Codename WARLORD returns this month!

Big news from D.C. Thomson today. The character Peter Flint, Codename: Warlord is to return in brand new stories in Commando comic. Flint originally appeared in the war weekly Warlord back in 1974. Warlord is recognised as a groundbreaking title which began the dynamic revitalisation of boys' comics, leading to Battle Picture Weekly, Action, and 2000AD. 

Warlord No.1 from 1974.

Here's the full information from the D.C. Thomson Press Release...

Codename Warlord returns in the pages of Commando.

Commando presents Codename Warlord, the return of beloved character Lord Peter Flint to comic pages for the first time in over twenty years.

Published since 1961 by DC Thomson Media, Commando is Britain's longest-running war comic, with over five thousands issues to its name. Unlike other DC Thomson titles, Commando has persevered almost unchanged since its first issues but now, something new comes to its pocket sized, black and white interiors pages. 

Reminiscent of other DC Thomson mergers of the past; Bullet merging with Warlord, and Warlord merging with The Victor, Warlord comes to Commando pages, kicking off with the Britain's top secret agent, Lord Peter Flint,

Last published in 1986, Lord Peter Flint headlined many issues of Warlord, from comics to codes, from letter pages to merchandise and a secret agent club,

His latest interpretation is from prolific Commando writer, lain Mclaughlin who has over twenty-five Commando issues, including two series, to his name in less than two years. McLaughlin, who was a diehard fan of Flint growing up, tackles the Warlord spy with ease. He says:

"The first issue of Warlord came out on a week when I was off school with a stinker of a cold. My dad bought me this new comic to cheer me up a bit - and also so he could read it himself. I read that issue of Warlord and I was hooked. After that, I read every issue for the next six or seven years. A huge part of what kept me reading was Codename Warlord with Lord Peter Flint. He was part James Bond, part Scarlet Pimpernel and completely brilliant. The scripts and the art came together to tell wonderful, gripping stories that stick in the memory even to this day. When I was asked to come up with ideas to bring Lord Peter Flint to the pages of Commando I leaped at the chance. Flint is a fantastic character with so much potential for the kind of fantastic adventure stories Commando is famous for. I hope the readers have as much fun reading Flint's return as I had writing it,"

What's more, artist Manuel Benet was also a fan of Codename Warlord, and was delighted to take the mantle on, saying "[Flint] is a hero l would like to work on" when he was offered the job of depicting the spy. His work is topped off with an amazing wraparound cover by lan Kennedy, who also did some of the original covers for Warlord in its heyday.

Lord Peter Flint is just the first in a series of characters from the archive to be brought back in the pages of Commando by DC Thomson's Heritage Comics - but we're afraid that information is top secret... coded messages to follow.

Commando lssues 5255 'Codename Warlord' and 5263 'Codename Warlord: Ship of Fools' are out 22nd August and 19th September in select WHSmith stores or digitally via the Comixology or Readly apps. Alternatively orders can be placed by emailing shop@dctmedia.co.uk

5255: Home of Heroes: Codename Warlord

Story: lain Mclaughlin 
Art: Manuel Benet 
Cover: lan Kennedy 

5255: Home of Heroes: Codename Warlord: Ship of Fools

Story: lain Mclaughlin 
Art: Manuel Benet 
Cover: Manuel Benet 


The press pack from D.C. Thomson came with these great reproductions of the original Warlord Secret Agent Code Book, Identity Card, and Badge, all based on the 1970s originals...

WARLORD shakes things up (1974)

British comics based around one theme were nothing new but in the 1970s they began to proliferate. IPC's all-football comic Scorcher proved popular for a few years, but comics in general were looking dated and tired. In 1974 came a weekly that would give the industry the kick up the pants it needed. Published by D.C. Thomson on Wednesday 25th September 1974, Warlord No.1 blasted onto the stands.

British comics at the time looked quite refined in comparison to Warlord's dynamic cover. Its logo looked like it was daubed in blood, the colour palette was condensed to bold orange-reds and yellow (the colour of fire) and it featured one single figure, gun blazing, charging towards the reader. The side banner used three key phrases in cover design: "No.1", "NEW", and "FREE" all boldly set to be noticed halfway across a shop. How could any young lad resist this comic? 

Inside, even the editorial page looked exciting with "ACTION" the remit of the comic. 

The story pages had a radical design too, for a British comic. Usually in those days, there'd be a banner or boxed in header and around eight panels on a page. Warlord's strips used big splash panels and huge logos that yelled out to the readers. Design wise, this was a loud comic, befitting a war weekly. 

The strips played up the action angle too, although by and large they retained many of the traditional and pro-establishment approaches to comics such as the more staid Victor. There was also an element of familiarity by using some long-established D.C. Thomson characters such as Braddock and The Wolf of Kabul, but that was a sensible move on D.C. Thomson's part. 

The main strip was Code Name: Warlord, often running to eight pages, and given nine pages for his debut episode. Lord Peter Flint was the Warlord, so not exactly someone for working class kids to relate to but he still proved popular. 

Warlord's impact on the UK comics industry was just what it needed. It inspired IPC to commission Pat Mills and John Wagner to create a rival comic, - Battle Picture Weekly (see here) which in turn led to the gritty Action, and then 2000AD. The latter's influence on comics and movies has been immense. 

As a bonus, here are the front and back covers of issues 2 to 4. D.C. Thomson's designers were the masters of the compelling house ad...

Dynamic Covers of D.C. Thomson comics

Unless they're bagged with a bundle of gifts obscuring the comic (as many today sadly are) the front cover of a publication is vitally important to attract attention. D.C. Thomson have always understood this, and have produced many striking full page illustrations over the years to grab the interest of readers. To my mind, this was even more evident in the 1970s, when Warlord debuted with a more dynamic attitude than its companion comics such as Victor or Hornet.

Warlord's more vibrant style was evident on its covers. Often only printed with variations of red and yellow (no doubt partly to cut costs) it gave them a fiery look that combined very effectively with the striking cover artwork and the direct tone of the excellent lettering. We often look to IPC's Battle, Action, and 2000AD as pioneers of the modern comic but Warlord got there first. Admittedly the content of those IPC titles was more street-cred and radical, but Warlord's melodramatic cover style and page layout started that new approach to comics of the seventies. 

As well as influencing its rivals, Warlord also inspired a change in the comics that followed, with Bullet and Crunch also adopting the more dramatic cover style. Anyway, enough talk. Let the pictures tell the story with this small selection of D.C. Thomson covers scanned from my collection.