Death Squad (British comics)

Death Squad was a recurring strip in the British comics magazine Battle Action (later simply Battle) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The strip was initially written by Gerry Finley-Day (credited as Gerry Day) and primarily drawn by Geoff Senior.

Death Squad focused on a small unit of German soldiers during World War II, fighting on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Red Army. Unlike traditional depictions of German soldiers in British war comics, the members of Death Squad were presented as a ragtag bunch of cynical, often reluctant soldiers rather than fanatical Nazis. They were motivated more by survival and a sense of camaraderie than by ideological fervor.

The team typically consisted of a grizzled, world-weary sergeant (often the de facto leader), a demolitions expert, a skilled marksman, and other supporting characters. Their missions often involved dangerous reconnaissance, sabotage, or holding actions against overwhelming odds. The strip was notable for its gritty realism and bleak outlook, often portraying the brutal realities of warfare and the moral compromises required for survival.

While they fought for the German army, Death Squad's anti-heroic nature made them popular with readers, contrasting sharply with the more clear-cut good versus evil narratives often found in other war comics. The characters displayed traits of humanity, compassion, and even occasional acts of defiance against the Nazi regime, blurring the lines between enemy and protagonist. The strip's popularity contributed to the trend of war comics presenting more nuanced portrayals of soldiers on all sides of the conflict.