WAR STORY: NIGHTINGALE
"Nightingale"
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: David Lloyd
Colors: David Lloyd & Heroic Age
Letters: Clem Robins
Editors: Tony Bedard & Will Dennis
Price: $4.95 US/$8.25 CAN |
Guilt is a powerful emotion. We can feel guilt for things that are not our fault, beyond our control. We've all been there to some degree... usually lesser degrees, actually. In this final War Story special, Ennis delves into guilt to the extreme, and in the process, tells a touching and riveting story about war-time sailors.
The Nightingale is a British destroyer, assigned to protective convoy duties, travelling everywhere from the Artic Circle to the Mediterranean Sea. Ordered to leave the convoy behind on a key mission that went wrong, the Nightingale's crew is overcome with grief for the ships that were lost as a result, and they earn a rather morbid reputation. The merchant seaman wander around in a daze, until the day they get a chance to redeem themselves.
At first Lloyd's art is murky and a bit impenetrable, but as the plot comes into focus, so does the visual side of the book. There's a grisly tone to the art that's appropriate for the downtrodden atmosphere established by the narration, and the deep, muted colors reinforce that mood. It's not often we see David Lloyd's name in the credits for a comic book these days, and it was a treat to see him return here.
It was a pleasure to see Ennis turn his attention to sailors. He's brought us many fascinating tales about those soldiers on the ground, and even a couple about airmen. I can't recall if he's ever approached war through the eyes of those men on the sea before, though. He proves to convey that odd type of life just as adeptly, capturing the unique vocabulary and experiences with seeming ease.
Though I haven't mentioned it before, the four War Story specials share a number of traits in common, not the least of which is how well researched they are. Ennis takes us back in time not only with the strong characterizations, but with historical details. These are fantastic, fictional stories, but time and time again, he convinces me of their authenticity. The greatest strength of this series of historical fiction is the truth is represents.
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