The latest set of Commando (Issues 5911 – 5914) from DC Thomson go on sale from Thursday 4th December 2025, featuring tales of heroism on the home front and abroad, and the return of a Lord Peter Flint, Codename: Warlord.
By coincidence, I suspect, rather than design, this set features the work of three Doctor Who comic artists, Mike Collins providing the art on the all-new “Fear of Fire” set in World War Two Bristol, written by Colin Maxwell; and a representation of “Torpedo Strike”, first published back in 1971, with art by John Ridgway, one of his earliest Commando stories. (His first was No. 546 “Mustang Ace”, published in April 1971. He last drew a new story for Commando in 2016, No. 4937, “Making His Mark”, and is largely focused today on his own projects).
Plus, of course, cover artist Neil Roberts has made his own contributions to Doctor Who mythos, with his illustration work for example for BBC Books, and as the artist on the The Sarah Jane Adventures comic, Return of the Krulius.
Here’s our guide and mini reviews of this set…
Commando 5911 (Home of Heroes): Fear of Fire
Story: Colin Maxwell | Art: Mike Collins | Cover: Neil Roberts
The Heinkel 111 bombers laid a blanket of fire across Bristol. The blazes spread across the city and infernos raged inside houses and factories alike. Inside one, the wood burned and embers flew into Police Sergeant Eric Roe’s eyes. The foul, black smoke clawed at his lungs and the swirling flames licked at his face, singeing the flesh.
Fear bubbled in his throat like bile, but clutching the young child to his chest, he had to get out – he had to survive!
Alongside good writers, Commando is attracting some excellent artists to its pages lately, joining the title’s more regular contributors. This set sees the welcome return of the brilliant Neil Roberts on cover duties, and the all-new “Fear of Fire”, a home front story, marks the return of Mike Collins, who previously drew No. 5673, “Disaster in Dieppe”, written by Andrew Knighton, published in 2023.
Effectively mixing wartime terror with mystery, “Fear of Fire” centres on Eric Roe, a policeman whose past bravery has cost him dearly, and left him scarred, physically and mentally. Despite this, thanks to help from a loyal WPC, he takes on an investigation to root out a spy – and although it’s pretty obvious who it is to this reader, there’s plenty to enjoy for those of you who might never have seen Went the Day Well. An entertaining yarn with some excellent art from Mike. Recommended.
Commando 5912 (Gold): Torpedo Strike
Story: Brunt | Art: John Ridgway | Cover: Ian Kennedy
First published 1971 as No. 594
They said Bob Kernot could pilot his Beaufort back to base from any point of the compass in even the worst weather. He just seemed to sniff the air and hey presto, he and his crew were heading straight for home.
Bob had Roma blood in his veins. He could even see into the future and foretell what was going to happen, good or bad. And to know there’s deadly danger ahead and still fly on to meet it without flinching – that takes nerves of steel and real guts. Like Bob had…
There’s an underlying theme of privilege versus unacknowledged talent to this vintage adventure, as a know all new navigator joins a veteran Beaufort crew pitted first against a German battleship, then facing Italian fire in the Mediterranean, that skirmish marred by fear prompted by Bob Kernot’s nightmares. In true Commando tradition, of course, antagonism eventually becomes respect though shared adversity, Brunt’s script brought to life with art perfect for the Commando format by John Ridgway, then just starting his professional comics career when this story was first commissioned in the 1970s today better known for his work on Doctor Who and Hellblazer. (If you’re a fan of his work, you should check out the whole spinoff, Inferno: The World Dies Screaming, recently published by Cutaway Comics).
Fans of John’s work will know him for his meticulous attention to detail, aided back in the 1970s, he’s often told me, by reference supplied by the Commando team when assigned a script back then. His art is exemplary here: bringing Brunt’s script to believable life and terrific aerial scenes, rounded off with similarly expertly delivered desert action.
A great choice of reprint from the Commando archive.
Commando 5913 (For Action and Adventure): Codename Warlord: Stormcaster
Story: Dominic Teague | Art: Paolo Ongaro | Cover: Neil Roberts
The Libyan desert is experiencing some funny weather! Mysterious, sudden rainstorms are turning the hot sands to boggy quagmires that are beaching British tanks! But not only that, a Nazi officer has disguised himself as an Arab tribesman to sow discontent, and a German scientist has attempted to defect – something very strange is going on.
Enter Lord Peter Flint – Codename: Warlord – Britain’s best secret agent, to investigate the weird happenings. A storm is brewing, and he can sense the hand of his old nemesis, Professor Kranz, is behind it all!
Never let it be said that writer Dominic Teague doesn’t have fun writing these new Warlord stories, utilising Commando’s longer format to make the most of the character, both as an action hero and a comic foil to the Nazis he’s up against.
On this occasion, aided by a willing British soldier who rather fancies he too could make a great secret agent, if only he could come up with an appropriate codename, Warlord takes on another mad scientist, this time one who wants to use a new discovery to flood Britain by making it rain… perpetually. As Lord Peter Flint points out, a little rain is hardly going to damage British morale, but the storms Professor Kranz has mind are rather more apocalyptic than the usual showers that plague our isles.
A romp of an adventure, with a nod to a certain Gerry Anderson show just part of the fun as Warlord faces a sandy end, Dominic delivers another thrill-packed adventure, complemented by Paolo Ongaro’s accomplished art.
Commando 5914 (Silver): The Cat, The Rat, and The Cobra
Story: CG Walker | Art: Gordon C Livingstone | Cover: Jeff Bevan
First published 1984 as No. 1831
A cat and a rat wouldn’t normally stand a chance against a deadly cobra, would they? But when The Cat was a brilliant British agent, The Rat a cunning French thief, and The Cobra a ruthless Gestapo officer, who could tell what would happen?
For the sake of the Resistance men the Nazis were intent on killing, the snake had to lose…
Truth to tell, this story of three very different characters, one of them a rather ineffectual Nazi, isn’t one of writer CG Walker’s best. Too many characters muddy a rather complicated plot as the French resistance fights back against the invaders. While Gordon C. Livingstone does his best to make the various characters look distinctive, it’s as if the story was a combination of different plot ideas inextricably thrown together, forming a rather unsatisfying whole. Action happens off panel; certain events are the result of too much coincidence. While this is a story delivered by consummate Commando comic veteran, for me it’s something of a disappointment, and I couldn’t help but wonder if, originally, it was victim to tight turnaround, explaining the unusual lack of polish. Still, we do get a fine cover from the brilliant Jeff Bevan, which is some small but welcome recompense, but for me, not the best of tales. Others may differ.
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• If there’s a past Commando comic you would like to see reprinted, contact the team via generalenquiries@commandomag.com
Commando Issue 5911 – 5914 Gallery
• Commando Comics is online at commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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