comicbooks.com Join Free
Home › Johnny 'Red' Redburn
Johnny 'Red' Redburn

Johnny 'Red' Redburn

203 appearances · Bronze Age · 1977–2024 · 1 key issues
Who is Johnny 'Red' Redburn?

Drummed out of the RAF under a cloud of disgrace, British pilot Johnny 'Red' Redburn found himself fighting on the Eastern Front alongside a ragged Soviet squadron during World War II — a guns-for-hire second chance that made him a reluctant hero in the skies over Russia.

Few characters capture the gritty, unromanticised spirit of British war comics quite like Johnny 'Red' Redburn, who burst onto the pages of Battle Picture Weekly and Valiant in January 1977, brought to life by the formidable creative pairing of John Wagner and Mike Western. A proud product of the Bronze Age, Johnny 'Red' has proven himself a genuine stalwart of IPC's war comics tradition, racking up over 200 appearances across Battle, Battle Action, and Battle Picture Weekly and Valiant — a near-five-decade run that speaks to a character with real staying power. He keeps remarkable company in those pages, sharing adventures with fan favourites like Major Eazy and Dredger, which tells you everything about the quality of the storytelling world he inhabits. With a key collector's issue already to his name and a legacy stretching all the way to 2024, Johnny 'Red' Redburn is essential reading for anyone serious about the golden era of British comics.

Battle Picture Weekly and Valiant
#29 January 1977 [100]
★ First appearance
Battle Picture Weekly and Valiant #29 January 1977 [100]
Jan 1977

Trivia

  • Johnny Red's enduring appeal was proven beyond doubt when Garth Ennis and Keith Burns brought the character back for modern readers, demonstrating that the property retained genuine commercial and editorial viability decades after its original run.greatnewsforallreaders.com
  • Tom Tully has written more of Johnny 'Red' Redburn's comics than any other writer in our catalog — 78 issues.

Top series

Battle Action
Battle Action (1977)
148 appearances
Battle Picture Weekly and Valiant
Battle Picture Weekly and Valiant (1976)
29 appearances
Battle
Battle (1981)
21 appearances
Johnny Red
Johnny Red (2015)
1 appearance
2000 AD
2000 AD (1996)
1 appearance
Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd Megazine (2003)
1 appearance
Battle Action
Battle Action (2022)
1 appearance
Battle Action
Battle Action (2023)
1 appearance

Covers through the years — 1996–2024

2000 AD #1022 1996
2000 AD #1022
Battle Action #2 2024
Battle Action #2

Appearances (1–150 of 203, oldest first)

Battle Picture Weekly and Valiant (1976)
#29 January 1977 [100]#5 February 1977 [101]#12 February 1977 [102]#19 February 1977 [103]#26 February 1977 [104]#5 March 1977 [105]#12 March 1977 [106]#19 March 1977 [107]#26 March 1977 [108]#2 April 1977 [109]#9 April 1977 [110]#16 April 1977 [111]#23 April 1977 [112]#30 April 1977 [113]#7 May 1977 [114]#21 May 1977 [116]#28 May 1977 [117]#4 June 1977 [118]#11 June 1977 [119]#18 June 1977 [120]#25 June 1977 [121]#2 July 1977 [122]#9 July 1977 [123]#16 July 1977 [124]#23 July 1977 [125]#30 July 1977 [126]#6 August 1977 [127]#13 August 1977 [128]#20 August 1977 [129]
Battle Action (1977)
#19 November 1977 [142]#26 November 1977 [143]#3 December 1977 [144]#24 December 1977 [147]#31 December 1977 [148]#7 January 1978 [149]#14 January 1978 [150]#21 January 1978 [151]#28 January 1978 [152]#4 February 1978 [153]#11 February 1978 [154]#18 February 1978 [155]#25 February 1978 [156]#4 March 1978 [157]#11 March 1978 [158]#18 March 1978 [159]#1 April 1978 [161]#15 April 1978 [163]#22 April 1978 [164]#29 April 1978 [165]#6 May 1978 [166]#13 May 1978 [167]#20 May 1978 [168]#27 May 1978 [169]#3 June 1978 [170]#10 June 1978 [171]#17 June 1978 [172]#24 June 1978 [173]#1 July 1978 [174]#8 July 1978 [175]#15 July 1978 [176]#22 July 1978 [177]#29 July 1978 [178]#5 August 1978 [179]#12 August 1978 [180]#19 August 1978 [181]#26 August 1978 [182]#2 September 1978 [183]#9 September 1978 [184]#16 September 1978 [185]#23 September 1978 [186]#30 September 1978 [187]#7 October 1978 [188]#21 October 1978 [190]#28 October 1978 [191]#4 November 1978 [192]#18 November, 1978 [194]#2 December, 1978 [196]#9 December, 1978 [197]#16 December, 1978 [198]#23 December, 1978 [199]#6 January 1979 [200]#13 January 1979 [201]#20 January 1979 [202]#27 January 1979 [203]#3 February 1979 [204]#10 February 1979 [205]#17 February 1979 [206]#24 February 1979 [207]#3 March 1979 [208]#10 March 1979 [209]#17 March 1979 [210]#24 March 1979 [211]#31 March 1979 [212]#7 April 1979 [213]#14 April 1979 [214]#12 May 1979 [218]#19 May 1979 [219]#26 May 1979 [220]#2 June 1979 [221]#9 June 1979 [222]#7 July, 1979 [226]#14 July 1979 [227]#21 July 1979 [228]#28 July 1979 [229]#4 August 1979 [230]#11 August 1979 [231]#1 September 1979 [234]#22 September 1979 [237]#29 September 1979 [238]#13 October 1979 [240]#20 October 1979 [241]#27 October 1979 [242]#3 November 1979 [243]#10 November 1979 [244]#17 November 1979 [245]#24 November 1979 [246]#1 December 1979 [247]#8 December 1979 [248]#15 December 1979 [249]#22 December 1979 [250]#29 December 1979 [251]#5 January 1980 [252]#16 February 1980 [254]#23 February 1980 [255]#1 March 1980 [256]#8 March 1980 [257]#15 March 1980 [258]#22 March 1980 [259]#5 April 1980 [261]#19 April 1980 [263]#26 April 1980 [264]#3 May 1980 [265]#10 May 1980 [266]#21 June 1980 [268]#28 June 1980 [269]#5 July 1980 [270]#12 July 1980 [271]#19 July 1980 [272]#26 July 1980 [273]#2 August 1980 [274]#9 August 1980 [275]#16 August 1980 [276]#23 August 1980 [277]#30 August 1980 [278]#6 September 1980 [279]#13 September 1980 [280]#20 September 1980 [281]#27 September 1980 [282]#4 October 1980 [283]#11 October 1980 [284]