Rules for Bad Guys.

Surely one of the golden rules of being one of the bad guys is not to stand around and say that you're going to hunt down the good guys. You know it's going to end in tears so why do it?  Possibly it's another opportunity to stand around and look sinsiter. However it takes more than just a narrowing of the eyes to look unpleasant. It requires resolve and that sometimes ain't easy to draw. Framing certainly helps as well. Interesting choice to carry on for another ten miles though. Why not five or for another twenty-five or more? The silhouette of the armoured car and fence are very nice touches. It just goes to show that not even darkness will stop this unpleasant fellow. But why is he so cross? Has something of  great value been taken from him? Possibly he has nothing better to do with his time than to pursue fugitives. However what could possibly outpace a column with an armoured car or two? Other armoured cars or jeeps perhaps? Or is it possible that our belligerent friend here is infused with bad Karma? Why are there so many more questions than there are answers? There is one thing for certain. Our friend here isn't going to make it to the end of the story.

War Picture Library 99 Spearhead

Is a slight misunderstanding enough to condemn your fighting brothers? Well according to Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Dawson it is more than enough. Dawson only has contempt for Americans after he misinterprets a comment from a large chinned American glider pilot.

Spearhead is a very well drawn, composed and animated story. Even though it's basically a shoot 'em up, bash with tash and dash affair the artwork is fantastic with great use of shadow and silhouette.

There's action in the air and on the beaches as glider airborne troops land in the sea and take direct fire from the enemy during the invasion of Sicily. A page or two then serve as a small respite to set the scene and reinforce Dawson's dislike of American pilots. He then only has his opinion confirmed by the introduction of American Airforce (and former bush pilot) Colonel Butch Gordon who is a loud mouthed, cigar chomping, sartorially challenged American pilot. Now with the scene set for some inter-allied animosity there's plenty of action. There's parachuting into Japanese held Burmese jungle to secure a clearing and build an airfield so more troops can arrive to win the war. So there's lots of opportunity for shooting, counter attacks, things to look grim and an arrggghh and aahhh or two.  The story ends with the inevitable reconciliation between should be friends.

No one is trying to get through a deep message or sneak through an agenda on the human condition in this story. This is purely what a pocket war comic should be - lots of action and a real page turner.

Big chinned Americans

Big panted Germans

That's one ugly German

Oh no! It looks like Cutter's bought it!

Smug Germans! Also lesson 23 for Bad Guys. Don't get call each other by your first names while you enjoy your work. It will only lead to a Mills 36 coming your way. 









That's right Karl - that's a Mills 36 coming your way.

Now! That's how you make an entrance!

That's how you wear a government issued suit - with crumpled style.

Itagaki is clearly an idiot.

Limb of Satan! I learn a new cuss everyday.

Check out Mr Muscles on the dozer.

What is wrong with that guy's hat?

Americans are very good at scooting around on their Jeeps and shooting up counter attacks.

Lessons for Bad Guys number 66. Don't forget when accepting the position of a sniper the golden rule is "hit and not be hit".

What a great tank picture. Can anybody help me out with what sort of tank it is?

Air Ace Picture Library 483 One Moment of Glory

It’s no surprise the Allies won the war. If a feckless wonder like Ben Collis can go around killing people what hope did the Nazis have?

He can fly a Bristol Blenheim like he's ringing a bell, he can pinpoint targets like he’s shooting Wamp rats in Beggar's Canyon, he kills Nazis by the trainload, he brings himself and his crew alive back from every mission. And he’s still not happy!

Put simply Collis is an idiot. But the fates and pocket war comic gods will take this all away from him and turn him into a grease monkey.

Now imagine if he were an American and not some limp Englishman. The story would be forced into a different direction. Instead of flying around and moaning that he’s not in a Hurricane he’d be flying around, blowing up Nazis and saying/muttering/shouting “Want some? – Ha!” “Want some of this?” “Damn Nazis start something!” “Want me to finish it!” –ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Instead when he gets excited he says "wizard".

Otherwise it's a pretty good story where the hero gets want he wants only to throw it away for one moment of glory - but in a nice little play on the title he gets another chance at that one moment.

