Review by Ian Keogh
This second hardcover collection picks up nine months into Johnny Red’s ten year run from early 1977, as British fighter pilot Johnny Redman is well ensconced with a Russian fighter squadron. Falcon’s First Flight ended with Johnny separated from his Falcon comrades, but as was the pattern in British comics of the era, a cliffhanger ending designed to generate suspense until the next weekly episode is simply resolved. A further convenience writer Tom Tully applies is Johnny suffering recurring bouts of blindness at the worst possible moments.
Don’t concern yourself with that, though, because as long as the feature is read in batches of around ten episodes at a time, the tricks Tully repeats barely come into focus. Instead there’s a constant tension generated from the situation of Johnny’s comrades trusting him and valuing his skills, but the Falcons’ base being commanded by a Colonel who sees Johnny as an administrative problem. As well as risking his life in combat, Johnny never knows when his commander will take an opportunity to be shot of him.
Although restricted to three page episodes, these are densely packed pages, and Tully generally runs a story over three or four episodes before moving on. What artist Joe Colquhoun delivers on each and every page speaks to a work rate barely credible by 21st century expectations. Every panel is packed with detail, yet specific characters are distinctive and additionally there was research required in a pre-internet era to ensure uniforms, equipment and planes are accurate. Despite the work involved, Colquhoun never missed a deadline.
In addition to well plotted missions with creatively designed pitfalls, Johnny has to cope with a new flight commander, a Soviet legend whose nerves are shot. For propaganda purposes his legend must continue, yet every flight he leads endangers the squadron. Tully takes Zagorny’s story into places that would now be considered off limits for a comic aimed at pre-teens, and while he’s around Tully has the Falcons involved in repelling German attacks on Leningrad.
The final story sees the Falcons given a week’s holiday, but unfortunately for Johnny in an area where other British airmen are active. Hanging over the entire series is a very good reason he has to remain unknown to the British. Colquhoun supplies as much detail to scenes of carousing as he does to aerial combat. It’s the most melodramatic sequence here, but true to form ends with Johnny endangered in a cliffhanger. Will he manage to pull his plane up in time before hitting the ocean? Find out in Angels Over Stalingrad.
This is Tully really getting into the possibilities of exploring the Russian war during World War II, accompanied by magnificent art. The downside is the collection is hard to come by these days. The upside is 2026 Rebellion’s Johnny Red Volume One: The Falcons combines the first three Titan volumes.
