Battle Picture Weekly Now on Sale

Nostalgia fans are in for a summer treat with the release of a special Battle Picture Weekly collection this week, marking the return of the classic war comic to new stands for the first time 21 years.

The second in the new Classic Comics series from Egmont, which kicked off with a special issue of Roy of the Rovers (see news story), is now on sale exclusively in WHSmith stores across the country.

Readers who grew up with classic characters such as D-Day Dawson, Rat Pack and the Bootneck Boy can relive the exploits of these fabled fighters in this classic collection of picture-strips. The special edition features several selected strips from the comic, including episodes of Johnny Red, The Sarge, Major Eazy, Hellman, Rat Pack, The Bootneck Boy and D-Day Dawson.

Also included is some of the original vintage advertising that featured in the comic.

Published between 1975 and 1988, Battle fired the imaginations of countless schoolboys, many of whom had a surviving relative from the war. This selection of classic strips is republished in the original, glorious black and white. The stories are uncut with many an “ARGH!” and an “URRGH!” standing between the reader and eventual victory.

"We’ve stayed as close to the original as possible with specially produced tactile paper," a Fleetway spokesperson told downthetubes.

Egmont acquired the Fleetway stable of comics in 1991 which included the four Classic Comics being released this year: Roy of the Rovers, Battle, Misty and Buster.

Fleetwway tell us that final sales figures for the Roy of the Rovers special are still being compiled.

"We’re still waiting for final numbers on Roy of the Rovers but we had great feedback especially in the first few days – it was flying off the shelves."

• The 52-page Battle Picture Weekly special edition costs £3.99 and is on sale now