When Commando Gets Creepy: Ancient Nightmares.

 Hello and welcome to another post about British war comic Commando and the times it got all Weird War Tales.

 (Probably not that often but when you've racked up nearly 6000 issues,  eventually  you end up with enough material for a clutch of blog posts)

 So far we've covered ghosts, haunted artefacts, tanks with a mind of their own, lethal curses and that time a forest started eating people. (See previous posts for more details) 

 I was originally going to finish this series off with one last post but had a bit of a think and really, I would be better off splitting things up.  Makes it easier to write if nothing else. 

Commando 5589: Night of the Gorgons (2022)

1943 A fighter sweep over one of the Dodecanese Islands ends in a nightmare when the Spitfires return to base  and one of the pilots has, somehow, turned to stone. His friend decides to join a commando team investigating the island, expecting some sort of Nazi super weapon. What he finds is an awful lot of statues and a mysterious woman...

 You will be relieved to hear that yes, there is a mid-air fight between a winged Gorgon and a Spitfire. I think we can all agree that this is awesome. 

  The rest is also a good read that takes an out-there idea and runs with it. The way the commandos are gradually picked off is pure horror-film territory. The malevolent Melania Mandrapilias is a memorable villainess and makes a nice change from the usual Nazi brutes. 

Somebody on the editorial team must have liked her as well because, for what may be the first time ever, a Commando villain made a second appearance. 

Commando 5689: Dawn of the Gorgons (published 2023)

 

 A British carrier on the way to participate in the Suez operation runs into -  you guessed it, a deserted ship filled with really good statues. Soon commandos start dying horribly as a pissed off Gorgon gets revenge on the world.  

 What I like about both these stories is that they are set during military campaigns well outside the norm. The ill-fated Dodecanese operation for the first, the Suez crisis in the second. 

 (Hmm, I wonder if the writers deliberately picked operations that were massive failures. )

Also, commandos vs gorgons is a cool idea that somebody needs to make a film about.  Preferably not the Asylum because we all know how that's gonna go. 

I think I preferred the artwork for "Night.." but that's a minor quibble. "Dawn..." is a worthy sequel and I wouldn't mind seeing a third installment. 

Moving eastward and somewhere much, much colder and we get...

  

Commando 5729: Baba Yaga (Published 2024)

 After a Russian T-34 is destroyed by a King Tiger Ivan, the lone, injured survivor meets a beautiful woman. After some reluctance, she agrees to take him to the cabin in the forest where she lives with her sisters. In exchange for performing 3 tasks, they will heal him and then help him fight the Germans. 

  Initially alarmed by the cabin having a whole load of skulls on stakes outside, Ivan takes on the tasks, even if he can't quite understand the reasoning.  There's also something a little odd about the 3 sisters...

Another interesting issue. It's deliberately set up to follow the structure of old folk tales, especially Russian folklore. The 3 sisters, the 3 tasks, the way it all pays off at the end when our hero uses what he learned.  I also think Baba Yaga is aimed at an older readership, who are aware of the old myths about a forest dwelling witch and also why a King Tiger is a big deal.

So to sum up, 3 Commando issues that are worth checking out if you want your war stories with a healthy does of weird shit. 

I have maybe one more post to go so see you next time.

That's All Folks. 

When Commando Gets Creepy: Cursed.

 Hello and welcome back

 This is the third post in this series looking at long-running British comic Commando, and more specifically issues where things get supernatural.

 

 So far we've covered stories where characters deal with something that may or may not be paranormal but is (usually) helpful.

 This is about the other side.

 Literally.

The characters are Axis pilots and assholes to boot.  Since Commando is old-fashioned about such things and has never liked anti-heroes, this is not going to end well.  

   

Commando 1559: Squadron Of Doom (1981)

 I am 90% sure I read this one when I was a kid.

The Story:  Occupied France 1941ish.  Members of an elite Luftwaffe fighter unit decide to jazz up their BF109s with personal markings. A local artist does the work but then gets stiffed on his money. And humiliated. And his pet bird gets killed. 

 I suspect it's that last one that really pushed him into Vengeance is mine territory. One good cursing later and the Nazi wankers start meeting unfortunate and improbable deaths, each being directly related to the design they chose. The guy with a lightning bolt hits electric pylons, the guy with the hammer design gets a hammer dropped on his head. You get the picture. 

