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World of Tanks #1
World of Tanks: Roll Out
Superstar scribe Garth Ennis (Preacher, Battlefields) joins forces with the legendary Carlos Ezquerra (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog) to create a tense war story inspired by the globally popular (over 110 million players!) online game World of Tanks.
As an untested British tank crew advances into France shortly after the D-Day invasion, they discover their Cromwell tank, "Snakebite," isn't quite what they were expecting. And with a veteran German Panzer unit on the hunt, the Brits will need all the luck they can get in order to survive.
As an untested British tank crew advances into France shortly after the D-Day invasion, they discover their Cromwell tank, "Snakebite," isn't quite what they were expecting. And with a veteran German Panzer unit on the hunt, the Brits will need all the luck they can get in order to survive.
120 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2017
5 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,644 books3,211 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 15, 2018
It’s one month after D-Day and the Allied liberation of Europe is in full-swing. British Cromwell tanks and American Shermans are on their way to Berlin – standing in their way are a dwindling, but powerful, number of German Panzers. World of Tanks: Roll Out follows the crews of a British Cromwell and a German Panzer as they head towards their fateful encounter – who’ll live, who’ll die?
It’s a Garth Ennis war comic which means it’s sheer class! Seriously, Ennis’ war comics are easily his best work and he’s in his element in World of Tanks. Supposedly it’s based on a popular online game (which I’ve never heard of, let alone played!) though you don’t need to know anything about that to appreciate this book; Ennis writes a quality WW2 tank story that wouldn’t be out of place in either War Stories or Battlefields.
If, like me, your knowledge of WW2 tanks is nonexistent, you’ll learn enough here to enjoy the story. Specifically, that the German Panzers had the most deadly cannons and toughest armour but were overweight and cumbersome and kept breaking down as a result. Their size also meant fewer numbers as production took longer. In contrast, British Cromwells had shittier cannons that couldn’t even penetrate the Panzers’ armour, had even shittier armour themselves, but were smaller and lighter so had speed and more could be made and transported to the front – the numbers of Allied tanks increased significantly with the influx of American Shermans joining the fight.
The story follows the British crew of an unusually zippy Cromwell as they hunt down the retreating Germans. I really liked that Ennis wrote both sides humanely so that we didn’t get a stereotypically evil Nazi officer representing the Germans (though there are a few of those here) but an honourable man fed up with Hitler’s madness and only concerned with getting his men back to their families. I won’t say I was rooting for the Germans but Karl was unexpectedly likeable.
You get a strong idea of both sides’ day-to-day problems. For the Brits, the overall weakness of their equipment and the fact that many were youthful civilians playing soldiers going up against superior German military experience; for the Germans, it was decreasing resources – fewer tanks, fewer soldiers, who were being replaced by poorly trained Hitler Youth – but mostly the RAF’s air dominance which meant they were constantly being bombed.
The characters are affable and distinct and their dialogue is convincingly real. And the fact that you get to know and surprisingly care about both sides makes the final confrontation between the two in a bombed-out French village all the more tense and gripping. I especially liked how the Brits learn about what the Germans were doing to Canadian soldiers and that changed the way their final battle played out. It’s just a very skilfully-constructed narrative – it’s good to see that when he wants to, Ennis can still write at the highest level.
Joining Ennis are frequent collaborators Carlos Ezquerra and PJ Holden. I always enjoy seeing the legendary Ezquerra’s art and I’m pleased it’s as good as it’s ever been – dude’s still got it! PJ Holden’s art is good too though I feel like he’s done better work elsewhere, like in Battlefields.
I had a blast (yukyuk!) with World of Tanks: Roll Out and any fan of Garth Ennis’ war comics will too.
It’s a Garth Ennis war comic which means it’s sheer class! Seriously, Ennis’ war comics are easily his best work and he’s in his element in World of Tanks. Supposedly it’s based on a popular online game (which I’ve never heard of, let alone played!) though you don’t need to know anything about that to appreciate this book; Ennis writes a quality WW2 tank story that wouldn’t be out of place in either War Stories or Battlefields.
If, like me, your knowledge of WW2 tanks is nonexistent, you’ll learn enough here to enjoy the story. Specifically, that the German Panzers had the most deadly cannons and toughest armour but were overweight and cumbersome and kept breaking down as a result. Their size also meant fewer numbers as production took longer. In contrast, British Cromwells had shittier cannons that couldn’t even penetrate the Panzers’ armour, had even shittier armour themselves, but were smaller and lighter so had speed and more could be made and transported to the front – the numbers of Allied tanks increased significantly with the influx of American Shermans joining the fight.
The story follows the British crew of an unusually zippy Cromwell as they hunt down the retreating Germans. I really liked that Ennis wrote both sides humanely so that we didn’t get a stereotypically evil Nazi officer representing the Germans (though there are a few of those here) but an honourable man fed up with Hitler’s madness and only concerned with getting his men back to their families. I won’t say I was rooting for the Germans but Karl was unexpectedly likeable.
