War Stories 5

Ever since the dawn of time when primitive man first picked up a rock and killed another, there has been war. Garth Ennis, the visionary creator of Preacher and Crossed, takes us to the darkest corners of the world where conflict has turned bloody and the specter of death hangs heavy in the air. These unforgettable tales deliver the horror of war and the humanity that is often lost to the roar of weapons. In this vital tome are two tales from War Stories #16 – 22 of the ongoing series written by Ennis and illustrated by Thomas Aria including: “Send a Gunboat” and “Vampire Squadron.”

Send a Gunboat - The men of the Royal Navy’s gunboat squadrons defend England’s coast against Nazi raiders. The little boats are fast, heavily-armed and deadly- and terribly vulnerable. And the enemy is never far away, as the commander of one vessel finds when his German opposite number takes a dangerous interest in him and his crew.

Vampire Squadron - In the dark days of winter, 1940, a handful of pilots show up at a remote Royal Air Force base in rural England. Some are British, some are Poles, Czechs, French, Australians, Canadians- the orphans of Nazi-occupied Europe and the children of the Empire. No other squadron wants them; they don’t even like each other much. Which is unfortunate, because they’re about to take to the deadly night skies at the height of the Blitz- Hitler’s dreadful aerial onslaught on the cities of Britain.