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New Battle Action update – and Johnny Red collection news

By John Freeman on June 13, 2024 • ( 1 )

The third all-new Battle Action maxi series launches from the Treasury of British Comics on 28th August 2024 – a ten-issue series that includes Garth Ennis and Keith Burns’ final Johnny Red story, set in the dying days of World War Two.

You can pre-order the entire Battle Action Volume 3 ten-issue maxi series here from the The Treasury of British Comics webshop for £45 – the bundle saving you £4.90 over individual purchases.

Each issue will feature the multi-episode Johnny Red story “A Couple of Heroes” written by Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) and drawn by Keith Burns (Battle, Commando), which sees Johnny facing his fate high above the Arctic Ocean in as the war draws to a close.

Johnny will be joined each issue by a guest-feature including Dredger, Hellman, Nina Petrova and Major Eazy – alongside new takes on Hookjaw, Death Game and Kids Rule OK.

An all-star lineup of creators bring the stories to life, including writers Brian K Vaughan, John Wagner, Torunn Gronbekk, Rob Williams, Dan Abnett, Steve White, and Garth Ennis alongside artists Chris Burnham, Henry Flint, John McCrea, Tom Foster, PJ Holden, Dan Cornwell, Mike Dorey, Patrick Goddard, and John Higgins.

Issue One will be released on the 28th August 2024, and subsequent issues will be released on the last Wednesday of each month through to May 2025.

By purchasing a bundle, you will receive already-published issues as well as future issues, as they are released.

Johnny Red Collections Incoming

Celebrating 50 years of Battle in 2025, The Treasury of British Comics will be reprinting the entirety of Garth Ennis and Keith Burns’ epic Johnny Red saga – including Johnny’s final story in Battle Action Volume 3, and pre-orders are now available for Johnny Red: The Hurricane, the first part in a series of oversized hardcovers.

Written by Garth Ennisand drawn by Keith Burns Hurricane is the first volume of The Treasury of British Comics presentation of the complete adventure of Johnny Red, following ace aerial assassin Johnny ‘Red’ Redburn, and the battle-hardened pilots of Russia’s Falcon Squadron.

As he leads the squadron through the Battle of Stalingrad, he must defend the city from waves of Nazi Messerschmitts… but Johnny and his fellow pilots become trapped behind enemy lines where they must survive one of the most terrible battles of the whole war.

However, their war is about to become far worse when they uncover a devastating secret that puts them in the sights of not just the Nazis – but their own side as well!

• Pre-order Johnny Red: The Hurricane hardcover, due for release Wednesday 15th January 2025, here | ISBN
9781837864201 | 192 Pages

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.