Battle Stations: War Picture Library

War Picture Library

by Donne Avenell, Hugo Pratt (Illustrator)

The first in a major series of new collections bringing the long lost UK war comics of Italian art maestro Hugo Pratt to the public in stunning new editions.

Two brothers of differing rank have to make extraordinary sacrifices in the line of the toughest duty.

This is a true story of courage under fire; a high-octane story of a blistering World War II naval battle. All illustrated by Hugo Pratt, one of the world’s most renowned comic book artists. This thrilling war picture story marks the beginning of the Treasury of British Comics mission to return all of Pratt’s UK work to print. Published in an oversized format befitting the importance of his incredible and highly influential artwork.

Genres: Comics, War, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Graphic Novels, Historical

64 pages, Hardcover

Published February 18, 2020

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

The introduction, by the head of Rebellion Publishing, is genuinely and understandably outraged at some of the gems British comics publishers have left languishing, unavailable, in their archives. On the one hand, you can see why this one might not have been thought ripe for a wider audience; it's a war comic, and aside from Garth Ennis' one-man industry in the genre, those exist to some extent in their own odd little niche, still seen more as a slightly shady consumable than art proper. Set against which, it does have visuals from the great Hugo Pratt. Now, Donne Avenell*'s story is actually pretty good too; it opens with a ship sunk by a U-boat in the Atlantic, the survivors wantonly massacred, and the three who make it out swearing vengeance – only to find their next berth incredibly frustrating, because even by the Second World War naval combat was a matter of long-range fighting, and despite playing their parts in the complex operation of sinking distant German battleships, none of them feel they're getting the satisfaction they craved. Which is a wonderfully observed vignette of appetite thwarted by the enormous systems of the industrial age, and one applicable beyond the battlefield in a way war comics' insights aren't always. After that, things feel a lot like a play for one tense but programmatic stretch, wrapping up with a moral that can't help feeling pat. But for me at least, the real appeal here is still always going to be the Pratt contribution, and not even his men or materiel, but his waves, clouds and seabirds. How did he manage to get down exactly what I picture Joseph Conrad's skies looking like at all, never mind do it in black and white?

*His other gigs included the official comic of Charles and Diana's wedding. Do your own gag about the inhumanity of war.

[Arto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donne Avenell on tutumpi mustanaamioista.
"Silloin kun Donne Avenell käsikirjoittaa, niin silloin luetaan" -vanha sarjakuvaviidakon sanonta. Myöhemmin kirjoittanut myös aku ankan sivuille. Molempien lehtien parissa hän oli tuottelias. Muuhun runsaaseen tuotantoon ei ole niin tullut tutustuttua.

Tarinoina nämä ovat sitä taattua korkeajännitystä sankareineen ja pahoine natseineen. Nämä merten korkkarit ovat olleet niitä toisiksi tylsimpiä ilmojen korkkarien jälkeen. Jos ei ole tasaisen tylsän valkoista taivasta, niin sitten on mustaksi värjättyjä yökohtauksia. Vesillä tapahtumat ovat hieman elävempiä kun on aaltoja ja lintuja. Ja lisää aaltoja ja lisää lintuja. Näissä ympäristöissä harvemmin on tullut vastaan hyviä tarinoita. Eivätkä nämäkään mitään huippuja ole. Luettavia ja sitten unohdettavia.

Hugo Pratt, tuo huonon piirtämisen mestari ja Corto Maltesen myötä joidenkin mielestä erittäin hyvä taiteilija. Itse en ole koskaan hänen mustanpuhuvista tuherruksista tykännyt. Niihin tarinoihin uppoutuminen ja kuvista nauttiminen vaatii enemmän työtä, kuin sarjakuvat yleensä. Ja hyvätkin tarinat kärsivät tästä. Sen myönnän, että Pratt kyllä osaa sommitella ja saa perspektiivitkin kohdilleen jolloin kuvissa on tunnelmaa ja ne itsessään vievät tarinaa eteen päin.

Pikkuisen tunnelma kärsii, kun koko on liian iso, eikä paperikaan ole vessapaperin luokkaa, monesti myös tahroineen ja hajuineen. Missä on aito divarien tunnelma ja kymmenissä vessoissa kulutetut sivut? Vaikkakin ilmojen ja merten korkkarien lukijat tuntuivatkin siistimmiltä, kuin aavikon ja viidakon korkkarien lukijat, niin siltikin tämä on turhan kliininen. Missä on vesivahingot? Kaatunut maitolasi, tai sitten kellertävät - oletettavasti - mehusta jääneen tahrat? Ei iske tämä korkkari kuin miljoona bakteeria.

Jossain on vikaa kun vessalukemisto päättyy kirjaston hyllyyn. Milloin saamme lukea seksikorkkareita, kyllä ne sinne Manaran sarjakuvien sekaan mahtuu. "Mein gott" "Himmel" "schweinhund" "Fotze"

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a classic Italian comic about World War II naval combat. More specifically, it follows three British sailors and their quest for revenge against the German navy.

This short volume has great line work that captures that classic comic book feel, and Hugo Pratt uses it to great effect in conveying this story of war and psychological trauma. The story itself is something seen less nowadays, survivors of war losing their marbles a bit in the pursuit of vengeance, only to have to confront their own humanity when the moment of reckoning arrives. Have they become more beast than man in their manic quest for retaliatory bloodlust?

As an aside, there was something about this story and its artwork that made me think of the pirate sub-story in Watchmen. The portrayal of mental dissolution seem comparable, though Moore takes his story in a completely different direction. Perhaps this was a more common trope in the past. I'll have to read more older comics and books to find out.

Anyway, the story is a lot of rah-rah militarism mixed with a pretty shallow treatment of the ethics and psychological aspects of revenge. The characters are more caricature than human, but their simplicity fits the simplistic storyline. Still, there were a few moments of tension that were well executed, and the artwork is pretty fantastic.

Works out to a 3/5 after I punch all this into my highly calibrated review bot.

[Timo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Finland we have a series of comics that are based to these British war comics. It is called Korkeajännitys. And just like in UK, it is still going strong here. I gave it up years ago because they were almost all overly explained crap. If they would've kept this kind of standard, I might still be following them.
Pratt is a as good as it gets in the department of art. But the biggest surprise to me was good the story is. Gold stuff.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!... better than anything Ennis has written haha. I'm looking forward to more from this publisher.