 The pilots quickly work out what's going on and start freaking out. Or rather, some do, others scoff.  It's a bit Final destination, really.

This is a theme Commando used several times, with slight variations, and it does work quite well.  The artwork (uncredited) is neat and if you look at the cover the expression on the pilot's face is marvellous. Commando cover artists  really need more appreciation. 

 

Commando 3427 : Strike Them Down (1986. Reprinted 2001)

 Another Axis squadron gets Voodoo-ed. Don't feel bad for them 

  The Story: Burma 1944-ish. With the Allies dominating the skies, an elite Zero unit is moved into a hidden airstrip to cause some mayhem. But first, some of them take a break to desecrate a local shrine. The priest warns them that the gods of Air, earth, fire and water will not be happy. 

  The Japanese promptly use the shrine statues for target practice and swagger off. 

You know what's coming next. 

The four pilots die horribly but with a definite karmic justice. Serves them right.  

If this was written today I wonder if they would make the pilots British instead. I guess that would depend on the writer. Maybe Garth Ennis needs to take a crack at something like this.  

 Can I remind you all that this is a children's comic.  Bloody hell, kids in the 1970s and 80s were bloodthirsty little sods. 

Anyway, that's it for now but I still have more Creepy Commando to post. Check back soon.

That's All Folks.  

 

When Commando Gets Creepy: Artifacts

 Back in December I made a post about an issue of Commando that managed to be the comic equivalent of a Christmas Horror movie. (Read it here: Krampusnacht).

 Well, I had a dig through my stack of Commandos and found enough issues with a supernatural element to make either one long-ass post or several posts that are a more reasonable length. I'll do the latter and try to work with a rough theme.

  I'm not going to do Sci-Fi stories for the time being, so nothing about aliens, time-travellers or Nazi Wunderwaffe.  I'm strictly covering the eerie, Weird War Tales sort of story.

  (Hey D C Thomson, if you're reading this then I have an idea for you: you already published a Commandos Vs Zombies collection so why not do a Commando Chills volume? )

 What we'll look at first is something Commando used several times over the years. 

Artifacts

 To clarify, what I mean here is: an object from the past with some supernatural properties. When it falls into the hands of an ordinary squaddie strange things happen.  

Commando 1320  The Magic Blade (1979)

  Possibly inspired by the Fairy Flag of Clan Mcleod, this is about a family heirloom passed from generation to generation and war to war. As we shall see, other artifacts are a bit more random. 

The story: 15th Century Scotland Warriors from Clan Broderick arrive a little too late to save the local witch from the raiders from a rival clan. She appreciates the effort and before dying promises that the Brodericks will receive a talisman that will give them victory - but can only be used three times. 

 Shortly afterward a meteorite strikes down the enemy chieftain in the middle of a battle. The Brodericks promptly turn the lucky star-rock into a dagger.   Over the centuries this comes in handy when things get truly, truly desperate before we finally arrive at WW2.

 The new chieftain leads his  clan into battle once again, this time as a special commando unit.  And during the Normandy campaign, the dagger is used for the third and final time as the men of Clan Broderick fight off a panzer attack. 

A fun story, maybe a little old-fashioned but that's part of the charm of Commando comics anyway.  I did like the time spent developing the history of the clan and their talisman. 

 

Commando 3807 - Tin Hat Terror (2005)

 A trope Commando used a lot over the years is the idea of a mild-mannered man becoming a hero. 

Sometimes he just finds the courage within himself when it's needed. Sometimes...well...he has a bit of help.  

 Like the last issue, this one starts way back in the past. Unlike the "Magic Blade" the artefact takes effect on the person wearing it. 

  The story:  9th Century England. A Viking warrior goes into a berserker state when his clan is betrayed and ambushed, laying waste to everything in his path until he finally takes a death-wound. 

 As he dies, his steel helmet is struck by lightning.  

 Centuries later the Viking's cairn is opened up by archaeologists  who are surprised to find the berserker's helmet in pristine condition. 

  (Personally that would be a giant red flag to me and I'd rebury the bloody thing immediately. Under concrete and holy water, for preference.)     

 Thanks to an unfortunate combination of events, during WW2 the helmet is  melted down to make a "tin hat".  This is issued to timid Pay Corps clerk  Perry Gosling - who promptly stops being timid and starts being a rage monster every time he puts it on. 

