The Night Witches

Beautiful illustrations and a very interesting piece of history we all should know more about. Highly recommend.

'The Night Witches' by Garth Ennis with art by Russ Braun is a collection of the 3 Night Witch story from Garth Ennis' Battlefields, and follows one Russian pilot for one heck of a story arc.

The Night Witches were Russian women who flew in combat against Germany in the fight to defend their homeland. They flew obsolete biplanes on bombing runs. This story is the fictional story of Anna Kharkova, a pilot with the Night Witches, women who were terrified to crash behind enemy lines. The second story 'Motherland' puts Anna in to the Battle of Kursk with it's high casualty rate. Anna's fate is revealed in the final story.

This is solid storytelling, and this is a well written character. I even approve of the ending, though I know it's not realistic. I wanted this ending for Anna. The art is great. Along with a sketchbook, there is a nice essay about the real events that inspired the story.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Naval Institute Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

A great book illuminating a page from the WW@ history, not really known in the West. Mr. Ennis proves, that he can write a realistic story just as good, as he can write a story with deities. Wonderful stuff!

"Night Witches" was a World War II German nickname for the all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces. They were given the worst planes and equipment, but even still, made a name for themselves for their bravery and skill. That was all I knew about the daring aviators before starting The Night Witches, but I think Ennis and Braun succeeded in giving a more personalized in this albeit fictional account. I loved the attention to detail in the artwork and the respect for historical accuracy for most of the tale. It was an enjoyable and enlightening tale, and I especially liked the afterword which discussed the historical context and which liberties were taken. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about some brave women from history!

To me, Garth Ennis' war comics have always been a little hit and miss. They have a certain dynamism and narrative drive, of course, but his shtick, of trying to force a full drama out of a mere incident of war (if you can call what is often a real soldier's experience an incident) doesn't always provide for a brilliant read. This is close to brilliant, however. And the fact that the series does have one lead character yet can hang on the wider image, of female Soviet air force pilots, means we see a story with greater novelty and import. The book contains a trilogy of more-or-less stand-alone three-parters, but all come with a clearness that is provided by both the wonderful art, and the crisper, more concise end of Ennis' output.

We start by contrasting a lowly Nazi foot soldier with the rise and rise of the prime ace pilot, and the convergence of their stories is only let down by the regular jarring change of scene, from dingy basement to sunny air strip, and the jumps in timeline as we speed through the year. The second series seems of shorter duration, as she takes on flying solo in fighters. We also see another benefit to us from her gender – the fact that the stories can show loneliness, and potential sexual comfort, in combatants that are part of a military machine, churning out younger and younger victims ready for the mincer. The final parts are a bit woollier – putting too many political comments into people's mouths, and giving an almost nihilistic ending, just to prove the author's point of nobody coming out of the war on a side able to shower themselves in glory. But before then, at least, we have had a fine time in the company of this Witch, and the book has done what it wants in both education and entertainment.

Though this is a work of fiction, Garth Ennis bases this story on real-life women who fought for their country during WWII. The Night Witches were a group of female pilots who flew old airplanes to drop bombs on the Nazis. Because of how loud the old planes' engines were, they developed a technique of cutting the engines and gliding over to their targets before they dropped the bombs. It is unclear how successful these techniques really were but it did keep the enemies awake and on their toes.

This is a collection of three stories, Nightwitches, Motherland, and The Rise and Fall of Anna Kharkova, about a russian aviator named Anna Kharkova. This is a grity and dark graphic novel filled with war, rape, death, heartache and PTSD. This was a fascinating piece of history that was also heartbreaking. While this is fiction, this graphic novel shows what these women really went through and the fears they faced.

Ennis also provides historical background on these scenes at the end so be sure to read that for further information. I recommend this graphic novel if you are a fan of military history, aviation, or interested in learning about women during wartime. I am not a fan of any of this but I do like to learn more about women’s impact throughout history and comics in general, which is why I picked this up.

