Battlefields: Dear Billy #2

By Garth Ennis (writer) and Peter Snejbjerg (artist)

What becomes clear in this issue is that even though Carrie and Billy both suffered greatly and were nearly killed by Japanese soldiers they are not both emotionally scarred in the same way. He seems to have compartmentalized his experience. He doesn't talk of it. It is possible that this is all a façade.

Carrie doesn't talk of it either, to him, but as she is writing her letter to him she mentions her experience in passing. It is clear that she cannot take it any way other than personally. She wants retribution and finds ways to get it, although what she gets doesn't seem to quench her thirst for revenge.

It is unclear exactly how this story will turn out but the handwriting is on the wall. Even though Carrie seems to have found happiness in the moments she shares with Billy, she cannot let go of her pain. She doesn't understand how he is able to set aside what happened to him and still view the Japanese as human. She doesn't seem to want her psychic wounds to heal. They define her and give her purpose.

Even though there is potential for a happy ending Carrie feels the need to take a different path. That which is empowering her is also destroying her. She is in a downward spiral. Even though she doesn't want to crash and burn, even though she dreams of a happy life with Billy after the war is over her devotion to her pain is ultimately what matters most to her.

Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: Dear Billy #2