Saturday, April 02, 2011

Commando: Four new titles out now


Here's the news from the front line, courtesy of Commando editor Calum Laird:

Commando 4379: Mask Of Death

The Convict Commandos — Jelly Jakes, Smiler Dawson, Titch Mooney — and their leader Guy Tenby are back in action. This time they are planning to snatch a scientist from under the noses of the Nazis in occupied Europe.
It’s no easy job and, with treachery afoot, the prison sentences they’re trying to avoid begin to look a very tempting alternative.

The second adventure for the latest band of Commando heroes.

Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Benet
Cover Art: Benet



Commando 4380: Attack From The East

Most people would think that nothing much happened in the peaceful village of Helmsbeath, situated on a remote island on Scotland’s North West coast. And most people would have been right to think that…until the fateful day in late 1944 when Helmsbeath was invaded. Invaded by the armed and dangerous crew of a Japanese C3 submarine and the crazed Nazi scientist who was with them!
Would the villagers survive…ATTACK FROM THE EAST?

Story: Tom Hart
Art Rezzonico
Cover: Janek Matysiak



Commando 4381: Jungle Fury

Introduction by Calum Laird, Commando Editor

What hits you most about this story is the cover. Ken Barr’s image leaps clean off the page and you can almost hear that soldier screaming blue murder. Inside the story is of a jungle trek involving an elephant and train. It shouldn’t work, but it does picking up pace throughout.
Artist Cecil Rigby was a Commando regular from 1961 until No 3272 in late 1999 — a total of around 150 books — and he well captures the atmosphere of the jungle and the fury in this one.


In the steaming jungles of Burma, man has a thousand enemies…the wild animals, the snakes and poisonous insects, the deadly fevers. But the fighting British jungle patrols had an enemy more deadly that any of these…the creeping Japanese soldiers who could appear from nowhere and sow the lead seeds of death before melting again into the waiting green background.
But Sergeant Tom Flynn had his own way of silencing the Banzai cries of those Sons of Nippon.
With a handful of men and a heart full of courage he fought his way through them — and with him he brought a strange prize…ten million pounds in solid gold.

Story: Couglin
Art: Cecil Rigby
Cover Art: Ken Barr

Jungle Fury, originally Commando No 9 (October 1961), re-issued as No 2587 (August 1992)



Commando 4382: Six Of The Best

Introduction by Scott Montgomery, Deputy Editor

There are many types of hero but, in my opinion, the most interesting kind is the unlikely hero — the underdog. And, as you may have guessed from the title, in this brilliant tale you get six for the price of one (which, back in 1980 was a mere 12p — even at today’s prices we reckon we’re still good value).
So please join me in rooting for half-a-dozen ordinary (if admittedly a bit useless) blokes, left behind as a desert rearguard, determined to prove that they’ve got what it takes to be the best…


Six men — five private soldiers who couldn’t do a thing right and a brand-new Second Lieutenant who had never been in action. Left behind as a rearguard just in case the Jerries showed up, they landed in a hotter spot than anyone had bargained for — and became the most unlikely heroes of the Second World War!

Story: David Motton
Art: Ramon de la Fuente
Cover Art: Penalva

Six Of The Best, originally Commando No 490 (July 1970), re-issued as No 1379 (January 1980)

http://www.commandocomics.com

2 comments:

  1. Hi Lew, you look like an expert on this sort of thing, could you please tell me if the beano No.1 on ebay is real. Personally I think the centre pages are too white aand he has no other auctions.
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beano-Issue-No-1-July-30-1938_W0QQitemZ200593481695QQcategoryZ50184QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8176660343547242064

    ReplyDelete
  2. No way is that a genuine Beano No.1.
    Real first issue didn't have staples, and the centre pages were in red and blue not black ink.

    ReplyDelete

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