  

   This does come in handy when the Germans launch their invasion of France and poor Percy gets caught behind enemy lines. Not so much fun for the German troops suddenly faced with a kill-crazy nutter.

  Another fun story and to be honest the artists' depiction of Psycho-Percy's KillFace makes it even better.  

  Yes, the fight on the cover does happen. 

Commando 4210 - Dead Man's Boots (2009)

Another one where the object(s) in question come with the previous wearer along for the ride.  Plus we're in familiar Commando territory - the terrible soldier makes good.  

The Story: D-Day 1944.    Aboard one of the troopships one particular soldier has the shiniest boots you could imagine. Why? He starts telling his tale and it goes back to the Fall of France. 

  Trev Walker needed a new pair of boots and quickly, as the Germans were on their way and he couldn't get far in his socks/ Luckily he found a shiny, shiny new pair in an abandoned museum. 

 It gets a bit weird when the previous owner pops up in the shiny leather to say "Go on, borrow these but take good care of them."  

 It gets weirder when the boots make Trev significantly better at marching and running.  Also, there's a Nazi senior officer with an unhealthy interest in Trev's new boots.

  Seems there's a history there and it goes back to WW1.  

I would say this is a bit more light-hearted than usual but it is still a war comic with all that entails.  Worth a read. 

To sum up: Three variations on a basic theme that still manage to work within the Commando famework.  It helps that the usual under-rated Commando artwork is on display. And I think I can safely say that all three are very British in tone. If you are into this sort of thing, keep an eye out for a copy.  

I have more Commando Chilling Combat tales to show you. Pop back in a bit and bring a torch. 

That's All Folks. 

When Commando Gets Creepy: Krampusnacht

 Hello and welcome back. 

This is an early start on something I've been meaning to do for a while.

Commando has been published since  1961 and as the name suggests, it's a war comic.

There are certain themes it tends to rely on: mild-mannered milksops discovering their inner badass,

 enemies forced to work together,  destroying secret bases  and a big dose of old-school heroism. 

Then there are the times thing get weird. 

This particular issue is currently in the shops and not surprisingly it is Christmas themed.

 Although given that it's a Commando comic it's a wartime Christmas comic. 

It is also legitimate nightmare fuel. 

Seriously.

I'm a grown man and this one disturbed me. 

Christ knows what it would to an unsuspecting kid.

Then again, anyone who sees this cover and buys it anyway deserves anything they get.

For those of you who don't know, Krampus is the German Anti-Santa.

Instead of delivering presents, he snatches up naughty children.

You already know where is going, don't you? 

To sum up the story,  a detachment of Waffen SS arrive in a small,

isolated German village deep in the forest and proceed to act like

utter wankers.  The locals warn them to stop being utter wankers or 

else Krampus will get them. The SS ignore them so one

 of the village elders delivers one of Commando's trademarks: 

The flashback to set up the backstory. 

To sum up: "Back when I were a little girl, a bunch of

utter wankers showed up and Krampus got them."

As an aside, this where we find out what happens to the 

children Krampus snatches.  Basically they become his

eternally damned servants to help him hunt the naughty. 

I don't know if is this is accurate to German tradition 

but since the whole idea of Krampus disturbs me, 

this is just an extra level of "What the actual fuck?"

Anyway, this goes down as well as expected.

The SS Commander laughs it off right up until 

his men start screaming...

So yeah, that was a bit dark. 

I particularly liked the image of  Krampus's sack.

A black void with clutching hands reaching out to seize

a horrified soldier and drag him into eternal imprisonment.

Oh, that one's going to pop up in a super-fun dream, 

I just know it. 
 

Here's some screenshots.

  Don't worry, his comeuppance is on the way with big, pointy teeth. 

 Here's a useful tip.

When a local tells you all about the scary legend...

TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

Seriously Germany,  what is wrong with you? 

Merry Xmas Everybody

Judge Anderson Pinup

 Since I had my scanner out I thought I'd catch up with some stuff I've been meaning to digitise for a while. While i was doing that I happened to look up and saw the poster jsut above my computer desk. "You know what" I mused "I've been threatening to scan this for a while."

It took a bit of doing because the pster was just slightly larger than the scanner knew what to do with and I had a bitch of a job getting the various bits aligned; even then there's some definite glitches if you look closely enough.

 

Never mind. Here's the infamous  Judge Anderson topless pinup from one of the Summer Specials. 

 No, I don't know where her nipples went. 

  That's All Folks

 

A Fistful of Old Comics: October 2020

  On payday I decided to do something I haven't done in a long, long while; take  a stroll down Albert Road in Southsea and see if I could pick up something nice.  Personally I'd have preferred a day when it wasn't pissing it down with rain but that's Britain's weather for you.

  As it turns out, on the way to Albert Road the bus took me  through Highland Road and that's where I spotted this: 

 While I'm really not buying vinyl these days the chance to pick up a CD or two is always wonderful and that word "Collectables" on the sign definitely piques my interest. And that's why I hopped off at the next stop and trudged back through the rain.

  The owner was a nice chap and more than welcoming- definite plus point as some of these speciality shops aren't always keen on strangers - so I do hope I didn't drip too much on his floor. 

  I'm rambling so let's fast-forward to the relevant bit.  Downsairs was where I hit The Mother Lode. Two great boxfuls of old British Commando comics and a few US titles too. I was even more impressed when I found out that the Commando's were nice and cheap. 

   I pulled out a fistful at random that looked sort of interesting and went on my way with a warm glow that the pouring rain couldn't extinguish.  Here's what I came away with.  

 

 Secrets of Haunted House #27

 The only US title I picked up.  Not sure why it isn't "Secrets Of The Haunted House" mind you.

 

Battle Picture Library 1338 : Hoodoo

 

 

The next two I don't have the issue numbers for.

Curse that price sticker that I'm too chicken to try and remove.   

Starblazer - The Omega Experiment

 

Starblazer - Terror Satellite

The last few are all issues of Commando.

If you're thinking "BigD is just wanting to buy stuff that he couldn't get when he was a kid" then you would be DAMN RIGHT!

#984 Wings of Fear

 

 

 #1283: The Sword Shall Decide

#1299: The Black Zero

 

#1320: The Magic Blade

 

 

#1335: Death Of A Wimpy

 

 

#1354 Legend Of The Longbow

 

 

#1453: Man of Honour

I reckon there's a couple of hours reading in this lot and I might even try and do a proper writeup on some of them. 

 

If you want to go checkout RPM Records then here's the link:

https://myrpmshop.co.uk/

 

That's All Folks. 

 

 
 

Been reading: The Stringbags (2020) by Garth Ennis& PJ Holden

 "Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and Fascist Italy began World War II with aircraft that could devastate enemy warships and merchantmen at will. Britain's Royal Navy squadrons went to war equipped with the Fairey Swordfish.  A biplane torpedo bomber in an age of monoplanes, the Swordfish was underpowered and undergunned - an obsolete museum piece, an embarrassment. Its crews fully expected to be shot from the skies. Instead they flew the ancient  "Stringbag" into legend. "

  "The Stringbags" is the story of a likeable but not particularly lucky Sworfish crew who find themselves involved in some of the operations that made the Swordfish an everlsting aprt of Naval Aviation history.

  I am, as I've stated before, a big fan of WW2 stories from Garth Ennis and a lot of his trademarks are here: dry humour, bewildered junior officers, war-hardened superiors, understated heroism, bloody action and the occasional punch right to the feels.

    Heroes Archie, Pops and Ollie are easy to identify with; they aren't crack "aces" and they know it but still trying to do their bit, all the while  hoping it won't get them killed.   If you liked the old "Commando" books but want characters that are a bit more "real" I think this particular crew are for you.

 The artwork is more than decent, being equally good at quiet dialogue and battle scenes.

  The book itself is not cheap: I paid £17.99 but for that I gt a handsomely bound hardback on nice paper and a story that stuck with me afterwards. Well worth it.

That's All Folks

A Fierce Lady From Mexican Comics

So fierce in fact that she wears a Wolf's head as a hat. 

Although it has to be noted that she didn't have much use for  the rest of the pelt. 

I found this pic when I was poking about in some odd corner of the Net and I was originally going

 to include it in my last post until a bit more research turned up an awkward fact. 

She's a character in a Mexican Comic. 

So I guess I'm highly unlikely to ever get to read this particular title.

 Which is a shame as that cover above has definitely got my attention. 

(I'm a sucker for a chamois leather bikini, me.)

I'm also quite impressed by the fact that Wolf Face Girl isn't too fazed by the scary man trying to shiv her.

If anything she seems to be amused and that just makes me like Wolf Face Girl even more. 

That's All Folks. 

