By d. emerson eddy — Now, a Garth Ennis penned series that thankfully did get a second life, collected along with its sequel through Image Comics in 2016, is Bloody Mary, from Ennis, Carlos Ezquerra, Matt Hollingsworth, and Annie Parkhouse. A gritty, future war tale with a side of weird science and black humour, Bloody Mary was originally published in 1996 by Vertigo's short-lived, but almost universally excellent in terms of the quality of comics it published, sister imprint for science fiction, Helix.

The story focuses on Mary Malone, a former military kill team member, as she navigates the war torn landscape of Europe against the UK and America to stop the sale and delivery of an ultimate weapon to the Europeans. It falls more to the serious side of Ennis' oeuvre, though there are elements of dark humour with the characters of The Major and Vatman. More than anything it's one of the few of his works outside of 2000 AD that has the same sort of feel as his Judge Dredd stories. It's nihilistic, it has a no-nonsense lead, and there's a restraint to the over-the-top weirdness, but the latter is still definitely there.

It's probably no coincidence that I feel that vibe, given that this series is illustrated by Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra (as is the other non-Dredd Dredd series, Just a Pilgrim). The art is that of a master at the game of weird war tales, perfectly capturing the devastation of Europe and the disturbing degradation in the design of the living weapon. There's a nice interplay of how Ezquerra depicts Mary as a solid powerhouse, but worn, a bit ragged, and looking old, and Ennis' revelation in dialogue that she's only 40. Though, I suppose when you're living through war and in active combat, you're going to age quickly.

Matt Hollingsworth's choices of somber greens, browns, blues, and yellows work nicely to help set that tone and atmosphere of the drudgery and ugliness of war. It also makes the bursts of red when things get bloody all the more visceral. The feeling of Dredd also shines through in the letters from Annie Parkhouse, a longtime contributor to 2000 AD herself. I quite like the approach to volume and yelling that she uses, increasing font size and adding color, but one of the things that particularly stands out is how she crafts “y”, as two lines instead of three.

Bloody Mary by Ennis, Ezquerra, Hollingsworth, and Parkhouse is a wonderful tale of revenge and adventure set in a brutal future wartime setting. It's peppered with some weirdness and black humor reminiscent of some of the best British comics.

Classic Comic of the Week: Bloody Mary by Garth Ennis, Carlos Ezquerra

Bloody Mary
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Carlos Ezquerra
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Annie Parkhouse
Publisher: Image Comics
IN 1999, WE ALL WENT BACK TO WAR.
In a world only slightly worse than our own, a third great European conflict has dragged the major powers into a lethal war of attrition. Now, Mary Malone, the most dangerous assassin in a land of killers, must face both a man who cannot die and a crazed cult leader whose flock are all too ready to die for him.
Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, War Story) and Carlos Ezquerra (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Adventures in the Rifle Brigade) present an action-packed tale of future warfare and a heroine whose faith lies firmly in firepower.
Originally Published: 1996
Buy It Here: Digital / Paperback / Hardcover

Check out the Classic Comic of the Week archive!

d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.