Commando
issues 4935-4938 – On Sale 28th July 2016
Commando
No 4935 – Firebrand!
Siblings
Ian and John Jenkins were both R.A.F. pilots. Ian was the elder, calm and
confident. John was younger and hot-headed, a definite firebrand. Based in the
North-East of Scotland, they protected the coast against attack from the
marauding Luftwaffe.
However, when tragedy struck,
John found himself embroiled in a mystery — one that involved death,
destruction and even espionage. And it seemed there was a family connection.
The firebrand was determined to find the answers…whatever the cost.
Story:
Colin Watson
Art: Janek
Matysiak
Cover:
Janek Matysiak
Commando
No 4936 – Fighter Ace
“Flame
Squadron” they were called in the R.A.F. But to the baffled pilots of the Luftwaffe
they were known as “Flame Devils”.
When an aircraft was shot to
pieces, cartwheeling across the sky in a mass of flames, somewhere in that
blazing Spitfire a cool fighting brain still functioned, a finger still pressed
the firing button. Long after any pilot must have perished, each plane carried
on flying.
As the Luftwaffe’s terror grew,
one of Germany’s top spies was sent to ferret out the secret of the “Flame
Devils”…
Introduction
This curio
from 1966 has a vaguely supernatural premise about indestructible Spitfire
pilots who can seemingly survive the flames of aerial battle — Commando with a
pulp fiction, or even science-fiction, flavour. Then, however, author
Boutland’s (first name unknown) story veers into espionage territory, making it
more of a traditional tale — but one that’s certainly well-drawn by Arias and
with a moody action cover painted by Buccheri.
Scott
Montgomery, Deputy Editor
Fighter
Ace, originally Commando No 206 (March 1966), re-issued as No 843 (June 1974)
Story: Boutland
Art: Arias
Cover: Buccheri
Commando
No 4937 – Making His Mark
When World
War II broke out Mark Enfield quit his office job and enlisted in the army.
Although enthusiastic, he was quite puny and unfit. Nor was he a very good shot
— and many noted the irony that he shared his surname with the famous Lee
Enfield rifle that they used.
.He became a target of bullies among
his fellow recruits in basic training and this continued when they went into
battle.
However, Mark was determined to
stand up to his detractors once and for all, especially when his unit was
tasked with destroying a strategically important bridge which was in enemy
hands.
Story:
George Low
Art: John
Ridgway
Cover:
John Ridgway
Commando
No 4938 – Burning Skies
During the
war most people served in the same unit all the time. However, Jack Banham was
different. He was in an Italian jail, then a front-line trench with the Greek
army, then the observer’s cockpit of an Italian biplane. At one time he was
even a colonel in the Greek army…
…Or was it
the Greek air force? Months afterwards he still wasn’t sure. Not that it
mattered, for by that time he was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm!
Introduction
In some
ways it’s a pity that this tale’s original working title wasn’t used. Veteran
Commando author R.A. Montague called it ‘Jack Of All Trades’. This neatly sums
up the multifarious activities of our protagonist, Jack Banham — on his journey
from being a civilian treasure hunter to a soldier, then eventually fighting in
aircraft.
This relentless yarn rarely
pauses for breath. Proof once more that Commando’s 63-page format allows a
story room to go to unexpected places.
Scott
Montgomery, Deputy Editor
Burning
Skies, originally Commando No 1116, (April 1977), re-issued as No 2436 (January
1991)
Story:
R.A. Montague
Art:
Maidagan
Cover: Ian
Kennedy
