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Commando Issues 4543-4546 – On Sale 25 October 2012

Commando No 4543 – Focke-Wulf Hi-Jack

In 1941, the Luftwaffe’s sleek and deadly Focke-Wulf 190 appeared from nowhere to terrorise the RAF. Even their best fighter, the Supermarine Spitfire MkV, was no match for it. The British needed an intact Fw190 to discover its weaknesses…and a way to defeat it.
   The top brass came up with a simple but dangerous plan. A crack Commando squad would lead a raid to steal a Focke-Wulf from right under the Jerries’ noses! All they needed was a pilot.
   That’s when Flight Lieutenant Tam McDermott stepped up. Fluent in German and with a working knowledge of Luftwaffe aircraft, he was perfect – if only he could survive his Commando training!

Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Rezzonico
Cover: Janek Matysiak


Commando No 4544 – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Private Frankie Horton was far from the best soldier ever to serve in the Eighth Army. His rifle was likely to be the dirtiest and his uniform the scruffiest in his squad. He also had a tendency to dream, particularly about being a magician – an ambition he had had since childhood.
   No-one would have believed it if they were told that, thanks to Frankie, an almost certain German victory in North Africa would be averted.
   Not even Frankie. And he believed in magic.

Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Keith Page
Cover: Keith Page

Commando No 4545 – Clash Of Steel

Popski’s Private Army

Every regiment has its daredevil, the one man who doesn’t know the meaning of fear. In Popski’s Private Army there were nothing else but daredevils, each one more daring than the next.
   This is the story of a Desert Army sergeant, who accidentally came to make up a foursome with three of the toughest and craziest of Popski’s desert pirates.
   Men said you had to be certified crazy to qualify for the PPA. Well, maybe Sergeant Dave Jones was at that…Crazy-brave!

Introduction

When I tell you that this is a fantastic Commando story, you’d be quite entitled to think, “Well, he would say that wouldn’t he?” And that would be fair enough. However, it really is true and I can say it because it was created long before I had anything to do with Commando – even as a reader.
   Starting with Ken Barr’s brooding cover with its hint of action in the binocular lens and moving to Alonso’s brilliant “pants-on-fire” realisation of the Henderson script, it really is action-packed from start to finish. The fistfight scenes throughout are a work of artistic magic.
   As you’ll have gathered, I really like this one…and I think you will too.

Calum Laird, Editor

Clash Of Steel originally Commando No 50 (December 1962)

Story: Henderson
Art: Alonso
Cover: Ken Barr


Commando No 4546 – A Touch Of Courage

Do you believe in magic? No? Well, Englishman Sam Benson wasn’t too sure either. While out in Australia he saw an aboriginal ceremony where the natives touched a totem believing it would give them courage.
   Little did he know that several months later, while fighting the Japanese on the far-off island of Ketta, that same ritual would save his life!

Introduction

Here’s another gem of a story from our Silver Collection – a silver gem, is that possible?
   Back in the 1980s, I was a Commando reader and, as well as the stories, I used to enjoy the inside feature pages too. Sometimes they’d be weapons specs, aircraft illustrations, weird vehicles, quizzes, or World War II trivia, amongst many other things.
   Now, over 25 years later, it’s a privilege (and brilliantly surreal) to be regularly writing a Commando feature page! So, for the trivia buffs among you, if you’re interested, the original version of this feature page consisted of what…?
   A rather stern-faced photo of top England goalkeeper Peter Shilton – in Commando’s ‘Stars Of Soccer’ series!

Scott Montgomery, Deputy Editor

A Touch Of Courage, originally Commando No 2082 (April 1987)

Story: Cyril Walker
Art: Cecil Rigby
Cover: Jeff Bevan

More info: http://www.commandocomics.com