The UK's longest running adventure comic Commando hits 4,500 issues this week as the latest batch of four editions arrive in shops today. No sign of celebrations though, but no doubt that'll come when the comic reaches 5000 issues. Here's the lowdown kindly supplied by editor Calum Laird...
Commando No 4499: Hunting MussoliniThe Convict Commandos — Jelly Jakes, Titch Mooney, Smiler Dawson — and their commander Guy Tenby had been given another job. This time they were to hunt down Mussolini in his hide-out. Easier said than done when they weren’t the only ones doing the same.
Guy, as usual, had a plan…but it wasn’t supposed to include Jelly hanging from the undercarriage of an airborne Fieseler Storch!
Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Manuel Benet
Cover: Manuel Benet
Commando No 4500: Lightning Strike
The war in the Far East was almost over. Japan’s armed forces had been ground down and the country was on its knees. The Japanese hadn’t given in though, they hoped super-fighters like the Kyushu Shinden — Magnificent Lightning — could stem the flow of US bombers ravaging their country.
They could never have guessed that the Shinden’s finest moment would come protecting the very enemies it had been designed to destroy.
Story: Alan Hebden
Art: John Ridgway
Cover: John Ridgway
Commando No 4501: Night RaiderOut of the night sky he came – a man with no mercy in his heart and a blazing tommy-gun in his hands, whose one ambition was to wreak destruction on all things Nazi. He became the Scarlet Pimpernel of German-occupied Europe.
Introduction by Calum Laird, Commando Editor
Women in Commando are a rare sighting but, like buses, when they do turn up there’s more than one. I counted at least three in here, and a bit of romance.
Don’t think that it means that Stainton’s story isn’t an all guns blazing story as it is, running from the beaches of Dunkirk to a full-on Commando raid in France, and with barely time to reload along the way. His touch means that the espionage, beautifully pointed up by Ken Barr’s dramatic night drop cover, manages to be action-packed, not tension-filled.
Add to that Alonso’s 100mph inside art and you have a solid gold winner. Makes you proud to be part of the Commando Team.
Night Raider originally Commando No35 (April 1962)
Story: Stainton
Art: Alonso
Cover: Ken Barr
Commando No 4502: Battle FlagThe Second Battalion, Daleshire Light Infantry, had something to be proud of — their very own “battle flag”, a standard given to them after their heroic triumph over Napoleon’s finest troops. Carried into action, it would inspire the men to further brave deeds.
So when one young officer’s courage failed him and the flag was captured, the thought of it in enemy hands made him vow to keep it safe — even after his death!
Introduction by Scott Montgomery, Commando Deputy Editor
Gritty action is undoubtedly what Commando does best. However, over the decades there have also been comedies, capers, historical epics, science-fiction and…ghost stories. Battle Flag is a good example of the latter. After a detailed framing sequence, veteran writer Cyril Walker cleverly weaves a tale with an eerie thread that runs throughout but does not overwhelm the action and adventure. Interestingly, the working title for this story was “The Flintshire Phantom”. That’s a good one and, had it been pitched today, I’m sure that it would have been used! Enjoy.
Battle Flag, originally Commando No 2063 (February 1987) Commando 4502
Story: Cyril G. Walker
Art: Cecil Rigby
Cover: Jeff Bevan
1 comment:
Hmm, there's an anime called "Sky Crawlers" with planes like that Magnificent Lightning one in it, but fighting against huge delta-wing bombers in a world that seems to be closer to the 50's but with some backwards technology (like propellor planes and no atom bombs). The makers have a full size model hung up in the lobby of thier office (which according to the pictures I've seen is down some back alley, opposite a mouldy lockup... but that's Tokyo for you)
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