Preview: ‘Battle Action’ #5 — A Farewell To Arms

It’s the end to the Battle Action as the series comes to an end here – with two more classics from the pages of Brit war comics brought back to life by Garth Ennis, Mike Dorey, Torunn Gronbekk, and Patrick Goddard.

So, we come to the end of the five issues of this one, and it’s pretty much definitively proven that there’s a hell of a lot of life left in these classic Brit war comic characters.

So, for one last time – until we get more of them hopefully soon, time to take a look inside this one.

Out on 27 September, this one’s got Garth Ennis returning with Hellman of the Condor Legion, alongside the legendary co-creator of Hellman, Mike Dorey, on art. The second tale features Nina Petrova and The Angels of Death by Torunn Gronbekk and Patrick Goddard.

Battle Action #5 is out now from  27 September 2023 from Rebellion/The Treasury of British Comics

HELLMAN OF THE CONDOR LEGION – by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey, letters by Rob Steen. Hellman created by Gerry Finley-Day and Mike Dorey.

This issue kicks off with an early adventure of ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’, when he leads the Condor Legion in Spain and the conflict forces him to determine what he will stand for.

It’s 1937 and we’re in the early days of the Spanish Civil War and Lieutenant Kurt Hellman is in charge of the tanks of Condor Legion. Well, technically tanks… these are the Mark I Panzers and they’re not exactly loaded with firepower.

It’s got that predictable mix of humanity, the horrors of war, Hellman learning lessons that make him into the man he becomes with Hammer Force, all that stuff. And sure, there’s a fair bit of thrilling battle action when the teeny tiny lil’ MK1s go up against the big bad T26, but this one’s all about ramping up the human side of things.

And that’s something that Ennis has always been so good at doing in his war comics, and something he does right here. As for Mr Dorey, well it’s an absolute pleasure to have his textures on this one, especially as it all sets up the man he’d earlier create (if you see what I mean).

NINA PETROVA & THE ANGELS OF DEATH: NIGHT WILL FALL – by Torunn Gronbekk and Patrick Goddard, colours by Jason Wordie, letters by Rob Steen. Created by Tom Tully and Joe Colquhoun.

Nina Petrova and The Angels of Death are actually based on a real all-female regiment, the Russian 558th Bomber Regiment who, because of the absolutely awful 1920s trainer airplane they had to use, took to gliding in on their bombing raids to get the job done.

Tully and Colquhoun took this and gave us a really gripping war hero, who was immediately and always written and drawn as a warrior, a true equal to the men she so often dwarfed in bravery and kills.

And that’s just how Gronbekk writes these Angels of Death here, as we’re taken into the world of Nina and her Angels of Death as the 7th Women’s Air Recon Regiment get a brand-new, green as fresh grass, Commissar who’s about to experience the reality of war as the Germans push east. Of course, that Patrick Goddard steals the show here shouldn’t be any surprise – after all, he’s just one of those artists who always impresses.