Writer Heath Ackley makes Commando debut

Commando 5119: Home of Heroes - The Wren and the Eagle

Brand new Commando (Issues 5119 – 5122) from DC Thomson are on sale on Thursday (3rd May) in all good UK newsagents and through various digital platforms and sees the debut of another new talent to the veteran title – writer Heath Ackley. Dodge Dornier shells on a BSA M20 motorbike, steal a Messerschmitt from a top secret Nazi airfield, fend off pirates in the Pacific and watch your tail for Allied murderer in the clouds…

Commando 5119: Home of Heroes – The Wren and the Eagle
Story: Heath Ackley | Art: Morhain | Cover: Neil Roberts

Judith Marshall was one of the first to sign up when the British government revived the WRNS in 1939. The navy was in her blood: her father was a Rear Admiral and her brother was a lieutenant, but when her mother suggested a “nice little office job” that wasn’t exactly what Judith had in mind. She wanted to be a driver, but little did she know that one day she’d be dodging German bombs on her despatch motorcycle, determined to deliver a message to HMS Forward, the contents of which could turn the tides of the war.

Heath Ackley’s first story for Commando takes the traditional values of the title, familial and national duty, and combines it with a Wren’s perspective, delving into new and exciting territory. The female lead also offers Morhain the opportunity to show off his skills for drawing women, keeping Judith feminine but tough, while Neil Roberts’ cover art is another instant win!

Commando 5120: Gold Collection - Day of Danger

Commando 5120: Gold Collection – Day of Danger
Story: McOwan | Art: Gordon C Livingstone | Cover: Gordon C Livingstone
Originally Commando No. 447 (December 1969). Reprinted No. 1267 (November 1978).

You wouldn’t believe former Flight Lieutenant Steve Tarrant when he said he wasn’t a traitor, and neither did anyone else. The evidence was mounting: he he been up on a court-martial for attacking a Royal Navy destroyer, then he flew his aircraft into enemy territory and returned in a Messerschmitt. But when a Mosquito containing a skeleton in Luftwaffe uniform was found in the Zuiderzee, only one man would listen to Steve’s story and help him clear his name!

Set at the time of its release, McOwan’s ‘Day of Danger’ is full of mystery and intrigue, tying the exploits of the Second World War with the present day in a unique framing device. This, combined with the instantly recognisable cover and interior art from Gordon C Livingstone makes this an issue for any collection.

Commando 5121: Action and Adventure - Mutiny Island

Commando 5121: Action and Adventure – Mutiny Island
Story: Shane Filer | Art: Rezzonico | Cover: Ian Kennedy

Stranded on a tropical island in the Pacific Ocean, Mitsubishi pilot Haruki Murakami and Corsair flyboy Josh Croyden thought their biggest threat was each other… but floating in a bay just offshore were two patrol boats, one American and one Japanese under a singular flag: The Jolly Roger. You see, what Haruki and Josh didn’t know was that hidden somewhere on the island was Yamashita’s treasure, and the Japanese captain who’d smuggled it would do anything to keep its location secret…

Another swashbuckling tale from Shane Filer, this issue of piracy during World War Two is a delightful romp, made even more so by the thick strokes and dense artwork from Rezzonico, adding to the tropical paradise setting and contrasting Ian Kennedy’s pristine aerial dogfight on the cover.

Commando 5122: Silver Collection - Murder in the Clouds

Commando 5122: Silver Collection – Murder in the Clouds
Story: Ian Clark | Art: Olivera | Cover: Ian Kennedy
Originally Commando No. 2776 (July 1994)

High above the clouds over the English Channel, British and American pilots plummeted to the sea, their aircraft shot up by Allied bullets. Tensions were high between the Yanks and the Limeys, but in the sky, they were supposed to fly as brothers… only one man did not. Nathan “Buzz” Healey was unhinged, whether before or after the war started, no-one knew, but once he was in the air the “killing time” began, and if he couldn’t down any Germans, he’d turn his sights elsewhere, his lust for death needing satiated.

Exhilarating from the start, Ian Kennedy’s glimmering cover juxtaposes the heavenly scene of the clouds with a dogfight between two Mustangs, showcasing the climax of Ian Clark’s Hitchcockian suspense thriller.

• Commando Comics are on sale every fortnight in all good newsagents and  Commando #5103 and #5105 are still on sale now for £2 per issue. Commando Comics are available to buy and request in WHSmith and local newsagents

• Print and digital subscriptions are available worldwide, and can be bought through the DC Thomson website 



Categories: British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Discover more from downthetubes.net

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading