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.