You get a strong idea of both sides’ day-to-day problems. For the Brits, the overall weakness of their equipment and the fact that many were youthful civilians playing soldiers going up against superior German military experience; for the Germans, it was decreasing resources – fewer tanks, fewer soldiers, who were being replaced by poorly trained Hitler Youth – but mostly the RAF’s air dominance which meant they were constantly being bombed.
The characters are affable and distinct and their dialogue is convincingly real. And the fact that you get to know and surprisingly care about both sides makes the final confrontation between the two in a bombed-out French village all the more tense and gripping. I especially liked how the Brits learn about what the Germans were doing to Canadian soldiers and that changed the way their final battle played out. It’s just a very skilfully-constructed narrative – it’s good to see that when he wants to, Ennis can still write at the highest level.
Joining Ennis are frequent collaborators Carlos Ezquerra and PJ Holden. I always enjoy seeing the legendary Ezquerra’s art and I’m pleased it’s as good as it’s ever been – dude’s still got it! PJ Holden’s art is good too though I feel like he’s done better work elsewhere, like in Battlefields.
I had a blast (yukyuk!) with World of Tanks: Roll Out and any fan of Garth Ennis’ war comics will too.
November 9, 2017
Garth Ennis has reenlisted in the war. He tells the tale of 2 tank crews on opposite sides of the conflict in 1944 France. He adds a nice twist with the British crew, which is good because their tanks were clearly inferior. The art and coloring are good but during the battle scenes there isn't enough difference between the 2 sides and it's hard to tell who's who. The story doesn't have anything to do with the video game from what I could see other than it's about tanks.
February 13, 2018
Oh! I just noticed, I apparently have never reviewed the first Ennis story I’ve read. Yep, being a fan of World of Tanks is what got me to start reading one of my favorite authors! Alright...
What’s it about?
A group of Brits and a group of Germans have to start fighting with tanks during WW2 but there’s something different about the British tank.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very well done. Just like Ennis’ Battlefields stories I like how it shows both sides of the story.
The art is freaking awesome!
The characters are pretty interesting.
There’s lots of bad-a** tank action throughout of course and I love it!
This book is so suspenseful! I was surprised when I read this cause I’m just expecting a fun little video game tie-in where one tank makes the other tank blow up but I got a really suspenseful story but that is a pleasant surprise.
The ending is a great way to end a miniseries.
Overall:
Great story that (slightly) ties in with a fantastic game and got me to start reading one of my favorite authors! If you’re a fan of Ennis and/or tanks (really, who isn’t a fan of at least one of the two) then you should definitely read this!
5/5
What’s it about?
A group of Brits and a group of Germans have to start fighting with tanks during WW2 but there’s something different about the British tank.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very well done. Just like Ennis’ Battlefields stories I like how it shows both sides of the story.
The art is freaking awesome!
The characters are pretty interesting.
There’s lots of bad-a** tank action throughout of course and I love it!
This book is so suspenseful! I was surprised when I read this cause I’m just expecting a fun little video game tie-in where one tank makes the other tank blow up but I got a really suspenseful story but that is a pleasant surprise.
The ending is a great way to end a miniseries.
Overall:
Great story that (slightly) ties in with a fantastic game and got me to start reading one of my favorite authors! If you’re a fan of Ennis and/or tanks (really, who isn’t a fan of at least one of the two) then you should definitely read this!
5/5
August 30, 2018
Few writers I've read manage to bring WW2 to life like Ennis can. Here he goes as far as to give the same amount of humanity to the Nazi characters as well. They are soldiers too, with fears and flaws, just like every other soldier in the war, not just mindless puppets that need to be mowed down by the righteous Allies.
War is as much fought inside a soldier's mind as it is on the field of battle. The generals try to prevent moral drops caused by rumors, but they still spread like wildfire among the troops. The British tanks are no match for the German ones due to their inferior design. Their only advantage is their sheer number, but good tank crews are hard to find and it's easier to replace the tank than the ones who man it. The Germans have good tanks, but never enough to win in the long run. Man-wise, they are fighting a losing battle. By 1944 the Hitlejugend are thrown into the fight, but it's already too late.
Second Lieutenant Simon Linnet is the commander of a tank crew of British newbies landed in Normandy. They named their tank Snakebite. Budd panics on their first encounter with 5 isolated Nazi tanks commanded by Hauptmann Karl Kraft that leaves 14 British tanks destroyed to the Nazi's 2. Linnet scolds Budd when the latter blames the tank, but they survive the massacre and take out a flak cannon nest.
War is as much fought inside a soldier's mind as it is on the field of battle. The generals try to prevent moral drops caused by rumors, but they still spread like wildfire among the troops. The British tanks are no match for the German ones due to their inferior design. Their only advantage is their sheer number, but good tank crews are hard to find and it's easier to replace the tank than the ones who man it. The Germans have good tanks, but never enough to win in the long run. Man-wise, they are fighting a losing battle. By 1944 the Hitlejugend are thrown into the fight, but it's already too late.