Warrior Women Of European Comics Chapter II

Welcome back for another small selection of Bandes Dessinee/Fumetti/Comic covers from Europe starring fierce young women who seem to have misplaced half their clothing.

Clearly there's a big market for these otherwise there wouldn't be so many titles around but it does lead to one obvious question: How come this sort of thing never crossed the Channel to the UK?

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert on this subject and I think I'm doing well just getting the titles right.

Yesterday we started with a scantily clad swashbuckler. I think today should have more of the same.

 La Corsara Nera (Italy 1976-1980)

 She took out four musketeers on her lonesome but can't quite find a skirt that fits properly. 

I should mention that on this cover the lovely Corsair is actually wearing clothes. 

Not normally the case...

More covers here (NSFW)  https://www.fumetto-online.it/Corsara Nera

Proving that the Europeans continue to love feisty females here's a more recent entry.

Les Guerrières De Troy (France 2013)

 Sourced from: https://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Guerrieres-de-Troy

 Definitely less cheesecake on these and more "Wanna start something? Bring it!" 

Anybody else think there's a wee bit of ElfQuest in the character designs? 

Helga (Italy 1969)

 Having a boob-window in your armour is bad enough. having a bloody great gap in your breastplate just above your tit can be neither clever nor comfortable. 

I honestly don't know if Helga is an actual character or the name of the comic because going by the covers I've seen, she changes her hair, skin colour and time period on a weekly basis. 

The two things that remain constant are that she doesn't wear much clothing and somebody is about to die violently.

More covers here: (NSFW) https://comicvine.gamespot.com/helga

Odissea (Italy ?)

 Just for a change we have a statuesque Amazon instead of a Penthouse Pet and holy crap does she look murderous. 

I may continue this theme later.

That's all folks. 

The Warrior Women Of European Comics

  What better way to get back into blogging than by sharing some pictures of women waving swords about?

  These are all from various European Comics sites I've found on the net. Sadly, I've never read any of them and most likely never will, so one can only wonder if the character lives up to the cover.

 

Moschettiera (Italy 1982-1983)

If there was such a thing as a "Sexy Musketeer" costume for Halloween it would still be less revealing than this.

Note that while she's kicking the downed duellist in the face she's also saying some very rude things about his..ahem...other sword. 

I found a wee bit more information and a cover gallery here: http://www.guidafumettoitaliano.com/guida/testate/testata/4753  (NSFW)

Even with my limited knowledge of French/Spanish/Italian comics I can't help noticing that there seems to be dozens of these scantily clad anti-heroines rampaging through European history with a combination of sex and violence that would make the UK tabloids foam at the mouth. 

There really isn't a UK equivalent at all. 

Lucifera  (Italy 1972-1980. Also published in France.)

Between the name and the blazing type-font I'm guessing that Lucifera is most definitely an Anti-heroine in the darkest sense. 

I wonder if she nicked Vampirella's costume or it was the other way about?

I'm also quite impressed by the way her armourer managed to make Chain-Mail skintight. 

More covers on the French edition here: https://www.bedetheque.com/serie-25059-BD-Lucifera-la-maitresse-du-demon__10.html  NSFW

Gengis Khana (Italy 1979)

So Gengis Khan had a sister/daughter/???  who apparently looked like a supermodel and invented Bikini bottoms 7 centuries early. 

Amazing how such little things slip through the cracks of history, innit?

She's looking a bit more warlike here although she's just discovered that getting your armour designed by Ann Summers is a bad idea. 

More covers here:

https://www.fumetto-online.it/it/ricerca_editore.php?EDITORE=GALAX%20EDITRICE&COLLANA=GENGIS%20KHANA&vall=1

Needless to say this link is NSFW. 

Going purely by the covers it looks like the writers eventually gave up on the 13th century Mongol bollocks 

and turned Khana into a full-on porno title.  (assuming she wasn't a porno from day one...)

If any of you have read  these, let me know what you thought and whether they're worth searching on Ebay. 

See you tomorrow for more of the same.

That's all folks. 

Comics: Lady Spitfire (France 2012)

  I've been on a bit of a Euro Comics splurge lately and found a whole universe of stuff that I just didn't know was there.  It seems a bit weird that it's easier to find and read Japanese comics from the other side of the world than the stuff produced just over the Channel.

  In my wanderings through this new territory there's two things guaranteed to make me want to check out a title.

