By Garth Ennis (writer) and Peter Snejbjerg (artist)
In the end there were no real surprises or twists. The foreshadowing in the prior issues wasn't misleading. Still unable to deal with her painful memories in anything other than a personal and violent manner, Carrie sees her world come apart before her eyes as the war winds down.
The potential happy ending vanishes. Carrie can't contemplate the new world order that is on the horizon. It makes no sense to her and she fails to see a place for her within it. She is hopelessly trapped in the past, reliving her rape and fighting back in what she deems the appropriate manner but one that is no longer available to her.
The prevalent theme in this story is the contrast between Carrie and Billy. He is able to cope with his experiences and move on whereas she never does. In one sense she seems to be trying to deal with pain the same way he does, by maintaining a stiff upper lip, but that isn't a coping mechanism as much as it is a facade. What matters more is what happens on the inside. He copes with it, she is incapable of doing the same. Although it is worth noting that he has a network of friends and she does not. It isn't until the very end that she bares her feelings but it is too late at that point. For Carrie that seems to be the ultimate taboo, sharing her feelings, and can only be done at great cost.
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: Dear Billy #3
Showing posts with label war comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war comics. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
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
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
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Battlefields: Dear Billy #1
By Garth Ennis (writer) and Peter Snejbjerg (artist)
A rough opening chapter. A tale of two survivors, both left for dead by Japanese troops, in separate encounters during World War 2. As the war rages on both recover, physically. She (Carrie) returns to duty as a nurse, he (Billy) as a pilot. Both might consider themselves lucky to be alive if their minds weren't consumed with the moments surrounding their near death experiences.
As the title implies the story is told, from Carrie's perspective, in the form of a letter to Billy. They met at a hospital in Calcutta. She tells him, in the letter, things that she didn't share with him before their paths diverged and he returned to duty, things that she hasn't told anyone else before. What isn't clear, at this point, is whether the letter ever reached him.
The chapter ends with Carrie getting ready to tend to a captured Japanese pilot. The look in her eyes and the last couple pages give the impression that meeting Billy wasn't enough. Carrie feels the need to do more in order to expunge the memories of her treatment at the hands of the pilot's countrymen.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this chapter is the matter-of-fact manner in which Carrie narrates the story, through her letter. The contrast between the cool, calm tone of the letter and hot emotions she hints at is palpable. Her words make the events seem very routine but images make it clear that she suffered and continues to suffer greatly because of what she experienced.
The story is beautifully drawn by Peter Snejbjerg but the most impressive thing about the look of the book is the coloring work of Bob Steen. The story is told with multiple pallettes. The daylight scenes are bright and vividly colored, the night scenes are much darker and muddier. It is hard to imagine the visuals having the same impact without colors chosen by Bob Steen.
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: Dear Billy #1
A rough opening chapter. A tale of two survivors, both left for dead by Japanese troops, in separate encounters during World War 2. As the war rages on both recover, physically. She (Carrie) returns to duty as a nurse, he (Billy) as a pilot. Both might consider themselves lucky to be alive if their minds weren't consumed with the moments surrounding their near death experiences.
As the title implies the story is told, from Carrie's perspective, in the form of a letter to Billy. They met at a hospital in Calcutta. She tells him, in the letter, things that she didn't share with him before their paths diverged and he returned to duty, things that she hasn't told anyone else before. What isn't clear, at this point, is whether the letter ever reached him.
The chapter ends with Carrie getting ready to tend to a captured Japanese pilot. The look in her eyes and the last couple pages give the impression that meeting Billy wasn't enough. Carrie feels the need to do more in order to expunge the memories of her treatment at the hands of the pilot's countrymen.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this chapter is the matter-of-fact manner in which Carrie narrates the story, through her letter. The contrast between the cool, calm tone of the letter and hot emotions she hints at is palpable. Her words make the events seem very routine but images make it clear that she suffered and continues to suffer greatly because of what she experienced.
The story is beautifully drawn by Peter Snejbjerg but the most impressive thing about the look of the book is the coloring work of Bob Steen. The story is told with multiple pallettes. The daylight scenes are bright and vividly colored, the night scenes are much darker and muddier. It is hard to imagine the visuals having the same impact without colors chosen by Bob Steen.
