A Deserter’s Tale

By John Freeman on November 12, 2007

Battle‘s acclaimed Charley’s War continues at Titan Books with the timely release of a fourth collection of the World War One tale.

Written by Pat Mills, drawn by the legendary Joe Colquhoun, Blue’s Story continues the critically-acclaimed thrilling, horrifying and blackly comic story of World War One soldier Charley Bourne.

Home from the war thanks to an injury, Charley escapes from a terrifying air-raid, only to run into a deserter from the Foreign Legion – who tells him of the awful siege of Fort Vaux, even as both men run for their lives from the Military Police.

Rich in the detailed minutiae of the terror-punctuated existence of a Tommy, this fourth volume features a brand new introduction by Whitbread prize nominee Tariq Goddard, commentary by Pat Mills, plus an exclusive bonus feature on the Battle of Verdun.

The book is out now in the US ($19.95) and the UK (£14.99).

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.