1. A beautiful woman brandishing a sword or gun.

2. WW2 fighters.

  And since I'm a sucker for anything that may have Spitfires in it, when I saw this series I was immediately sold. 

There are four volumes thus far. 

 Lady Spitfire 1- Daughter Of The Air

Aircraft-mad tomboy Lara Chevalier and her father escape the fall of France in "borrowed" fighters.

Tragically Chevalier senior doesn't make it to England and his grief-stricken daughter refuses to let her piloting skills be wasted ferrying fighters.

Then a timely bit of subterfuge lets Lara join the ranks of  Spitfire squadron 1B 

Now all she has to do is keep her secret and avoid being hacked out of the sky by a Messerschmitt. 

Lady Spitifre 2 - Der Henker

 A German Ace in a red-nosed BF109 has been ruthlessly picking off RAF squadron leaders. 

Lara and tortured ace "The Spirit" must put aside their differences to deal with Der Henker

(The Executioner) because the future of 1B squadron is at stake. 

 Lady Spitfire 3 - One For All And All For Her

A new pilot with an attitude problem may bring Lara's tenure with 1B to an end and cause the whole squadron a world of hurt in the process.    

But before Lara Chevalier goes back to the civilian ranks, she has a plan for one last,daring mission. 

Lady Spitfire 4- Desert Air Force

Newly arrived in the Western Desert just as things are looking critical, Lara is sent on a bombing mission

that ends in disaster. The injured and stranded Mademoiselle Chevalier has to face the Germans, the desert and her own personal demons. 

 

Little Lara never wanted to be
a nurse when she grew up.

 There were women fighter pilots in WW2 but as far as I know only in the Russian airforce.  The British had a corps of women pilots who did good and valuable work delivering aircraft but it took a lot of arguing before the Air Transport Auxiliary ladies were allowed to pilot anything more warlike than a Tiger Moth.

  Bearing this in mind I was initially curious as to how the creative team would get Lara into the cockpit of a Spitfire.
 Thankfully any worries I might have about a lipstick wearing, glamourgirl Mary-Sue were entirely unjustified.

   Lara Chevalier's transformation into an RAF officer is a bit of a stretch but still within the grand tradition of Mulan, Hannah Snell and Polly Oliver 

 It also helps that the artist puts some effort into making our heroine look like a hero.  (See below.)

"Charlie" reporting for duty.

Alright, so Lara is treated like somebody special by the rest of the squadron but hey, she is the star of the comic after all and by and large remains likeable even with her faults.
  There's a nice relationship with scarred ace "The Spirit" who is interesting enough that he could have carried a series on his own. In true comic tradition, the two butt heads several times before getting used to each other and turning into an effective team.

  Not everybody warms to the idea of a female fighter pilot, especially a female pilot who take zero shit from anybody
. In volume 3 one new arrival goes out of his way to be a complete dick and things rapidly get ugly.
 ( Mind you Johnny Red had one of his own side try to kill him every three months or so. Just saying. )

 The storylines are relatively simple and maybe a little old-fashioned in the vein of the old-school WW2 fighter stories. Personally I was happy with that.  while I don't want to see war glorified  I also don't need to see the genre deconstructed, given a dark makeover and all the characters turned into unlikable arseholes.

 I think what I'm trying to say is that Lady Spitfire might not be the most realistic war comic you' ever see but it never gets too silly.  There's also plenty of action to keep things moving along past the plotholes.

This seems like a good point to bring up something that I really did like.  The artwork.

Maza's work is decent enough on the ground but when the comic gets into the air  things go up by several notches. The guy draws a fantastic Spitfire and his dogfights are well worth seeing.  See below for some examples.

Lara meets a wanker.

The Spirit. Scarred outside and inside too.  

  Fun fact: The Hurricane had an unprotected fuel tank right in front of the pilot. The result was a lot of badly burned pilots.  

  As I said above, when it comes to the dogfights Maza brings his A Game. 

 

Der Henker on the hunt.

Lara duels an Emil

   To sum up; If you enjoyed Garth Ennis's aviation work in War Stories, Battlefields and Battler Britton 
and can cope with the central premise then you might enjoy Lady Spitfire.

  Personally I plan to keep an eye out for a possible Volume 5.  Having Lara Chevalier on the Eastern front seems like the logical progression after all.

I'll leave you with one final bit of dogfighting action.  

 

That's all folks.