War Stories

Uma edição que me chamou a atenção este fim de semana, e que comprei de imediato.

Já comecei a ler, e pelo que li até agora, não poderia de deixar aqui uma referencia e recomendação.

War Stories
DC/Vertigo

Um conjunto de curtas historias em torno do brutal conflito da Segunda Guerra Mundial, escritas por Garth Ennis e ilustradas por um conjuntos de nomes conhecidos, como Dave Gibbons, David Loyd, Carlos Ezquerra.

Lançadas originalmente em one-shoots, foram reditadas e agrupadas em dois volumes trade paperback.

Temos então:


War Stories ~ Vol. 1 ( 240p )

Com as seguintes historias:

Johann's Tiger (a Chris Weston, Gary Erskine). [From DC Comics: It's regarded as the turning point of the twentieth century - the greatest of all wars, fought by the greatest generation. But there was nothing glamorous about fighting in World War II. It was the most horrific period of the bloodiest century in modern history. And it was fought by young men and women not much different from any others. This fall, VERTIGO unleashes WAR STORY—a new generation of military comics that tell it like it really was, brought to you by acclaimed writer Garth Ennis (PREACHER, ENEMY ACE: WAR IN HEAVEN, Punisher). These four double-sized one-shots, each self-contained and illustrated by different artists with startling photo covers, go beyond the clichés of bravado and bluster to put you right there: in the tank war of the Eastern Front; in the hunt for U-boats on the frozen Arctic Ocean; in the bloody Italian campaign; and in the final push to Berlin. If you think Ennis will let readers escape unscathed, think again. First up in September is JOHANN'S TIGER, the tale of a German Tiger tank commander and his crew—pencilled by Ennis's ENEMY ACE collaborator Chris Weston (Ministry of Space) and inked by Gary Erskine. Retreating from the Russians on the Eastern Front, Johann's only goal is to find the Americans and surrender to them before he and his men get killed. But even if he can escape from the Red Army and the Nazi Secret Police, Johann can never elude his own guilt over the atrocities he's seen…and committed.]





D-Day Dodgers (a John Higgins). [From DC Comics: WAR STORY: D-DAY DODGERS tells the story of the thousands of war-weary, largely forgotten, young Allied soldiers. This action-packed and powerful story stands as a moving tribute to the too-often mistreated men fighting in the trenches of any war.]
















Screaming Eagles (a Dave Gibbons). [From DC Comics: So far DC has announced two of four VERTIGO one-shots by writer Garth Ennis that explore the true horrors of World War II. The third of these 64-page Specials, WAR STORY: SCREAMING EAGLES, finds Ennis collaborating with the legendary artist of WATCHMEN, Dave Gibbons, offering a breathtaking look at war you won't soon forget. SCREAMING EAGLES begins with an elderly soldier reminiscing about his days in WWII. His kids and grandkids are always asking him what it was like, how he got through it all, and how he survived. But he only has one answer for them… To learn that answer, they must listen to him as he recounts the waning days of the war in Europe, where a battle-weary sergeant and the remnants of his decimated squad are sent to scout a remote chateau on the German front. What they find is a treasure trove of Nazi plunder and stolen luxuries the likes of which they never imagined in the previous months of bloody fighting. But they quickly find that sometimes having it easy can test a soldier's resolve as much as the worst firefight. And the old soldier's answer? You'll just have to read SCREAMING EAGLES to find out, as both Ennis and Gibbons deliver one of their strongest efforts ever in this instant classic.]

Nightingale (a David Lloyd). [From DC Comics: The fourth and final entry of the VERTIGO one-shots by writer Garth Ennis that explore the true horrors of World War II arrives in December in the form of WAR STORY: NIGHTINGALE—a 64-page Special teaming Ennis (PREACHER) with artist David Lloyd (V FOR VENDETTA), who illustrates this book in the same moody, evocative style that made him famous. It’s Christmas time again as the men of the British Destroyer Nightingale guard a convoy of merchant ships steaming through the icy waters of the Arctic Sea, desperate to reach the ports of Russia and resupply the starving Red Armies. After dodging and repelling German attacks from both above and below the water, word comes from British intelligence that the dreaded U-boat Tirpitz is now stalking the same frigid waters. Knowing the convoy is hopelessly outmatched, the orders come to scatter the convoy and hope for the best. This desperate decision proves tragic as, one by one, the Nightingale's fellow ships are destroyed. Somehow, Nightingale survives the attacks and reaches the safety of a home port. But the crew’s joy is tempered by the superstitious belief that they are now a cursed ship—shunned by the rest of the navy as bad luck and a "ship of the damned." It is this knowledge that drives this book's action as the Nightingale—along with her crew of both baby-faced recruits and battle-tested officers—steams deeper into the hellish jaws of war in a quest for redemption of their lost souls. NIGHTINGALE—while packed with plenty of high-seas action—is ultimately a gut-wrenching tale of how in war, more than anywhere else in life, the icy hand of fate is inescapable and redemption so often comes at the price of human life.]

