in WWII. This is a lock then right? Right?

Well I have this nagging doubt. See its based on a computer game called 'World of Tanks' (I dunno I don't know much about computer games younger than say... 25 years old!) . So will this be a straight WWII story or will da Garth add some sort of extra layer... some sort of game based thing that I'm not aware of. Like do the tanks get upgrades, or fight like zombie tanks or some such. I'm torn.

I should just get over it shouldn't i!

[I, Cosh]

Probably. Never heard of the game. Presumably that dictates the theatre and maybe some characters but it seems unlikely that they'd go the effort of hitting up Garth to write them a tank story just to demand all sorts of ludicrous changes to what you'd expect.

A bigger problem would be that all the Tankies collaborations have been pretty naff.

I'd definitely be on board for something as daft as Urban Strike instead.

[The Adventurer]

World of Tanks has no characters. It's selling point being 'hardware porn' being literally just all the tanks in WW2 from all powers. It's pretty much a blank slate in terms of story.  As it literally has none.

I'd expect their requirements for a licensed comic are 'showcase as many real tanks as possible', and 'keep the boobs to a minimum'.

[GordyM]

Red Team's back soon. The first series was a great read so high hopes for the follow-up.

[Proudhuff]

Red team is back and enjoyable as ever...

Also World of Tanks is out but not seen that

[Tiplodocus]

Finally picked up WAR STORIES VOLUME 2 and loved it from cover to cover.

It helps that it the last story has a happy(ish) ending... otherwise it would have been a bit too grim.

CONDORS is just outstanding stuff; entertaining and educational and sweary (the bit that Reith left out of his vision).  A pity that Carlos didn't get to draw much more of his homeland than bomb and shell craters.

But it's all good stuff with fantastic each brilliant but very different  art turns from David Lloyd, Cam Kennedy, Carlos Ezquerra and Gary Erskine.

[Proudhuff]

Just to say  I've really enjoyed PJ and Garth's Citadel World of Tanks about the Eastern Front/Kursk, this along with A walk through Hell are two of the comics I'm currently well happy to pick up and to recommend to awbody here.

[Bad City Blue]

Not too sure about A Walk Through Hell. Seems very jumbled up so far

[Proudhuff]

I can see what you mean, its fast cutting back and forth, also using the colour palate to indicate when and where, and there is a fair bit of assumption made you know who's who and you're up with the troupe of Detective TV, all of which I'm enjoying 

[GordyM]

Yeah, I'm really enjoying it too. I'm a huge Garth Ennis fan but for awhile there it seemed like he was on autopilot with the likes of Jimmy's Bastards. This is the first one in awhile that feels like he's focused rather than 'floating', if that makes sense.

[Proudhuff]

It Does!
I had a quick chortle at Jimmy's Bastards and enjoyed the premise, but at 3.50 a pop, I wasn't going to sign up for that 
 

[GordyM]

It's fun enough that it's worth picking up the trade if you see it going cheap but too Ennis-on-autopilot to be worth a big chunk of change.

[Proudhuff]

Picked up the collected Out of the blue’ great stuff again, a continued story from the one about the flier from the Artic convoy....but a salute to the Mozzie as well.  Going for 13 quid on amazon.