Garth Ennis: Battle Classics

Book excerpt: From 1975 to 1988, the weekly war comic 'Battle¡¯ featured work by some of the greatest names in British comics, including Pat Mills, John Wagner, Joe Colquhoun, Carlos Ezquerra and Cam Kennedy. In this second volume of 'Battle Classics¡¯, Garth Ennis ¨C writer of 'Preacher¡¯, 'The Boys¡¯ and 'Red Team¡¯, as well as his own war series 'War Story¡¯ and 'Battlefields¡¯ ¨C selects and introduces some of his favorite stories from 'Battle¡¯s¡¯ heyday. 'Fighting Mann¡¯, by Alan Hebden and Cam Kennedy, is the first British comic story set during the Vietnam War. When retired US Marine Colonel Walt Mann¡¯s son goes missing over South Vietnam, the old soldier finds himself back in harness ¨C fighting a new and very different kind of war. With his loyal Korean comrade Chol Chong along to watch his back, Mann¡¯s search for his son leads him to a plan so terrible it could escalate the war in Vietnam to undreamt-of heights ¨C and drag in the rest of the world. In 'War Dog¡¯, also by Hebden and Kennedy with Mike Western, Battle¡¯s unlikeliest hero makes his debut: Kazan, a huge German guard dog hunting his masters¡¯ enemies on the savage Russian front. The humans¡¯ war is beyond the unfortunate hound¡¯s understanding ¨C but its terrible currents will drag him halfway around the world, from a frozen ocean to the merciless African desert.