Commando issues 5463-5466 are out this Thursday from DC Thomson Media, and available now digitally, offering duelling F-14 Tomcats, tenacious tank terrors, harrowing Horse Artillery, and defying inner demons – get yours soon!

Commando 5463: Home of Heroes – Target Tomcat
Story: James Swallow | Art: Vicente Alcazar | Cover: Keith Burns
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Adversary pilots Shane Whitman and Ghazi Khadem will stop at nothing to achieve air superiority over the other – proving once and for all who the best top gun flyer is! What started out as an arrogant competition between rivals has turned into a quest for revenge and neither will stop until the other is dead. But with both men piloting the iconic F-14 Tomcat swing-wing, this is a duel that only the swiftest will survive…

An unusual setting for Commando, this high-octane issue from James Swallow sees death-defying dogfights above the Persian Gulf with Cold War tensions.

Commando 5464: Gold Collection – Tank Tamer
Story: Allan | Art: J Fuente | Cover: Ken Barr
Originally Commando No. 415 (1969)
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The British troops crouched low in their trenches as the machine gun bullets and shells erupted all around them on that bare Italian mountain. And nearer and nearer came the massive Nazi tank that was doing all the damage. So the word went out – “Find Sergeant Dave Taylor. He’ll fix ‘em.”

For Dave was the man they called Tank Tamer. And if he didn’t live up to his name now, a lot of men were going to die…

A typically stunning cover from Ken Barr, the heat of the Italian campaign can almost be felt in his oil strokes, with the machine-gun fire mixing with the white-hot sky.

Commando 5465: Action and Adventure – Too Stubborn to Die
Story: Hailey Austin | Art and Cover: Manuel Benet
• Buy the digital edition from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

British Army Royal Horse Artillery Bombardier Billy Elder is a team master for the horses and mules that pull the 13-pounder guns on the Western front. It’s hard work, but before long Billy befriends a tenacious mule named Broonie who goes above and beyond the call of duty in the Battle of Somme, saving countless lives through persistence alone. Despite gas attacks, shelling and aerial artillery, it seems Broonie is too stubborn to die and inspires those around him to be the same!

Austin’s classically sombre tale is about those who served in the horrors of the trenches in World War One, focusing not just the men of the Royal Horse Artillery, but the animals who guided them too.

Commando 5466: Silver Collection – The Enemy Within
Story: CG Walker | Art | Ruiz: Cover: Ron Brown
Originally Commando No. 1713 (1983)
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In war, most men know who their enemy is – the sailor in the other warship, the pilot in the other plane, the soldiers in the other trench. But some men have a different kind of enemy. It’s something inside themselves, it could be a numbing fear or a blinding hatred. Whatever it is, it’s an opponent that must be fought.

A triple threat from CG Walker, Ruiz and Ron Brown, this classic tale about honour and bravery on all sides through generations at war is pure Commando gold.

• Commando Comics is online at www.commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | Commando Comics on AmazonUK

• The official 2022 Commando Calendar is available to pre-order direct from the DC Thomson Media web shop, featuring the cover of Commando 5293 by Ian Kennedy

• The Art of Ian Kennedy is available to order here on Amazon (Using this Affiliate Link helps support downthetubes, thank you)

The book showcases Ian’s fantastic array of work for not only DC Thomson Media but also his own personal collection. The high spec 160-page art book includes both never before seen and classic covers, as well as illustrations from the DC Thomson archives, featuring titles as diverse as Lucky Charm and Buddy. 

Set out chronologically, the book showcases Ian’s career at the famous Scottish publishing house, from his early days working on ‘Red-Skull Branson’ and ‘Commando Jim’ to his most recent covers and commissions for Commando

• The Art of Ian Kennedy is also available to order from DC Thomson direct

Commando issues 5463 – 5466 – Full Cover Gallery

• Commando Comics is online at www.commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | Commando Comics on AmazonUK

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: British Comics, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: Allan, CG Walker, Commando, DC Thomson Media, Hailey Austin, J Fuente, James Swallow, Keith Burns, Ken Barr, Manuel Benet, Ron Brown, Ruiz, Vicente Alcazar, War Comics