Second Lieutenant Simon Linnet is the commander of a tank crew of British newbies landed in Normandy. They named their tank Snakebite. Budd panics on their first encounter with 5 isolated Nazi tanks commanded by Hauptmann Karl Kraft that leaves 14 British tanks destroyed to the Nazi's 2. Linnet scolds Budd when the latter blames the tank, but they survive the massacre and take out a flak cannon nest.
July 2, 2022
Three and a half stars
A good II World War comic, tanks in Normandy.
A good II World War comic, tanks in Normandy.
March 5, 2018
I was a bit worried that this was a tie-in to some video game, but Garth Ennis delivers yet another solid story of World War II.
June 4, 2018
Garth Ennis is probably needed a new pool, or I can not explain how he gets to write this comics book in such a "quality". Well, I was playing WoT for few years, but I eventually get annoyed by how the Wargaming manage it (and I hate pay-to-win games). And I do not see anything specifically WoT related here. It is just some another WW2 story about two tank crews, one British and other from Germany wermacht. They have their struggle both with the enemy and their own army. The message of this comics is probably something like "different sides, same people". Packed in rather a common story which is actually not even good and engaging. I believe fans of WW2, and tank warfare especially can enjoy that. I almost did, so I placed an extra star for being "fan" of this topic, WW2, tanks and so on.
But for the others - the art is nothing special (and sometimes, especially in battles, it is rather confusing) and I actually do not like it. The story is dull (with some fine bits, but they won't help to make it good) and there are better WW2 or Ennis' comics.
But for the others - the art is nothing special (and sometimes, especially in battles, it is rather confusing) and I actually do not like it. The story is dull (with some fine bits, but they won't help to make it good) and there are better WW2 or Ennis' comics.
May 5, 2017
Nice little story focusing on the crew of a British Cromwell tank in Normandy, with a parallel secondary storyline about the Captain of a platoon of German Panthers. The story is solid and believable, but the art wasn't quite up to the job of carrying it fully. It sometimes tries to tell an action scene in a single panel when it needs a page or two. The result comes off a bit cartoony. Maybe it was meant as an homage to the war comics of old, but it just served to pull me out of the story.
Despite the flaws, it was still an enjoyable read.
Despite the flaws, it was still an enjoyable read.
Read
October 1, 2020I’d never heard of the online game World of Tanks, much less played it, but I’m a big fan of Garth Ennis’ war comics. And as I suspected, you don’t need to know anything about the game to read this. It’s about tanks, of course, specifically a young British tank crew and veteran German Panzer unit crossing paths after D-Day. I like how Ennis contrasts their experiences here. He even creates some empathy for one of the Germans, which is always tough to pull off. I do wish he fleshed out the characters a bit more; his war comics are at their best when really digging into the humanity of soldiers. It’s still a solid read though, with decent art from Carlos Ezquerra and PJ Holden.
For other Ennis comics about WWII tanks, check out "The Tankies" from Battlefields or my personal favorite, "Johann’s Tiger" from War Stories.
For other Ennis comics about WWII tanks, check out "The Tankies" from Battlefields or my personal favorite, "Johann’s Tiger" from War Stories.
October 31, 2018
Garth Ennis can write warfare.
November 2, 2018
A tad disappointing.
May 31, 2019
Love all of the war books by Ennis. This was another great one!
December 31, 2019
Nostalgia value really, it's just like those old Commando comics, only in colour.
March 11, 2017
It would've been again piece of war comic brilliance by Ennis if it would've been illustrated all the way through by Esquerra. He is the master. Sadly, for some reason, only two issues were by the maestro.
Oh well, still. Solid reading, gripping.
No. I'm not going to give the game this is based to a chance.
Oh well, still. Solid reading, gripping.
No. I'm not going to give the game this is based to a chance.
February 2, 2017
I'll take any excuse for Garth Ennis to write more war comics, even if it is a tie-in to a video game I've no interest in. As usual, it's great; sadly Ezquerra only does 2 of the 5 chapters but PJ Holden holds his end up very well. By now Ennis might seem old hat at showing the horrors of war, leavened with black humor, focusing on the camaraderie of the soldiers and the small details of their daily lives and what it means to be at war, but never take him for granted. His dialogue is economical, but disparate characterization emerges. Also, he gets to do here something he occasionally does, which is show the side of the enemy: the Germans. That they are loyal, skilled, have their own code. Even if they were following unconscionable orders, they felt an obligation to their country and the fellow soldiers around them. But the real star in these comics is always the clever ways Ennis orchestrates the battles, whether ships, planes, or in this case, tanks. It's genuinely exciting, thrilling, and clever. I have no clue why Hollywood haven't started adapting all his war stuff because most of the hard work's already done.
May 12, 2024
Tengo este primer tomo de los dos que se llegaron a publicar, si no me equivoco.
Read
February 15, 2017Yes, it's another Ennis war comic, but that's always welcome, especially when it sees him paired with quality artists again (two issues of Ezquerra, and three of PJ Holden, who may not be in the same league but is still a definite advance on Tomas Aira).
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews