Death or Glory
12 of the best Battle Picture Library comic books ever
Edited by Steve Holland
£14.99
Battle Picture Library, not to be confused with Battle Picture Weekly, was a series of war comic books with self contained stories rather that series strips. The were like the Commando comic book series and represent some of the best British comic book work of the era.
I used to buy these books from time to time but my weekly comics were cheaper and as a kid I prefered the recurring characters rather than the stand alone stories of these books. So it's great that Prion Books are releasing these as graphic novel collections and I've bought several of these volumes. They're not cheap but with twelve full books in each collection and great binding they are very good value.
Editor Steve Holland has done a great job in selecting the stories and most of the theatres of war are covered in this set. My favourite story
was The Rats of Tobruk (mainly because I had family who served there) but there was not a bad tale amongst them. And the artwork started the years peeling away and I was suddenly a ten year old boy again - flared trousers, tank tops, bottle of Cresta pop, a curly wurly and an hairstyle that made a statement - unfortunately that statement seemed to be that my hairdresser was blind!I'm not sure how many stories Steve Holland went through to select the final choices. Maybe he can tell us in the comments section as I know he sometimes browses this blog.
Excellent stuff.
Pictured - the blogger and his two brothers at the age he might have been originally reading these stories.
13 comments:
We are mining the archives to see if we can find the original 'Rats Of Tobruk' - if we still have it I will put up a copy of the cover.
Many Battle, War, Air Ace and Commando comics went to my sons.
At 23 and 19 they still collect Commando comics. A tradition the elsest plans to do for his sons.
At least Commando comics is something that Smiths do sell.
This sounds like something I'd like. War stories was one of the few types of comics I ever really read much of.
Damn book title made me dig out my copy of London Calling.
Bruce - I believe in this and it's been tested by research, that London's Calling should never be tucked away.
How many issues did I go through to make a selection? A lot. I can't give you numbers but the selection process wasn't just down to good art and good story; there needed to be variety, too, so I had to reject loads of tales on the grounds that I'd already selected one with a similar background.
There is a second volume of Battle Picture Library yarns out now under the title Let 'Em Have It. Details at http://bearalley.blogspot.com
Steve - I've got Let them Have it and also unleash hell - I will review them in town. Struggling to find High Noon, though. Oh and I'd say you made a bloody good choice in the story selections.
REVIEW THEM IN TOWN????
Time, that should be.
Had me going there, Gary. Had a sudden vision of you standing on an up turned orange crate outside a book shop expounding the virtues of these books.
I really must pick up one/some of these. I've often spent time hunting for a collection of AIR ACE as that was my favourite but there doesn't seem to be one - although some - of not all - where latter reprinted as WAR/BATTLE picture library.
Now I'm gonna have to did out that box full I've got somewhere.
archavist - Let me restate the CD is in a pile of other CDs by that group. Well the good ones that is. I mean how many time have you broken out a certain triple album.
Bruce - I don't actually own the triple. Didn't like it. Guess we're on the same wave length.
Well where were you when I bought it on vinyl as a teen all those years ago. You know it would have been a kick ass ep if they trimmed it.
Yeah I think the band lost their way in their latter years. Still they've left an impressive body of work and a couple of classic albums. The debut still rocks and of course I'd put London up there with The Beatles' White Album as the best double of all time.
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