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: Dear Billy #1
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Battlefields: The Night Witches #3
By Garth Ennis (writer) and Russ Braun (artist)
Chapter 3 (of 3)
The final chapter resolves Anna and Graf's stories. Anna finally gets an up close and personal look at the war but not before experiencing a personal tragedy. She is the focus of the chapter.
The ending wasn't quite as grim as I imagined it would be. Some of what I foresaw came to pass but the end result wasn't quite as dark as it could have been. One of the main characters is dead but it isn't the one that I thought it would be.
The final chapter did read a lot faster than the previous two. It felt more like a half chapter although all the loose ends did get wrapped up. Despite the fact that the ending contradicted expectations it probably isn't too surprising how it did wind up based upon who wrote it.
This was an excellent story. As should be clear from this accounting this is a complex story in which characters from both sides of the fight are portrayed as 3-dimensional characters, which makes it that much harder for someone who is reading the story with an open mind to easily empathize with one side and not the other. Highly recommended for anyone that likes grim and gritty stories.
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: The Night Witches #3
Chapter 3 (of 3)
The final chapter resolves Anna and Graf's stories. Anna finally gets an up close and personal look at the war but not before experiencing a personal tragedy. She is the focus of the chapter.
The ending wasn't quite as grim as I imagined it would be. Some of what I foresaw came to pass but the end result wasn't quite as dark as it could have been. One of the main characters is dead but it isn't the one that I thought it would be.
The final chapter did read a lot faster than the previous two. It felt more like a half chapter although all the loose ends did get wrapped up. Despite the fact that the ending contradicted expectations it probably isn't too surprising how it did wind up based upon who wrote it.
This was an excellent story. As should be clear from this accounting this is a complex story in which characters from both sides of the fight are portrayed as 3-dimensional characters, which makes it that much harder for someone who is reading the story with an open mind to easily empathize with one side and not the other. Highly recommended for anyone that likes grim and gritty stories.
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: The Night Witches #3
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Battlefields: The Night Witches #2
By Garth Ennis (writer) and Russ Braun (artist)
Chapter 2 (of 3)
The Night Witches, the Russian female bomber pilots, are the heroes. The Germans are not. The Russians, both female and male, are portrayed as honorable. The Germans, with one exception, are not. It is very likely that before the end of chapter three the one honorable German will cross that line.
The more interesting story is the grimmer one: the story of the one honorable German soldier, Graf. Even though he is not one of the titular characters his journey involves more inner conflict and moments of character development. He is in the thick of the war in a way that Anna and the other Night Witches are not. He sees it and lives it much more vividly than they ever will until or unless they get shot down in enemy territory.
Cover: Battlefields: The Night Witches #2
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: The Night Witches #2
Chapter 2 (of 3)
The Night Witches, the Russian female bomber pilots, are the heroes. The Germans are not. The Russians, both female and male, are portrayed as honorable. The Germans, with one exception, are not. It is very likely that before the end of chapter three the one honorable German will cross that line.
The more interesting story is the grimmer one: the story of the one honorable German soldier, Graf. Even though he is not one of the titular characters his journey involves more inner conflict and moments of character development. He is in the thick of the war in a way that Anna and the other Night Witches are not. He sees it and lives it much more vividly than they ever will until or unless they get shot down in enemy territory.
Cover: Battlefields: The Night Witches #2
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: The Night Witches #2
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Battlefields: The Night Witches #1
By Garth Ennis (writer) and Russ Braun (artist)
Chapter 1 (of 3)
Make no mistake this is war, bloody war. This book doesn't pull any punches. Round one ends with what in another series might be a knockout. From all accounts the fighting between the Russians and Germans in World War 2 was some of the most deadly and dehumanizing. This book makes no attempt to disguise that fact. It puts faces and names to soldiers on both sides of the conflict as they kill and either get killed or survive only to see their compatriots killed before their eyes.
The Night Witches: the 599th Night Bomber Regiment was an all-female unit. They flew outdated biplanes which could only carry two bombs at a time. Their nickname was given to them by the Germans. This story is based on a real unit of the same name.
For more information on the real Night Witches wikipedia is as good a place as any to begin searching.
For more information on the fighting between Russia and Germany during World War II listen to the 4-part series produced by Hardcore History:
Ghosts of the Ostfront
Part 1 - An introduction to the subject and discussion of the causes and opening moves of Operation Barbarossa.
Part 2 - Looks at the attempt to take Moscow and the many compelling stories surrounding the momentous 1941 German offensive.
Part 3 - Looks at the situation in the U.S.S.R. during 1942 and early 1943, including the dreadful Battle of Stalingrad.
Part 4 - The horror story that is the Eastern Front descends into unimaginable darkness as vengeance is called down on Germany.
Cover: Battlefields: The Night Witches #1
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: The Night Witches #1
Chapter 1 (of 3)
Make no mistake this is war, bloody war. This book doesn't pull any punches. Round one ends with what in another series might be a knockout. From all accounts the fighting between the Russians and Germans in World War 2 was some of the most deadly and dehumanizing. This book makes no attempt to disguise that fact. It puts faces and names to soldiers on both sides of the conflict as they kill and either get killed or survive only to see their compatriots killed before their eyes.
The Night Witches: the 599th Night Bomber Regiment was an all-female unit. They flew outdated biplanes which could only carry two bombs at a time. Their nickname was given to them by the Germans. This story is based on a real unit of the same name.
For more information on the real Night Witches wikipedia is as good a place as any to begin searching.
For more information on the fighting between Russia and Germany during World War II listen to the 4-part series produced by Hardcore History:
Ghosts of the Ostfront
Part 1 - An introduction to the subject and discussion of the causes and opening moves of Operation Barbarossa.
Part 2 - Looks at the attempt to take Moscow and the many compelling stories surrounding the momentous 1941 German offensive.
Part 3 - Looks at the situation in the U.S.S.R. during 1942 and early 1943, including the dreadful Battle of Stalingrad.
Part 4 - The horror story that is the Eastern Front descends into unimaginable darkness as vengeance is called down on Germany.
Cover: Battlefields: The Night Witches #1
Preview: Garth Ennis' Battlefields: The Night Witches #1
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
What I Bought - Aug 1, 2010
I went to the Capicon comic book show at the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department. I've got plenty to read at home so I didn't plan on spending very much. I spent $2 on admission, $9 on comics, and $28 on a 2-day pass to the Baltimore Comicon.
Sgt Rock #325, 338 - I bought these primarily for the Joe Kubert covers and the Daily Planet feature pages.
Marvel Team-Up # 134 - written by Bill Manto and drawn by Ron Frenz this issue co-stars Spiderman and Jack of Hearts and is the prologue to the Jack of Hearts 4-issue limited series from 1984.
Superman: Kryptonite - written by Darwyn Cooke and drawn by Tim Sale; I've been wanting to read this ever since I first saw the preview art a few years ago.
Sgt Rock #325, 338 - I bought these primarily for the Joe Kubert covers and the Daily Planet feature pages.
Marvel Team-Up # 134 - written by Bill Manto and drawn by Ron Frenz this issue co-stars Spiderman and Jack of Hearts and is the prologue to the Jack of Hearts 4-issue limited series from 1984.
Superman: Kryptonite - written by Darwyn Cooke and drawn by Tim Sale; I've been wanting to read this ever since I first saw the preview art a few years ago.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
What I Read - Jun 5, 2010
The Other Side - written by Jason Aaron with art by Cameron Stewart. This is a 5-issue mini-series set in Vietnam in1968. The two main characters are both young men, Bill Everette and Bo Vinh Dai, who have enlisted in the military but on opposite sides of the conflict.
The story jumps back and forth between Bill and Vo, with no more than than probably four pages at a time being devoted to either man. The first chapter focuses on their induction into the military. Bill's part of the story follows him through boot camp up until he leaves for Vietnam. Vo's story follows him as he leaves his village and joins the army. From very early on Bill's story has a horrific element to it. He sees has visions of the bloody corpses of Americans who were killed fighting in Vietnam. His rifle starts talking to him, urging him to kill himself or kill someone else.