Reader Warning:
Sexual Assault
Nudity
Gory and graphic scenes
Death

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

The Night Witches (Nacht Hexen) is what German WW2 soldiers would call a squadron of female Russian pilots who would attack them during the night, after switching off their engines and silently gliding towards their encampments.

Garth Ennis tells the story of these extraordinary women through the character of Anna Kharkova, a fictional amalgamation of real life accounts. It's a moving story that shows the double battle these brave women had to fight, between the German front and their misogynist male comrades. While they quickly prove their mettle, they are basically set up to fail by the interfering and controlling NKVD, the previous incarnation of the KGB.

There are more than a couple of flights of fancy (pun unintended) to make the drama flow more, but the book is most interesting outside of battle - a lot of deeper themes are discussed, without the whole ever becoming leaden.

When there are dogfights, I did have trouble following the action - everyone is wearing pilot hats, I have no eye for the mechanical details, so that's probably on me.

I wasn't a huge fan of the art, until I saw the sketchbooks in the back of the book (which also shows artist Russ Braun's origin as a Disney animator), which are beautiful. I think it has more to do with the colouring - where the colourist creates highlights on faces and objects, that give the whole an overly smooth, plastic-y feel.

That shouldn't stop anyone interested in this part of WW2 history, for whom this book should be an interesting starting point.

3.5 stars

Night Witches by Garth Ennis is the fictional story of Soviet pilot Anna Kharkova.  The graphic novel is penciled by Russ Braun; colored by Tony Avina; Lettered by Simon Bowland. 


The storyline traces the life of Anna Kharkova, a fictional Soviet hero who was one of the first Soviet female pilots in World War II. Kharkova faces many challenges, from harassment to inadequate equipment. Her first plane was a Polikarpov Po-2, a biplane introduced in 1927, and went up against German anti-aircraft as well as threats from Messerschmitt Bf 109. War and politics play a significant role in Kharkova's life, and at times it is difficult to determine the greater threat-- the Germans or the party officials. The reader will follow Kharkova's life after the Great Patriotic War and into the Cold War.


Not intending to be a strict history, the story covers the personal aspects of war and life under the Soviet system. It does seem to downplay the absolute hatred and atrocities committed on both sides in the particularly vicious Eastern Front. The characters are also torn between the corrupt system and a sense of love for the Motherland. The book is beautifully illustrated, and the storyline will draw the reader in. A very well done piece of historical fiction.

This is a hardcore book in the best possible way. It deals with some horrific subject matter that was real and true along with some more uplifting moments. The artwork is beautiful and the story is fast paced, with characters that you will remember.

I liked the art style in this graphic novel and I believe that it tells an important part of our history.

I have tried repeatedly to open this book on multiple devices with no luck. I’m very sad that it isn’t working because I love using graphic novels in my class for students new to the country and students who are English language learners. It looks great though!

As a historian I have long been fascinated by the Night Witches, and this book does them justice. Both the illustrations and the three women’s stories are powerful and compelling.
Highly recommend.

If you like your graphic novels/comics long and full of history, have I got a recommendation for you! The Night Witches is a graphic history of one of the most fascinating groups in World War II, the Russian lady pilots who flew clunkers of bombers at night with no guides against the Nazis. I have read more than one historical fiction book about them, and it was super cool to see the story unfold through some really stellar artwork.

The book is broken up into three parts and follows pilot Lieutenant Anna Kharkova from her early days of flying to a Nazi POW camp, a tribunal and demotion, and a a long stay in a Gulag. Ann goes through more in these pages than many people could endure in several lifetimes. Despite everything the Motherland puts her through, she never waivers in her patriotism and ultimately just wants to fly and serve her country. Unfortunately, most men are not fans of women doing “men’s work.”

This is not a fun, light comic. War is hell, and many of the characters you may become attached to die. Anna goes through horrific situations, and trigger warning for rape and attempted forced rape (one Nazi soldier tries to force another soldier to rape a woman after she has already been repeatedly raped). It’s not a light subject, so I definitely want to warn you.

