He who hunts the Dominie, beware!

We all know what happens next. It is almost screamingly obvious. Soon that age old equation will prove itself yet again, De Havilland Dominie + Focke Wulf = one dead Nazi. Did the bad guys just drop this from the syllabus at Nazi School? Were they so caught up in master race master classes that they thought they could ditch the basics. Makes you wonder how they ever made it to the front door.

Cover of the Week. Air Ace Picture Library 235 Bomber's Vengeance

This deserves 10/10!

Why does this cover just scream 1960s? Combination of colour palette and type face?
The sub head does lifts the story and adds the necessary narrative - without it would look like just another lucky shot from British bomber over the skys of Germany. The very title itself if giving away the idea that the bombers must have suffered in the past and now they're getting their own back - oh sweet vengeance!
Everything in this cover just works perfectly.
Straight up 10/10.

Air Ace Picture Library 326 War in the Air

Fantastic! Only if more pocket war comics could have this depth of writing and inspirational artwork.

War in the Air proves that you can fit a good story in only 58 pages.

Shot down and captured on his very first mission, Flying Officer Jimmy Durrance watches a surrendering Blenheim from the imaginatively named YD Squadron deceive it's 2 escorting Messerschmitts and destroy them. Durrance wasn't the only witness to this act. Incensed by this treacherous disregard of aeronautical protocol the Germans vow revenge against the offending squadron.

This is an interesting angle for an Air Ace Picture Library with the British as the target for revenge - usually it's the other way around. The Nazi's really can't bring themselves to let bygones be bygones (they're like that you know!) and keep their vendetta going for more than 2 years.  For a self-proclaimed "lucky" squadron, YD squadron really take a beating and are on the brink of being disbanded. Can only make you think what was happening to the "unlucky" squadrons around them.

Of course Durrance manages to escape allowing for a few frames of POW tunnel digging action. Once he regains his lines who will be revealed as the British pilot who did the dirty on the Germans?

The illustrations in War in the Air are pretty darn good with the illustrator using as few lines as possible to great effect. The panel structure also seems to be influenced by DC or Marvel comics. Even though nobody says Aaargh! this is a clever bit of writing and illustrating.

Given a few more pages I would have ended this story a little differently - but this is a good one as it stands.

 That's a bit of a tight fit. Too many cream buns and they'll take you off the flying list.

I think "nicely" is a very apt term for this picture.

Look at the front of this Blenheim it looks like it's been designed by steam punks.

Nice panel layout .

Shouldn't that be "voxing"?

Nice layout.

Com'n skip - it's a enough to make a bloke paranoid.

Ahhh...the privileges of rank in the bath hut.

Damn fine tash and damn fine cravat.

Rules for Bad Guys # 276. Never ever say our "anythings" will stop the enemy. It's a sure fire way to make sure they don't.

A man on a mission!

Air Ace Picture Library 70 The Whispering Death

Danvers loves to break rules. Which is a dangerous attitude to have in the middle of a war. Then his luck almost totally abandons him while out on an unauthorised and ultimately ill-fated mission with his brother. Danvers is the only survivor.

These events turn his recklessness into dangerous determination.

After he recovers he is posted to a new squadron where he gets off to a bad start with his new C.O. by turning up late then commits the unforgivable sin of running over his dog. However Danvers worst sin is to start getting his new squadron involved progressively in more and more dangerous missions.

The C.O. loses his authority, his dog and his well trained but sheltered squadron starts getting shot up. Needless to say the other pilots in the squadron are not fond of Danvers either. However, in time, because of Danvers the C.O. and squadron gain more than self respect they gain resolve.

This story is almost ruined by the last panel. Or should that be saved by Danvers’ attitude?

Things I liked: The focke-wulf pilot who says “English Pig! Die!”; the veritable tashfest; there are several excellent agghhs; and then there’s a surprising insight to the technical aspects of flying a large aircraft.

The thing that really got up my nose? You know the sticky situation where every antiaircraft gun in Germany zeroes in on your beaufighter and you and everybody else in it should be killed - but not this time. But!!??

This story is published in 1960 – only 15 years after the fact. For those of who are a little bit older 1995 was also only 15 years ago! Aggghhhh!!

 

 

Look at that tash!

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great picture!

A tash and a cravatt! I say!

You know if I was in a movie I would want those to be my lines.

That's a big but...

War Picture Library 467 Fire Call

Danvers loves to break rules. Which is a dangerous attitude to have in the middle of a war. Then his luck almost totally abandons him while out on an unauthorised and ultimately ill-fated mission with his brother. Danvers is the only survivor.

These events turn his recklessness into dangerous determination.

After he recovers he is posted to a new squadron where he gets off to a bad start with his new C.O. by turning up late then commits the unforgivable sin of running over his dog. However Danvers worst sin is to start getting his new squadron involved progressively in more and more dangerous missions.

The C.O. loses his authority, his dog and his well trained but sheltered squadron starts getting shot up. Needless to say the other pilots in the squadron are not fond of Danvers either. However, in time, because of Danvers the C.O. and squadron gain more than self respect they gain resolve.

This story is almost ruined by the last panel. Or should that be saved by Danvers’ attitude?

Things I liked: The focke-wulf pilot who says “English Pig! Die!”; the veritable tashfest; there are several excellent agghhs; and then there’s a surprising insight to the technical aspects of flying a large aircraft.

The thing that really got up my nose? You know the sticky situation where every antiaircraft gun in Germany zeroes in on your beaufighter and you and everybody else in it should be killed - but not this time. But!!??

This story is published in 1960 – only 15 years after the fact. For those of who are a little bit older 1995 was also only 15 years ago! Aggghhhh!!

 

 

Look at that tash!

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great picture!

A tash and a cravatt! I say!

You know if I was in a movie I would want those to be my lines.

That's a big but...