The horrific elements of Vo's story don't begin to surface until the second chapter. In general he seems like a much more grounded individual than Bill. The gold watch his father gives him, a trophy from Dien Bien Phu, provides him with somethings that Bill lacks, a memento of home and a personal reason for the path he has chosen. In the second chapter as Vo and his compatriots march south toward the front the reality of what he is about to take part in as he meets horribly scarred veterans and sees some of the men in his unit mercilessly left to die when they can no longer go on.
I find this to be a very intense read. The story is about two men on either side of the Vetnam War but it is also, more genrally about how horrific war can be and feel. I started reading The Other Side on the bus ride home one night. That didn't last long. My response to the story and the journey that Vo and Bill embark on was too emotional. I put it down and instead chose to read it on Saturday mornings while I wash my clothes. Its no less public a space to engage the book in, my response is just as emotional but I have more time to read the pictures and words than I did on the commute to/from the office.
Cameron Stewart's art work is cartoony. It gets the job done and then some. I really like it. The coloring work of Dave McCaig also deseves praise. It compliments Stewarts art beautifully.
One thing that impresses me about Jason Aaron's story is that Vo and Bill's stories do not mirror one another. Their journeys both take place in the same environment, at the same time, and eventually their stories intersect but they are not two sides of the same coin except in the most basic of ways: they are both young men forced by law or societal pressures to go to war. At the end of the story one survives the war, the other doesn't. One is left trying to make sense of what happened and search for meaning in it, the other isn't.
The story lacks closure but I think that's intentional. The writer dedicates it to his deceased uncle, who served in Vietnam, on the American side.
The team that created this book is American. There is a serious effort made to tell the story of the other side, the story of a soldier in the North Vietnamese Army. It's tough for me to say how accurate it is. I have no prior first, second, or even third hand knowledge of what that life was like. This is it. My feeling is that ultimately this story is written from the American perspective, even though it also presents a (North) Vietnamese one as well.
Needless to say this is a war story but it isn't a traditional war comic book. It bears no resemblance to the war comics that I used to read at the barber shop when I was a kid. In essensce and presentation this more closely resembles a horror story. I was very moved by it and strongly recommend it to anyone who is intrigued enough to try it. It wasn't an easy read for me but it was well worth my time and money.
This review isn't as cohesive as I would like it to be. It is a collection of thoughts, feelings, and reactions. I need to move on and write about something else, so I'm posting what I've written up to this point. Maybe on some future date I'll write edit, compile, and assemble a more cohesive analysis of this book.
The story jumps back and forth between Bill and Vo, with no more than than probably four pages at a time being devoted to either man. The first chapter focuses on their induction into the military. Bill's part of the story follows him through boot camp up until he leaves for Vietnam. Vo's story follows him as he leaves his village and joins the army. From very early on Bill's story has a horrific element to it. He sees has visions of the bloody corpses of Americans who were killed fighting in Vietnam. His rifle starts talking to him, urging him to kill himself or kill someone else.
The horrific elements of Vo's story don't begin to surface until the second chapter. In general he seems like a much more grounded individual than Bill. The gold watch his father gives him, a trophy from Dien Bien Phu, provides him with somethings that Bill lacks, a memento of home and a personal reason for the path he has chosen. In the second chapter as Vo and his compatriots march south toward the front the reality of what he is about to take part in as he meets horribly scarred veterans and sees some of the men in his unit mercilessly left to die when they can no longer go on.
I find this to be a very intense read. The story is about two men on either side of the Vetnam War but it is also, more genrally about how horrific war can be and feel. I started reading The Other Side on the bus ride home one night. That didn't last long. My response to the story and the journey that Vo and Bill embark on was too emotional. I put it down and instead chose to read it on Saturday mornings while I wash my clothes. Its no less public a space to engage the book in, my response is just as emotional but I have more time to read the pictures and words than I did on the commute to/from the office.
Cameron Stewart's art work is cartoony. It gets the job done and then some. I really like it. The coloring work of Dave McCaig also deseves praise. It compliments Stewarts art beautifully.
