There’s not long to go now until the launch of the all-new Battle Action, a five-issue miniseries reviving some of Fleetway’s classic war and adventure comic characters, which we trailed here back in February, a feature that includes an interview with Garth Ennis.

Battle Action #1 lands on 31st May, offering a high-octane combo of brand new war tales from top comics talent – “Johnny Red” by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns, and “HMS Nightshade” by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell, plucked from the pages of the groundbreaking Battle Picture Weekly, a staple of the newsstands in the 1970s and 80s.

Over the five-issue run, in addition to the creators above, you can look forward to stories from Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Warhammer 40k), Torunn Grønbekk (Thor, Punisher: War Journal), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Judge Dredd), John Higgins (Watchmen, Judge Dredd) and Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated, Unstoppable Doom Patrol) – all bringing new life to even more characters from the pages of Battle Picture Weekly and Action.

Wrapped in stunning covers by award-winning artist Keith Burns, each issue featuring two incredible stories of daring, courage, and action, such as ‘Crazy Keller’, ‘D-Day Dawson’, ‘Dredger’, ‘Major Eazy’, ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’, and ‘Nina Patrova and The Angels of Death’.

The miniseries follows the strong sales of last year’s Battle Action Special, curated by Garth.

“The Battle Action special last year was a huge success for us,” noted Editor Oliver Pickles earlier this year, “so it’s a delight to be able to return to these classic titles. We have a really first class line-up of creators who don’t just understand the legacy of these characters, but how to bring them forward in new and exciting ways.”

The first issue launches 31st May 2023, on sale from comic shops across the UK and beyond, and available to pre-order here from the Treasury of British Comics web shop – or you can order a bundle including all five issues here | This title will not be available in newsagents such as WHSmith

Battle Action Issue 1 on sale: 31st May 2023

• JOHNNY RED by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns
• HMS NIGHTSHADE by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell

Battle Action Issue 2 on sale: 28th June

• CRAZY KELLER by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
• D-DAY DAWSON by Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade

Battle Action Issue 3 on sale: 26th July

• DREDGER by Garth Ennis and John Higgins
• MAJOR EAZY by Rob Williams and Henry Flint

Battle Action Issue 4 on sale: 30th August

• COOLEY’S GUN by Garth Ennis and Staz Johnson
• DEATH SQUAD by Rob Williams and PJ Holden

Battle Action Issue 5 on sale: 27th September

• HELLMAN OF HAMMER FORCE by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey
• NINA PETROVA AND THE ANGELS OF DEATH by Torunn Grønbekk and Patrick Goddard

The first issue launches 31st May 2023, on sale from comic shops across the UK and beyond, and available to pre-order here from the Treasury of British Comics web shop – or you can order a bundle including all five issues here | This title will not be available in newsagents such as WHSmith

• Read our guide to the returning strips in Battle Action, and an interview with Garth Ennis

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.

Categories: British Comics, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: Adventure Comics, Battle Action, Chris Burnham, Dan Cornwell, downthetubes News, Garth Ennis, HMS Nightshade, Humour Comics, John Wagner, Johnny Red, Keith Burns, Phil Winslade, Treasury of British Comics