However in the art department I get the feeling this story may have undergone a few revisions or was made up on the fly. The barrage balloons appear to have been created with some disinterest and look hastily drawn. The interior of the Blenheim looks like it shouldn't (without going into detail) it looks very spacious and comfortable. Also most of the uniforms are just a little too neat for my liking.  Also the aircraft look more like the idea of what they should look like rather than what they actually look like.

In the end Collis mans up, give himself an uppercut and gets on with it.

Those Nazis know how to make the local till a field.

Lessons for bad guys number 23. Don't go around saying how you wish it wasn't you. You'll only bring your comrades to a sticky end.

How could the Germans expect to win after being faced with such politeness?


From now on this is how I cus..."Name of a dog!"



 Ahhh the early Blenheim Mk1. Sex in the skies having a smack at the Nazi war machine.

Why car D.K384?

You kill people for living. Keep it together man!You're starting to creep me out.

...a small one man fighter could penetrate the defences...

Fritz was an idiot. All the other guys in the flak unit knew it and they did their best to ignore him.

 ...badly drawn barrage balloons. That'll keep the bombers away.

Oh that instance between Agggh! and the end!

 Just like shooting Wamp rats in Beggar's Canyon.

Nazi aerial euthanasia ridding the skies of loony Englishmen since 1939.

Expensive clatter - much much worse than the cheap ones.

Seems like a fair exchange, eight rockets for six Tiger tanks.

Run you scared Nazis!

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 412 Tigers in Action

More Americans? Well not exactly. Even though the Americans are talked up at the beginning - there is a literary slight of hand and the story is not really about them at all despite the expectations set by the title. Tigers in Action is really about a British pilot Alan Sinclair. He is a former pilot, tagged unfit to fly due to a head wound sustained in the Battle of Britain. He jokes that the steel plate in his skull makes him "the only pilot with an armoured head". More about that later.

The Americans line up for their typical stereotypes and are depicted as being brave, brash and boastful. The British are relatively bland but suffer from having a pompous superior officer (who does make good in the end). The Chinese (after all the Flying Tigers are a Chinese unit formed with foreign pilots) manage to escape being badly stereotyped and are depicted as brave and intelligent. Finally the Japanese are shown as arrogant and boastful. However what's really interesting is that a lot of effort or consideration has gone into not drawing Japanese faces in full or at all. Is there something sinister behind this decision? Was the thinking that readers might get confused between the Chinese and their Japanese opponents. I've never had a problem in distinguishing between the Germans and their opponents - so why should there be problem with distinguishing between Chinese and Japanese. Or am I just looking at this through a filter created by years of political correctness?

Otherwise Tigers in Action is a pretty good story following the squadron getting chased around China as the Japanese continue their aggressive attacks. The bromance between Alan Sinclair (Englishman) and Mike Wade (American) comes to an abrupt end when Wade is shot down over the jungle due to a lack of concentration by Sinclair. Was Sinclair's old head wound to blame? While Sinclair undergoes medical evaluation to find out, Wade has a series of adventures with the ground troops and returns to finish off the story with his friend.  There are also a good number of elaborate plans , frantic opportunities, grim determination from both sides and lots of aircraft in the sky and at times even more falling out of the sky.

As expected there is a fine assortment of aircraft in Tigers in Action including Tomahawks, Nakajimas,  twin-engined Mitsubishi bombers, Lysanders, Zeros and Warhawks which is always a good thing to see in an Air Ace Picture Library.

Look! Lots and lots of aircraft. Good to see a Nakajima buzzing around.

Look Ma! No helmet hair! (These two have spent the whole morning flying around and have just taken off their flying helmets and their coiffures are still perfect!)

Murder!

Time to get that mocking hiss fixed. It might still be covered by warranty.

A good AAAAGH! from a Japanese pilot.

I'm fighting my over developed sense of school boy humour to leave this one alone.

The good old days!

What is it with this guys hair?

Lysanders! Always a welcome sight in any pocket war comic.

Oops! The Tigers go from heros to Zeros in no time at all.

Do I really have to take off all of my clothes for you to check my pulse? Hey! Are you really a doctor?

Bad guy lesson number 33 never diss the enemy while during a smoko break. You should know what happens next.







Nasty business. The allies don't get it all their own way in this one.