Source: tcj.com

8. War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle

(Marvel Comics)

We all know that Ennis loves him some war comics. But he does tend to focus on more recent wars, including World War II, Vietnam, and sometimes the Gulf War. But War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle takes it all the way back to World War I for some early air combat.

Karl Kaufman was very excited when he entered World War I in 1917. He wanted to fight. And fight he did. Ennis is especially good at showing the grimy horrors and mundane awfulness of warfare, and here he gets the chance to apply that to World War I air combat. And it shines.  The story of a young hotshot being turned by the fires of conflict into a battle-hardened pilot is a good one, and it’s one that’s deeply personal.

I’ve always loved stories about pilots, be they Air Force, RAF, or otherwise, and this is an excellent addition to that canon.