Preview: Going Into Battle & Into Action Once More — ‘Battle Action’ Volume 2 Is Out Now!

by Richard Bruton

A massive line-up of comic talent, a historic revisiting of some classic Brit comic strips from the pages of Battle and Action – it all comes together in the pages of Battle Action Volume 2…

It’s pretty much all Garth Ennis‘ fault you know – it was his love of war comics that led to the first volume of Battle Action, with him writing all the strips in that particular volume. And he contributes five different stories to this new collection, alongside five tales written by John Wagner, Torunn Grønbekk, Rob Williams, and Dan Abnett, plus some absolutely staggeringly good artwork throughout from Patrick Goddard, Mike Dorey, Staz Johnson, PJ Holden, John Higgins, Henry Flint, Chris Burnham, Phil Winslade, Keith Burns, and Dan Cornwell.

Johnny Red: The Falcon – by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns

So, time to see the thrilling tales of the likes of air ace Johnny Red to the daring Nina Petrova, and from lethal British agent Dredger to the louche Major Eazy – 12 action-packed tales bringing you back the finest from Battle Action!

One particularly glorious moment comes with the return of Battle Picture Weekly’s co-creator John Wagner to HMS Nightshade, the series he co-created with artist Mike Western in 1979, which tells the story of a Royal Navy warship protecting Allied shipping from the U-Boat menace. Other stories include Crazy Keller, D-Day Dawson, Dredger, Major Eazy, Hellman of Hammer Force, and Nina Patrova and The Angels of Death.

Major Eazy: The Devil’s Garden – by Rob Williams & Henry Flint

Battle Picture Weekly was where the revolution in British comics began. Created in 1975 by writers and editors Pat Mills and Wagner, it introduced new grittiness into comics with its cast of anti-heroes and misfits. Its bombast and energy sparked a sea-change in what comics could do, leading to Mills’ creation of the controversial Action and the globally influential 2000 AD.

This new Battle Action collection celebrates the merging of this landmark title with its controversial stablemate, Action, a combination that took the two comics to even greater heights. Now, more than forty years after the original, the cream of British comics talent bring these classic characters back to life.

Battle Action Vol .2 was released on the 27th February 2024 and contains all the tales from the five-issue 2023 series of Battle Action plus two tales, Rat Pack and Hellman, from the 2020 Battle Special.

Now, as they’ve all been published before, lets have a rather hugggge preview…

JOHNNY RED: THE FALCON – by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns, colours by Jason Wordie, letters by Rob Steen. Johnny Red created by Tom Tully and Joe Colquhoun

HMS NIGHTSHADE – by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell, colours by Len O’Grady, letters by Rob Steen. HMS Nightshade created by John Wagner and Mike Western

CRAZY KELLER MEETS HOT WHEELS – by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham, colours by Len O’Grady, letters by Rob Steen (Crazy Keller created by Alan Hebden and Eric Bradbury. Hot Wheels created by Brian Burrell and Cam Kennedy)

D-DAY DAWSON – by Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade, letters by Rob Steen. (D-Day Dawson created by Gerry Finley-Day and Geoff Campion)

MAJOR EAZY: THE DEVIL’S GARDEN – by Rob Williams & Henry Flint, letters by Rob Steen. Major Eazy created by Alan Hebden and Carlos Ezquerra

DREDGER: O MOTHER, WHERE ART THOU? – by Garth Ennis & John Higgins, colours by John Higgins and Sally Jane Hurst, letters by Rob Steen. Dredger created by Pat Mills, Gerry Findley-Day and Horacio Altuna

DEATH SQUAD – by Rob Williams and PJ Holden, letters by Rob Steen. Death Squad created by Alan Hebden and Eric Bradbury.

COOLEY’S GUN – by Garth Ennis and Staz Johnson, colours by Len O’Grady, letters by Rob Steen. Cooley’s Gun created by Gerry Findley-Day and Geoff Campion.

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.

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

RAT PACK: THE TOUGH WAY OUT – by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns, colours by Jason Wordie, letters by Rob Steen. Rat Pack created by Gerry Finley-Day and Carlos Ezquerra