War stories had been a staple part of British boys’ comics for decades. DC Thomson had enjoyed success with The Victor (published since 1961) and the then recently launched Warlord, which thrilled readers with their tales of bravery.
Both focused primarily on World War II, which was then still only a generation or two detached from the young readers of the 1970s.
Battle Picture Weekly, first published by IPC Magazines in March 1975, was to bring a tougher, harder edge to the subject matter, emphasising the realities of war.
Priced at 6p, the first issue of Battle included a free sticker sheet of “combat badges of World War II”. The comic was an instant hit.
Popular stories included;
Charley’s War – an uncompromising view of one soldier’s experiences during World War I
Crazy Keller
Darkie’s Mob – a rogue unit behind Japanese lines in Burma, led by the uncompromising Captain Joe Darkie
D-Day Dawson – a soldier with a piece of shrapnel lodged near his heart, which could kill him at any moment
Dredger – a British secret agent (originally from Action comic)
Hellman of Hammer Force – a ruthless Panzer tank commander (originally from Action comic)
HMS Nightshade – a Royal Navy Corvette K70 fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic
Johnny Red – featuring charismatic British pilot Johnny “Red” Redburn, who led a unit of the Soviet Air Force on the Russian front
Major Eazy – a laidback, cheroot-smoking British officer (partly inspired by Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name character)
Rat Pack – a Dirty Dozen-inspired tale of four convict soldiers who were frequently sent on near-suicidal missions
The Sarge – Sergeant Jim Masters led his 10-strong infantry section in WWII
In 1976, the adventure comic Valiantwas incorporated into Battle, and the following year, Battle became Battle Action when it was joined by Action, a short-lived title that had been criticised for being too violent.
The comic became Battle Action Force in 1983 to accommodate features based on the range of Action Force figures from Palitoy.
Rival publisher Marvel UK gained the Action Force rights in 1987, and Battle created a new military outfit of their own invention, called Storm Force (led by the brave John Storm).
The new feature gave the comic another year or so of life, but with increased competition from computer games for children’s pocket money, Battle finally succumbed in January 1988 when it merged with Eagle.
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In 1976, the adventure comic Valiant was incorporated into Battle, and the following year, Battle became Battle Action when it was joined by Action, a short-lived title that had been criticised for being too violent.
