Garth Ennis writes another fine World War II military drama, this one about Royal Air Force pilots of the De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber wreaking havoc on the Nazi navy during the latter half of the war. The protagonist, Jamie McKenzie, is a sad sack pilot who always whines about how nothing ever goes his way when he's on the ground -- like about how his new group captain unfairly hates him and treats him like crap -- but is a fierce and skilled combatant once he's in the air.

Since McKenzie is stationed at an air base in England and has moved his wife into a nearby cottage, we are given more domestic drama than Ennis usually has in his historical fiction -- and his shallow portrayal of an English housewife shows he'd be better off sticking to the action stuff in the future. Still, the downtime between exciting sorties gives us a glimpse into the relationships between pilots, command, and crew, touching on racism in the ranks and battle wounds both physical and mental.

Not Ennis' best, but another solid comic about the hell of war. ( )