Written by: Pat Mills
Art by: Joe Colquhoun
Publisher: Titan Books
In 1979, author Pat Mills and artist Joe Colquhoun set out to create a compelling comic about British soldiers during World War I. This comic followed a daft but strong-hearted 16-year-old named Charley Bourne who lies about his age and travels to the front lines of France. Unfortunately, Charley quickly discovers that his dreams of the war are vastly different than reality, and his life is changed forever. Charley’s journey from innocent child to weary veteran is chronicled in a 2014 collection released by Titan Books.
This collection, A Boy Soldier In the Great War, follows Charley as he journeys to the front lines, survives the Battle of the Somme, and meets many colorful characters. The collection doesn’t include the entire run of Charley’s War, but it does incorporate Charley’s first encounters with the German troops and ends with his first trip home to London. The rest of Charley’s time is spent dealing with the travesties of war while protecting his friends. Strangely, many of these characters fulfil very basic stereotypes ranging from drunken Irishman to a stupid/angry commanding officer. These stereotypical characters may have been fitting in the late 70’s and early 80’s, but they seem vastly out of place in 2014. However, not all of the characters are strange stereotypes. Charley’s War mixes regular characters with these stereotypes resulting in drastic tonal shifts.
Strange characterizations aside, Charley’s War is a fantastic collection for fans of the comic. The 320-page book combines one of the U.K.’s most popular comic with behind the scenes interviews, author commentary, and exceptional artwork. The subject matter can become depressing at times, but this is to be expected when World War I is involved. Thankfully, Charley is an easy character to root for, so he makes the situations less bleak.
Charley’s War: A Boy Soldier In the Great War is a decently-priced collection that will please any old and new fans of Charley’s War.
