By Hugo Pratt & V.A.L. Holding (Rebellion Studios)
ISBN: 978-1-78108-766-4 (HB/Digital Edition)
Hugo Eugenio Pratt (June 15th 1927-August 20th 1995) was one of the world’s paramount comics creators, and his enthralling graphic narratives inventions since Ace of Spades (whilst still a student at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts) in 1945 were both many and varied.
His signature character – based in large part on his own exotic early life – is the mercurial soldier (perhaps sailor would be more accurate) of fortune, Corto Maltese.
After working in both Argentinean and English comics for years Pratt returned to Italy in the 1960s. In 1967 he produced a number of series for monthly comic Sgt. Kirk. In addition to the Western lead character, he created pirate strip Capitan Cormorand, detective feature Lucky Star O’Hara, and a moody South Seas adventure called Una Ballata del Mare Salato (A Ballad of the Salty Sea).
It folded in 1970, but Pratt took one of Ballata’s characters to the French weekly, Pif Gadget, before eventually settling in with legendary Belgian periodical Le Journal de Tintin. Corto Maltese proved as much a Wild Rover in reality as in his historic and eventful career…
However, a storyteller of such vast capabilities as Pratt was ever-restless, and as well as writing and illustrating his own tales, he scripted for other giants of the industry.
Battler Britton was first seen in January 1956. “The fighting ace of Land, Sea and Air” debuted in The Sun (back when it was actually a proper comic and before the title was appropriated for the tabloid red top screed joke it is today); the feisty True Brit brainchild of Mike Butterworth and the astounding Geoff Campion.
In 1958 the doughty dauntless pilot graduated to the front cover and lead spot, before taking over completely in 1959 when the periodical briefly became Battler Britton’s Own Weekly. He even transferred to sister title Knockout during 1960-1961 before joining the roster after merging with Lion. Britton persevered and carried on until 1967…
He was a major draw for Amalgamated/Odhams/Fleetway and also a key returning feature in the publisher’s range of complete digest series, illustrated by such astounding luminaries as Francisco Solano Lopez, Pat Nicolle, Graham Coton, Ian Kennedy… and Hugo Pratt.
Britton was a regular standby – in reformatted reprint form – in numerous Fleetway Christmas Annuals for years after his comics sorties ceased. Why there has never been a concerted effort to restore this treasure trove of comics glory in some kind of archival format is utterly beyond me, but at least he’s with us in this bold compilation gathering yarns limned by the master of adventure which first saw print in Thriller Picture Library #297 & Battler Britton Annual 2. Both were written by Val Holding: a former paratrooper and store detective before moving into comics writing. Amongst his many triumphs was a run on other Air Ace Paddy Payne. He eventually became Fleetway’s Managing Editor of Juvenile Publications.
Most British companies produced Seasonal Specials, hardcover Annuals and digest-sized anthology publications. DC Thomson still publishes Commando Picture Library and used to sell romance, school dramas and a science fiction title (Starblazer) to match their London competitors’ successful paperback book titles.
Those ubiquitous delights included Super Picture Library, War Picture Library, Air Ace Picture Library, Action Picture Library and Thriller Picture Library: half-sized, 64-page monochrome booklets with glossy soft-paper covers. Presenting complete stories in 1 to 3 panels a page, they were regularly recycled and reformatted.
Here the result is a brace of stunningly rendered enthralling all-action romps beginning with the 1945-set ‘Battler Britton and the Rockets of Revenge’ wherein the top pilot is parachuted into occupied Poland to secure the secrets of a V2 missile that has fallen into the hands of a partisan unit. Typically, that means getting his hands dirty again: dodging bullets, fighting traitors and frustrating the Gestapo before ultimately triumphing and leaving the Abwehr a nasty surprise…
‘Battler Britton and the Wagons of Gold’ focuses on 1941, with Britton in the Adriatic, testing procedures for landing Spitfires on British aircraft carriers. When an urgent request comes in, he’s off to Yugoslavia – currently losing to the Nazi war machine.
Sent on a simple reconnaissance run, he can’t help downing a few Stukas and strafing German ground forces before coming to the assistance of freedom fighters desperately shipping the country’s entire monetary reserves away from the rapacious Nazis.
It’s not long before Battler trades his plane for a lorry to frustrate the swiftly pursuing Germans and deliver the bullion into the safe hands of the Royal Navy, despite the Nazis’ ardent efforts to catch and kill him and his new allies…
Swift, straightforward and startlingly compelling, these bread & butter war stories sustained British comics readers for decades and have seldom looked so good doing it. If you’re a connoisseur of graphic thrills don’t miss these airy escapades.
© 1959, 1961, 1964, 2020 Rebellion Publishing IP Ltd. All rights reserved.