World War II (Classics Illustrated Special Issue)

World War II chronicles the global conflict through a comic-strip retelling of major events, leaders, and turning points, highlighting its scale, human cost, and lasting impact.

To mark the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings, Classic Comic Store’s special issue of Classics Illustrated, World War II, tells the astonishing and horrifying story of the Second World War in comic-strip format. Classics Illustrated traces the chronology of the most costly war in human history from its outbreak to its conclusion, with over 60 million dead, trials for crimes against humanity and a new, terrifying threat over the world: the atomic bomb! The book contains 100 pages - 96 of Classics Illustrated's famous comic-strip re-telling and 4 more pages dedicated to exploring the war further, with fascinating facts, pictures, discussion questions and more. All major events in the war are covered, including the coming to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain, the Siege of Stalingrad and many more. The book also has biographies of several major war leaders, from Winston Churchill to Erwin Rommel, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Hideki Tojo.

JOHN BURNS was born in Essex. He started his career as an apprentice with Doris White at Link Studios in 1954. His earliest work were illustrations for Amalgamated Press titles like Girls' Crystal and School Friend. He additionally contributed to Express Weekly and then fulfilled his military service with the RAF in Singapore.

In 1960 he returned to Britain and began a collaboration with D.C. Thomson (adaptations of novels like 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Great Expectations' in Diana) and Odhams ('Kelpie' in Wham!).

Later on, he became an artist of daily comics for newspapers. His first newspaper strip was 'The Seekers' for The Daily Sketch from 1966 to 1971. He took over 'Modesty Blaise' from Enrique Romero, and worked on this strip for The Evening Standard in 1978-79. Other newspaper strips include 'Danielle' (Evening News, 1973-74), 'George and Lynne (1977-84), 'Jane' (Daily Mirror, 1985-89) and 'Smythie' (Evening News).

In 1987 he began drawing 'Julia', a newspaper strip for the German market (later renamed to 'Lilli'). Burns also worked on a bulk of TV tie-in strips for TV 21, Look-In and TV Action ('The Tomorrow People). His series for Eagle include 'Wrath of the Gods', 'The Fists of Dany Pike', 'Dolebusters' and 'Roving Reporter'.

On the European mainland, Burns is mostly known for his Sword & Sorcery series, 'Zetari', which he made in cooperation with the Dutch scenarist Martin Lodewijk. By the 1980s, Burns joined Fleetway/2000 AD, where he worked on such series as 'Dan Dare', 'Judge Dredd', and 'Trueno'. He co-created 'Bendatti Vendetta' for the Judge Dredd Megazine with Robbie Morrison, and became the lead artist of 'Nikolai Dante'.