One thing that impresses me about Jason Aaron's story is that Vo and Bill's stories do not mirror one another. Their journeys both take place in the same environment, at the same time, and eventually their stories intersect but they are not two sides of the same coin except in the most basic of ways: they are both young men forced by law or societal pressures to go to war. At the end of the story one survives the war, the other doesn't. One is left trying to make sense of what happened and search for meaning in it, the other isn't.
The story lacks closure but I think that's intentional. The writer dedicates it to his deceased uncle, who served in Vietnam, on the American side.
The team that created this book is American. There is a serious effort made to tell the story of the other side, the story of a soldier in the North Vietnamese Army. It's tough for me to say how accurate it is. I have no prior first, second, or even third hand knowledge of what that life was like. This is it. My feeling is that ultimately this story is written from the American perspective, even though it also presents a (North) Vietnamese one as well.
Needless to say this is a war story but it isn't a traditional war comic book. It bears no resemblance to the war comics that I used to read at the barber shop when I was a kid. In essensce and presentation this more closely resembles a horror story. I was very moved by it and strongly recommend it to anyone who is intrigued enough to try it. It wasn't an easy read for me but it was well worth my time and money.
This review isn't as cohesive as I would like it to be. It is a collection of thoughts, feelings, and reactions. I need to move on and write about something else, so I'm posting what I've written up to this point. Maybe on some future date I'll write edit, compile, and assemble a more cohesive analysis of this book.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Dunn Loring Comicon 809
I went to a small comic book convention in Dunn Loring today.
I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I didn't want to spend much money so I stuck to the discount bins. I looked through a lotta 1/2 price trade paperbacks without buying any. I did pick up a dozen comic books mostly from the early-70s to early-80s.
Phantom Stranger # 21, 22, 23, 24 - I love the the cover and interior art by Jim Aparo on all four of these. It's funny but I never noticed it before now but looking at the cover and some of the interior art of PS # 21 made think of Mike Zeck's art work.
House of Mystery # 290, 307, 308 - While HOM was normally an anthology book but all of these issues include part of the ongoing I...Vampire story. My interest in this series was piqued by this blog posting. The art on the covers by Joe Kubert are much more to my tastes than the interior art.
Showcase # 104 - This was the only comic that I found in the many boxes that I went through with a WWII story. Its the final issue of this anthology series which normally didn't feature war stories. Once again a beautiful Joe Kubert cover but alas no Kubert art on the inside.
Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero # 1, 2, 3, 4 - I thought this was the first but it looks like its the second Hopeless Savages mini-series. Alas. I'll read it anyway. I almost didn't buy it because it has been collected in a trade but it was so low priced that I couldn't resist.
So in all I got 12 comics for $8. Good deal. Even if the comics aren't great reads I had fun looking through the back issue bins.
I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I didn't want to spend much money so I stuck to the discount bins. I looked through a lotta 1/2 price trade paperbacks without buying any. I did pick up a dozen comic books mostly from the early-70s to early-80s.
Phantom Stranger # 21, 22, 23, 24 - I love the the cover and interior art by Jim Aparo on all four of these. It's funny but I never noticed it before now but looking at the cover and some of the interior art of PS # 21 made think of Mike Zeck's art work.
House of Mystery # 290, 307, 308 - While HOM was normally an anthology book but all of these issues include part of the ongoing I...Vampire story. My interest in this series was piqued by this blog posting. The art on the covers by Joe Kubert are much more to my tastes than the interior art.
Showcase # 104 - This was the only comic that I found in the many boxes that I went through with a WWII story. Its the final issue of this anthology series which normally didn't feature war stories. Once again a beautiful Joe Kubert cover but alas no Kubert art on the inside.
Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero # 1, 2, 3, 4 - I thought this was the first but it looks like its the second Hopeless Savages mini-series. Alas. I'll read it anyway. I almost didn't buy it because it has been collected in a trade but it was so low priced that I couldn't resist.
So in all I got 12 comics for $8. Good deal. Even if the comics aren't great reads I had fun looking through the back issue bins.
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