new comic

Englishmen shooting Englishmen? Sergeants shooting their own officers? Based on actual events (yeah right!) Seize-and Hold grabs and contains your attention through a well-constructed flashback storyline and some nice crisp artwork.

It all starts with a courtroom drama where Sergeant Curtis stands accused of murdering his own squad in order to save his own life. As evidence is given by each witness in turn the events of that fateful day are disclosed and the truth is eventually revealed. This is a tidy story as each witnesses' evidence builds on the details of the previous witness. There are even a few red herrings thrown in this Battle Picture Library - well as many that can swim around in 64 pages.

Curtis's war turns into one huge guilt trip when he discovers, Lieutenant Welch, his new platoon leader, is the younger brother of the respected but ultimately psychotic and now very dead Captain Welch. Why the guilt trip? Because Curtis blew Captain Welch away in what could be best described as a battlefield gangland shooting, that is to say up close and personal. Curtis of course has no choice but to pull the trigger as the nutso captain was about to embark on a prisoner killing spree. It's not the morality of the situation that worries Curtis. Even though Captain Welch running around shouting "Kill Kill" and then delivering on that promise to the unarmed prisoners is more shocking than concerning. What really worries Curtis is that he and the rest of his men stand a good chance of being captured and then getting the same treatment from the enemy. So hence the reason for gunning down Lieutenant Welch's older brother.

In trying to absolve his guilt, Curtis becomes obsessed with making sure the younger Welch survives the war. This leads to the incident where Curtis stands accused of deliberately placing his squad in harm's way for his own survival.

A pocket war comic worth getting a hold of, if not just for the cover of the paratrooper with the grenade firmly in his grasp, pin clenched between his teeth and gritty determinism in his eyes. Also worth getting to see a British officer being a murderous swine - behaviour that is usually only attributed to the Hun.

For those who take an interest the inarticulate cry Seize-and Hold has quite a number. Among the many interpretations there are AAAGH, AIEEE..., AHGHH!, AAGH!, UGGGH!, and an AAAHHH...




 Everybody deserves a friend.
It was another Thursday evening game night and as usual Barney would always take forever during his turn of Axis and Allies








 That's one really ugly dude in the foreground.
...and I think I got him - but I wasn't sure. So I fired again.
 Caution - Loonie English officer on the loose.












German army experiments in supine levitation are moderately successful.











I just want to make sure that I got them!











You know...despite the death and destruction and explosions and having most of my platoon killed right around me this war thing just isn't doing it for me anymore. 


And a mighty fine AHGHH---.












A strange little panel.
















Dead guys in a field and a short AAGH!
Kiss me you fool. You know you want to and you know I want you too.











What a guy! If I had one like that I'd have it out too.

This is a very tidy story about seeking redemption and accepting repentance with a touch of the supernatural thrown in to make things interesting.

As Eight Platoon prepares for their assault on Chateau de Ruhl on old Shepard greats the platoon with a premonition that there will only be one survivor from the ensuing battle. The local villagers dismiss the old boy as being crazy but Eight Platoon’s morale is shaken his comments.

The platoon’s morale is already in trouble as their new officer, Second Lieutenant Mark Nichols, panicked in his first action during an artillery barrage and lost both his own confidence and the confidence of his men.

The platoon was only saved during the subsequent battle by the leadership of the veteran Sergeant Burke and a gutsy display by private “Rusty” Grant. The sergeant is ready to report Nichols’ cowardice to company command but he is persuaded by Grant to give Nichols a second chance.

Soon enough the platoon is ordered to occupy a chateau where they are promptly surrounded and cut-off by the enemy.

So when Nichols formulates a plan to save the platoon by volunteering to go through enemy lines to get help it is met with cynicism. What follows is a dangerous escapade as Nichols and “Rusty” Grant (a fluent German speaker) work their way through enemy lines.

The story ends as it starts with the old Shepard witnessing the eerie spectacle of ghostly British troops marching towards the front.

This is a nicely crafted story. Action sequences contribute to the narrative the whole way through and there’s no need for superfluous exploding trucks, trains, boats, buildings, bridges or tanks. A lot could have gone wrong with the introduction of the ghostly element but thankfully it is used well. There’s strong pathos to this story as even though the good guys are heroic it is not enough to enable their survival.



 Fear. I'll show you fear if you can catch me!

Here's a man who loves his job! There's also one of those rare dead guys you find in wars - with blood!











An even better aaagh!












The classic short aaagh!










 Where's the side order of fries?



A great looking panel.