Garth Ennis and Military History
A Writer’s use of War in Comic Books
Oct 5, 2008 Nicholas Efstathiou
Garth Ennis came onto the popular comic book writing scene in 1989 and he has been writing steadily, with a growing fan base, ever since. A common theme in his comics, however, is the influence of war upon various characters, either directly or indirectly. Ennis’ interest in military history is apparent not only in his older works, but it is especially visible in his newer writings.
303
In the short mini-series titled 303 Garth Ennis shows the reader a main character who is an officer in the Russian Special Forces, Spetsnaz. This history of this character is rooted in Vietnam, the Soviet War in Afghanistan, and other special operations. References in the work also reveal Ennis’ knowledge of the Second World War and the First World War, as well as the current situations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. While the story itself is fiction, Ennis introduces accurate military history into his tale.
War is Hell
Another short mini-series recently written by Ennis is War is Hell, a story set in the First World War with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) of the British Army. The main character is an American who has joined the RFC in order to fight against Germany. Ennis shows his interest in, and knowledge of military history through accurate details of the time period: the planes flown by the combatants; the results of battles; as well as various tactics employed in First World War aerial combat. Again, while Ennis’ work is fiction, his non-fiction elements centering on military history are impressive and give the work an impressive validity.
The Punisher
For the past five years Ennis has worked upon a mainstay of the Marvel Universe: Frank Castle, the Punisher. Ennis has explored the depths of Frank via Frank’s experience as an officer in the United States Marine Corps’ elite Force Reconnaissance during the Vietnam War. In the The Punisher Ennis has also shown his knowledge of modern special forces operations with the interaction of Frank and current members of the United States Army’s Special Forces. It is the Vietnam War, however, which gets a significant amount of attention by Ennis in The Punisher, and Ennis’ familiarity with that war is no small thing.
Garth Ennis’ works are not limited to one or two specific wars or battles, though. As seen in 303 he is comfortable writing about the Soviet Union’s war in Afghanistan, the Soviet side of the Second World War, and its limited involvement in the Vietnam War. War is Hell shows that Ennis is also able to write effectively about various issues regarding the First World War. The Punisher is also shaped heavily by the main character’s experiences in the Vietnam War. A new title, Garth Ennis Battlefields: The Night Witches, is due out in October of 2008, and is a title which will focus on an elite, all-female pilot unit in the Soviet Union during the Second World War. Garth Ennis, then, is a comic book writer with a wide range of knowledge concerning military history, and one who can explore various aspects of that history through the reactions, interactions, and experiences of his characters.
Natalya Meklin, one of Russia's Night Witches
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British Sopwith Pup used in WWI
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