|
WAR STORY: D-DAY DODGERS
Highly Recommended (9/10)
|
DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: John Higgins
Colors: Pamela Rambo & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Clem Robins
Editors: Tony Bedard & Will Dennis
Price: $4.95 US/$8.25 CAN |
War Story is without a doubt the finest work Garth Ennis is currently doing, and that actually makes me a little sad. It's not that the War Story books have been bad, in fact they're
quite good, with attention to history and the usual great characterization I've
come to expect, but like so much of Ennis's output these days, it all feels like
territory he has covered well before. This story looks at a fresh-faced
commander who joins up with a military unit just before they go into dangerous
(and possibly suicidal) action, and how he fits in with the regiment. It's the
usual analysis of loyalty and service I've come to expect from Ennis, with
effective art by John Higgins, and it's well-written and even moving at times,
enough to mostly make me forget we're treading on very familiar territory.
Ennis is creating a one-man resurgence in war comics, helped along by a good reputation and an interest in World War II stories spurred on by Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Greatest Generation and other high profile reminisces
both fact and fiction. While the material may be territory that Ennis has
covered before, it is territory that nobody else in comics is really covering.
Though I have an interest in the period, I'm no scholar, and I was not familiar
with the D-Day Dodgers until Ennis illuminated this chapter of the war. If
nothing else, these comics seem like the perfect outreach tools for folks who
otherwise might not go anywhere near comics.
There are certain cliches that happen in a lot of war stories, and Ennis is playing off of them for his War Story tales so far. The new commander who hasn't
seen much duty coming into a hard-bitten combat unit is certainly one of them,
and it's played pretty well here. Ross may be a little green, but he's a strong
and intelligent leader who fits in well with the unit and serves as our point of
view character without being a naive amateur. The other characters are the usual
mix of war stereotypes as well, including the tough and genial sergeant, the guy
looking after someone else for his ma back home and the bitter commander of the
unit. The trick comes in making these characters interact in a believable way,
and I enjoyed seeing these characters interact, feeling like they were people
rather than just cookie-cutter stereotypes.
Another thing that war
stories (and disaster stories) commonly have is a tragic ending, or at least a
feeling that nobody is safe. Ennis uses that here as well, teaming up with
Higgins to deliver a chilling and sad finale to the story of the embattled
Antrim Rifles company. I do wish that Higgins had done a slightly better job of
distinguishing the various characters from each other so that each of their
fates would have been clearer at a glance, but he does provide some powerful
visuals to close out the book.
War Story: D-Day Dodgers depends greatly on the audience having a fondness for war stories and their cliches, and being willing to forgive a somewhat formulaic plot and bunch of characters in exchange for terrific dialogue and interesting subject matter. If one can overlook the familiar elements and remember that a World War II story, even a familiar one, is a rarity in comics, I imagine they'll get a great deal out of D-Day Dodgers.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