e o segundo volume:


War Stories ~ Vol. 2 ( 240p, Preview )

Com as seguintes historias:

The Reivers (a Cam Kennedy). [From DC Comics: North Africa, 1942: The stillness of the desert night is shattered as a British SAS patrol charges onto a German airfield, destroying everything in sight. Two heavily armed jeeps—filled with the British army's "best of the best"—tear up and down rows of aircraft, machine-gunning them into scrap metal, cutting down any guards foolish enough to get in the way. Then the shadow raiders speed back into the desert darkness, leaving chaos and death in their wake... This is how award-winning writer Garth Ennis (PREACHER, HITMAN, Punisher) begins his latest round of hard-as-nails stories of war. The first set of four WAR STORY tales garnered huge acclaim, and now Ennis is back with WAR STORY: THE REIVERS - the first of four 64-page VERTIGO one-shots that show all the bloody action, black humor and deadly horror of war the way it really is. THE REIVERS - illustrated by Cam Kennedy (2000 A.D.), is everything you've come to expect from one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comic-book writers of our time. The SAS are the original Special Forces: the toughest, deadliest crews, usually fighting deep behind enemy lines and using whatever means necessary to get the job done—never taking prisoners. THE REIVERS tells the story of one such SAS unit fighting Germans in the North African desert during World War II. A unit led by two young officers: Barclay, a by-the-numbers soldier who just wants the job done right, and Nixon, a reckless breakneck who seems to revel in the chaos of war. Their struggle for control of the unit ultimately determines the success or failure of their missions, and literally the life or death of the men in their charge.]




J for Jenny (a David Lloyd). [From DC Comics: It's late 1943, and with the war now turning towards victory for the Allies, great firebombing raids are being launched against German cities and industries. The Americans bomb by day and the British by night - up to a thousand bombers at a time hitting cities like Hamburg, Bremen and Berlin, razing them all. But no matter how tough you are as part of a bombing crew, sooner or later you find yourself wondering who is underneath you when you drop the mother lode... Writer Garth Ennis returns for another hard-hitting tale of war in WAR STORY: J FOR JENNY—a 64-page VERTIGO one-shot reuniting Ennis with legendary artist David Lloyd (V FOR VENDETTA, WAR STORY: NIGHTINGALE), with a cover designed by Terry Marks. The Americans may have had the B-17 Flying Fortress, but the English had the Lancaster bomber—a built-to-spill flying tank that was loaded to the gills, punching Swiss-cheese holes in German industrial facilities. Jenny is one of Britain's tough-as-leather Lancaster bombers, and this is her tale—as her crew wreaks havoc on cities all across Nazi Germany. J FOR JENNY—the second tale in the latest wave of WAR STORY one-shots—shows the very human side of war, living up to the brutal realism and in-your-face storytelling that made the first WAR STORY chronicles such a hit.]







Condors (a Carlos Ezquerra). [From DC Comics: 1938—before World War II engulfed Europe, all eyes were on the Spanish Civil War. It was a war of fascism versus socialism, dictator versus king, Germany versus Europe, and everyone was choosing sides. What happens when a Spaniard, a German, an Irishman, and an Englishman find themselves trapped in the same foxhole? CONDORS tells the tale of four very different soldiers who all want the same thing: to win their war. As battles rage outside of Madrid, the men—each with his own world view and reasons for fighting—find themselves face-to-face with the enemy as they all take cover in the same foxhole. With little water or food and just one pistol among them, they must figure out how to survive the night…and each other.]












Archangel (a Gary Erskine). [From DC Comics: RAF Flight Officer Jamie McKenzie has the worst luck. VERTIGO’s WAR STORY: ARCHANGEL—the final issue in this round of Garth Ennis’ critically acclaimed war comics—features the exquisite art of Gary Erskine (THE AUTHORITY, Star Wars: Requiem for a Rogue) and tells the story of McKenzie as he trains and takes flight in the midst of World War II. Everyone knows that the Japanese had kamikaze pilots, but no one knows about their British counterparts, the CAMship (Catapult-Armed Merchantmen). Due to a shortage of aircraft carriers in 1942, the British began strapping obsolete, single-passenger fighter planes to ancient freighters and tankers, cramming them full of ammunition, and launching them by highly volatile rockets tied to each wing. But here’s the kicker: The pilot must engage the enemy until his ammo is gone, then attempt to land with whatever fuel left or bail out into the sea and hope to be picked up. Not quite kamikaze, but just as crazy. After ticking off his squadron leader, Jaime is "volunteered" for training on the new CAMships. McKenzie has the worst luck, but sometimes bad luck is better than no luck at all. WAR STORY: ARCHANGEL reflects the "by any means necessary" attitude adopted by the Allied Powers in the struggle to defeat Hitler and his forces.]



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