Suicide Squad

Take a group of desperate men. Form them into a team, a squad. Place them in an impossible situation. The men are trapped there by an overpowering z I'lldo the otherindu xv strial complex that deprives them of their freedom and at The University same time creates and orchestrates their reasons to fight.

 The enemy is highly skilled, overwhelmingly cunning, and undoubtedly evil. 

Not all will survive and all lessons will be harsh and not always understood at the time of delivery. 

There will be gun play.

There will be explosions.

There will be sacrifice.

Sadly, there will be no Margot Robbie...

The Oberst wasn't always this happy.

After a long hard day in the desert there are only a few things that can make you happy. Oddly bewilderment is not the first thing that springs to mind. But when it does come to you, in the right way of course, it's enough to make you forget about the sand sandwiches and hot coffee you've been enduring.

Oh! I'm happy too, this is post 550! 

Close Range. Complete Story as found in Battle Picture Library 498 Hunt the Traitor

Crusader Tank Profile

The desert seems to be an appropriate place to find Crusaders. This is the first installment of hopefully many more of this British tank. These frames come from the mini (or should that be supplementary?) story "Close Range" found in the 1970 Battle Picture Library 498 Hunt the Traitor.

Let us root the Englanders...

Some people are very forward in their intentions and choose not to hide their actions. Discretion appears to be foreign word to this people. Unless of course their intent is to be discreet, however given the nature of the endeavour at hand, that would be highly unlikely. Where do you stand when it comes to Englanders?

Just plain pretty

When you think about it, there should only be so much that can be done with ink to paper. Thinking about it too much can get you into a state of bother. This panel of men waiting in the desert is just wonderful.

Some follow...

Get out from under that rock and take a long walk in the sunsine. Follow on before you feel duty bound to make sense of the situation. Leave that for the others. Don't just stand there get moving.

When Nazis with knees like coffee...

...do we ban coffee, and knees for that matter? Have they ruined the fun for everyone? When the bad guys like something does that mean we have to stop liking it by default? This lot appear harmless enough. But I imagine their intent is quite the opposite. Yet appearances can be deceiving - despite their insistence of having their lattes from some up market hipster sourced handleless mug.

Makes you think twice about the things you enjoy. 

Just like a musical!

So lyrical! You can't just say these words you have to sing them.
You must. You must. 
It's a song about a truck.
A truck.
A truck.
A song about a truck.
Is there time to sing?
No.
Is there time to sing?
No no no.
Is there time to sing!
No no no no no!
Arrgh!

Why do some men...

...insist on conducting mechanical repairs while shirtless? Such is life, however given the amount of oil and grease and sand (being in the desert) will no doubt lead to an element of considerable discomfort. 
This may be why Eastman is angry.

Seatbelts are stupid.

Clearly seatbelts are a restraint to our natural freedoms. Thank the heavens that the three at left had the good fortune to be flung from the wayward vehicle. Don't worry they'll be OK. Free from the tyranny of the nanny state they are now free to fight the real enemy. 

Germans understand knees...

There are few cultures that understand the value of knees. Germans, thankfully, understand their importance and contribution to history and to the future. It is true that men in shorts, not just German men, can have earnest discussions that other men cannot. That is why these fellows are hand-picked. Not only are they elite and tough they also have great knees.

Use men if you want to get a job done.

If you want something done, clearly something difficult, it would be wise to get a man to do it. This is not to say that other lot couldn't manage, but merely stating that if something difficult is required it requires the talents of those who understand how to make things difficult. This type of activity might appear simple but it really isn't. There are lockers to open. Cockpits to be leap from. Engine covers to drag. Engine covers to arrange. Ropes to be harnessed. Ropes to be knotted. Lockers to be closed. Dust to be excluded. Dust to be dealt with. All this and working in with another fellow with the same idea in his head with the paramount urgency. Clearly, even in a dust storm, if you want something done use men to get the job done.

Lethally Inflammable

In the desert you can find, if you try, heaped drums of high octane fuel with their lethally inflammable contents. Also, if you are unlucky, you may find yourself guarding the lot in your best summer shirt. The last thing you need is some bad guy sneaking up and buggering up the rest of your day. But why can't they simply blow up something in front of you? It's not good for your overall well-being to keep on getting surprised and having to keep on unexpectedly turning around.  Some people have no consideration for others.

Cover of the Week War Picture Library 412 Murder Charge

It's all happening in there I tell you! Murder I say! Murder! But this is war! Where is the murder? There I tell you! There!

What does this officer know? What does he really know? The intense gaze and accusationational gesture raise tension in an already tense situation. Also he is clearly a warrior, and an officer, as he has a desert hardened tan, a pistol and a wristwatch.The sense that something is happening "in there" is nicely and simply created by the viewing window of the action contained within the red wall or boundary. This is further emphasised by the shadow behind the officer that naturally doesn't fall through the window. Also in the window itself there's a scene of a gritty battle pitting raw flesh against hardend steel as the sun beats down from a cloudless sky over a sandy desert.

As covers go, War Picture Library 412 Murder Charge is an absolute winner 10/10!