I took my time with this one, partly because it’s a sizeable book, and partly because I didn’t want to fly through it. An issue or two per night gave me a chance to really appreciate both the story and the art. It’s out now, so definitely keep it on your radar if you’re a history buff.

Thank you to NetGalley, Garth Ennis, and Russ Braun, for the opportunity to review this excellent book.

The Night Witches is a combination of 3 related stories, of a fictional Soviet female combat pilot during World War 2 and the Korean War. The book follows the primary character through a series of combat deployments, including harsh treatment by friends and foes alike, showing how war dehumanizes the best of people. The book continues to follow the pilot after being shot down twice, being captured twice, and being imprisoned by both the Germans and then her own people.

There are some scenes that are brutal and graphically violent, even for comics, but given the subject matter, I felt the author/artists did an excellent job, as it was not gratuitous. Murder and rape happen in peacetime and in war, and can be directed at friend and foe alike. This is not a comic for less than teenagers in my opinion, due to the graphic displays of violence and sexual assault, but I believe teenagers and adults should be able to handle the content. The violence and sexual content have points and purposes within the plot line, and are important to the narrative, and are not included simply to sensationalize that content.

I highly recommend this graphic novel be added to your collection!

Powerful. Lost track of time while reading [book:The Night Witches|41003930].
Before reading this, I knew nothing about The Night Witches and now I need more badass women in my life.
Beautifully drawn.

This is a gritty comic about Russian women pilots who fought the Germans during WW2. The story focuses on Lieutenant Anna Kharkova and her battles against the Germans, and later on when she falls from grace, struggles with her own country and the Russian secret service.

The story is based on the real "Night Witches" which was a German nickname for the all female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known later as the 46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, of the Soviet Air Forces.

The story tells how Anna fights against the Germans, losing her colleagues and her friends and lover. Her adventures see her being captured, rescued and then villfied. Anna is hardened but the one thing she loves is to fly. It is quite a good story although I found the time jumps a bit confusing. It is the kind of comic that you need to read over and over again so that all the different characters and nuances fall into place.

A gripping story with excellent graphics. Definitely worth investing in a hard copy.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

“Who coins the name is a mystery. Night Witches. And we are children, lost in the woods.”

Iam not much of a history buff so the topic of the graphic novel wasn’t one I happened to be intimate with. The Night Witches was what the Germans called the all female Soviet bomber squadron during World War II. The graphic novel’s main character, Anna Borisnova Kharkova, was a member of this squad.

At first glance, the cover is quite striking. This was what drew me in initially. The second was that the writer was Garth Ennis. As an on-again-off-again comic book reader, his name was not unfamiliar to me. I’m a fan of some of his other works although I was not aware he wrote several history related graphic novels as well. Of course, a comic isn’t quite a comic without its artist and Russ Braun did a fantastic job with this one.

War is brutal—it’s something that should not be forgotten. This graphic novel did not sugarcoat it; as well it shouldn’t. It is bloody and graphic and depressing. But it tells a story based in history that is not so well known and presents it in a way that may be easier to consume than say a textbook. While the comic’s novels are not real people, the point is more that the story itself is not too far from the truth.

I found that Ennis’ afterword to be very insightful. It was actually one of my favorite parts of the entire volume. A peek at his research and his decisions in the story. I love hearing about an author’s process in any way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dead Reckoning for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great main character with a really satisfying arc. I really enjoyed the scope of the story being much larger than I expected it to be, as well as it being a considerable step up in writing compared to Stringbags.

I think everything is does a pretty good job of creating a narrative for a unrecognized historic group of women, Russian pilots in World War II. Perhaps in the US we could use more stories of history that is not our own. The art has a gritty realism but makes the characters memorable. I would put this at Older Teen to Adult. Public and academic libraries. Thank you for the review copy.