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 412 Murder Charge

 Is being brave enough? Sergeant Bill Holt is clearly brave enough but what happens when being brave interferes with orders - even if they are the wrong orders?War Picture Library 412 Murder Charge is all about not giving up and keeping up the fight even though you are ordered to retreat and are under questionable command.
Sergeant Holt is the replacement NCO for a cynical platoon lead by an ungrateful officer. The worst thing about Lieutenant Jessup is that he's already given up - he's lost the fight in him and he's prone to panic and is open to the offer of surrender. Holt, however, is ready to keep on fighting and when forced too has no alternative but to kill Jessup in order to save a desperate situation.
Interestingly this happens by page 37, leaving 21 pages to tail-end the story. Holt knows that the army has a dim view on NCOs shooting their officers so he decides to go absent without leave but not before leading the remnant of his platoon to relative safety. The fly in the ointment of his little farewell plan is the dead lieutenant's pet corporal who is quick to report the (technically correct) murder to his superiors. The commanding officers want Holt brought back alive and the remainder of the story follows Holt's naturally dramatic retrieval.
Murder Charge is a very well constructed and thought out action filled War Picture Library comic. The writing is strong and even though there's plenty of action - none of it is gratuitous.
Only if more stories could be like this one.

 Says who?

Not looking good... particularly when there's an ACH! and an AAGH! involved. Also that guy in the front of the panel doesn't look too happy.

Stukas!

Happy to be alive or just sharing a good joke?

Derision with a capital h.

He doesn't look very cool, calm or efficient to me.

Broken English? Nothing wrong with his sentence structure.

...or we could stay here safe behind this rock.

 Nice composition.

They teach you how to stand like that in German officer's school.

It would be very messy inside that little tank now.

War Picture Library 444 Blood on the Sand

There's more than enough blood shed in War Picture Library 444 Blood on the Sand. It's bound to happen when you have a Long Range Desert Group tooling around the desert giving it to the bad guys. And the bad guys are really bad in this one - they have fat commanders, SS, torture and a bed reputation as the narrative backs up their nastiness up at every turn. When the LRDG are sneaking up on the enemy and blowing them up they're portrayed as courageous. When the Germans are doing the same thing they are grim, greedy and sinister. The Germans lack morality - they are prepared to use torture to get what they want.

I think there might be a historical anomaly with having SS in the desert - however I'm not a historian. The Long Range Desert Group on the other hand have plenty of pluck and big bushy beards tucked under their turbans as they race around the desert in their trucks.

Story wise there's plenty of crash, bash (but no tash!) and things that go boom in the night.

Earning trust is at the heart of the story. An experienced Long Range Desert Group have their beloved officer killed in an ambush. Before he succumbs to his mortal wounds he saves his faithful sergeant and then with his last gasp and provides the covering fire that allows his compatriots to escape. If this isn't a hard enough act to follow then his replacement is also the unluckiest man alive. Eventually he proves himself to his new men and wins their trust.
Even though there's plenty of blood on the sand in War Picture Library 444 but the romance (if that's the right word) of the LRDG is not captured. Maybe it's a case of one mission too many. Having a sense that the desert is a big place would have helped. The LRDG just zip from panel to panel - there's no sense of 'long range' in any of the story. Finally, a few beards on the front cover would have nudged everything in the right direction.

That UGH! looks odd with part of the U missing, however it looks like it belongs with the rest of his outfit.

Understand this. We're playing Risk this evening. Don't even think of winning because I'm going cheat.

Shouldn't that hand pointing at the map be smaller?

Look at the size of the turret on that thing!

Muttering...sniggering...grim...smug Nazis!

Why are you going to burn it then idiot?

Don't see graves too often in a Fleetway comic.

These bad guys are really really BAD.

Echoes of Von Ryan's Express.

That must be a hit below the belt!

War Picture Library 135 The Big Arena

Shirts off and Australians. Why do the two always go together? Without fail Australian war picture comic troops are always keen to throw off their kit and show off their chests. The other typical traits of Australians in these stories are their disregard for authority and their fearless fighting ability and spirit.

War Picture Library 135 The Big Arena follows a pair of battle hardened and battle weary Aussie blokes who decide they need a rest from fighting and decide to go absent without leave. Even the officers understand and allow them to skip off for a short break. However  the spit and polish by the book just out from Australia provost sergeant major doesn't understand how things really work in the shooting war and he is determined to bring the two battle weary malingerers into line even if has to cross enemy lines to do it.

Naturally, through a series of adventures, the sergeant comes to fully understand the two heroes and it is only a matter of time before he is brought under the spell of the bromance. Finally he learns how things work in a shooting army.

Australians in pocket war comics never fail to impress. They're always smiling, always shooting and willing to give it a go. They also tend to be larger than mortal men and this is certainly true in The Big Arena where two of the main characters are easily breaking 6'6'' if not bigger.

This is a big story of men from a big country in another big country during a big war.

You're about to eat my cold steal you accursed Australier! And don't laugh at my skinny legs.

When most Spandau teams go out of business they usually have a sale first.

Ginger Meggs grows up and goes to war.

This is a great plan. I can see how this is going to work.

This tank crew looks like the right age for tank crew - a bunch of young punks.

You know you're a part of the Commonwealth because everybody has got different hats.











You don't see a lot of blokes from India in these things - but it's good to see two of them relaxing.

This sergeant is big enough to play lock for the Wallabies.

Passes? Passes? We don't need no stinkin' passes.

Oh the desperation.

Good degree of concern, dread and anticipation in this panel.

Australians will always create an opportunity to take off their shirts.

You think? I thought it was a lost tribe of Mongolians on their final stretch home. Boy did I get that one wrong.

The desert is a big place.

When things go bad...

...they go really bad.

Under the Southern Cross I stand. A sprig of wattle in my hand. 'Stralya! You Bloody Beauty!