Here’s the intel on the latest issues of DC Thomson’s Commando (Issues 4815-4818) on sale now in all good newsagents and through various digital outlets. If you’re a Commando fan, why not take advantage of our subscription offer?
Commando 4815 – Ramsey’s Raiders: Italian Ambush
Story: Ferg Handley Art: Keith Page Cover: Ian Kennedy
Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/4th-june-2015-collection?issue=4815
His superiors described Captain James Ramsey as unconventional. His enemies described him as a menace. His men described him as The Boss.
No matter how he was characterised, though, the man was a fighting fury that no-one in their right mind would cross. Then a bunch of Italian guerrilla fighters did just that. Despite the snow, sparks would fly!
Commando 4816 – Operation Tinfish
Originally Commando No 150 (January 1965)
Story: Boutland Art: Cecil Rigby Cover: Ken Barr
Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/4th-june-2015-collection?issue=4816
Sinister shapes like prowling sharks — and just as dangerous — swim silently towards a German battleship. Total destruction is their aim.
And all the time hostile German eyes are marking the frogmen’s every move…
Some of Liverpool football club trading cards, released as a set of 12 in 1968 (possibly by The Sun newspaper), featuring sketches of Liverpool FC players and manager Bill Shankly by Cecil Rigby.
“The artist responsible for the inside work in this book, Cecil Rigby, was one of the original Commando cadre of illustrators,” notes Calum Laird, Commando Editor. “He started with Number Three and finished with Number 3272 — 146 books in just shy of 39 years, which is far from shabby.
“What isn’t clear from his Commando work is that he was a wickedly accurate caricaturist; his “portraits” of footballers graced many a newspaper. His art always had an old-fashioned style to it but this lends a period air to the stories and works very well here.
“The story is unusual with so much underwater action but it’s classic Commando and well merits its second airing. Dive straight into it!”
Commando 4817 – Battle In The Arctic
Story: George Low Art: Olivera Cover: Janek Matysiak
Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/4th-june-2015-collection?issue=4817
When a Liberator bomber carrying a group of high level military staff crash-landed in the icy wastes of Greenland, Lieutenant Alec Bartley and his squad of tough, mountain-trained Commandos were sent to find any survivors.
Alec and his team had the use of highly-manoeuvrable Aerosled vehicles to aid their search, but time was of the essence — an equally deadly German force was desperate to locate that downed aircraft first…
Commando 4818 – Smith V Schmidt
Originally Commando No 2351 (February 1990)
Story: Alan Hemus Art: Keith Shone Cover: Jeff Bevan
Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/4th-june-2015-collection?issue=4818
A sniper was usually good — or dead. There were no half measures, for the first mistake was usually his last. Tim Smith and Willi Schmidt were just learning their deadly trade on different sides, their classroom the battlefields of Normandy.
When their paths crossed the certainty grew that one of them must die — unless fate stepped in and lent a helping hand.
“When I read this book I was initially struck by its authenticity,” says Scott Montgomery, Deputy Editor, “not just in terms of plot or setting but more so the specifics in the minutiae of what it must have really been like for a sniper during wartime. Imagine; the drills; discipline; isolation and sheer ruthlessness required, and what meeting these demands might do to a person psychologically.
“Then the Ed casually mentioned that author Alan Hemus had been a sniper himself!
“That gave a fresh meaning to the old adage, “Write what you know about…”
“However, budding Commando writers take note: previous military service is not compulsory.”
Alan, who died in 2009, also wrote for numerous DC Thomson titles and published several children’s novels as Print On Demand titles in his later years, illustrated by Keith Robson, including an American Civil War story, The Far Land, Once There Were Wolves, the magical fantasy These Old Stones (available free) and Night Walker (also free). Steve Holland has a detailed obituary to the author on Bear Alley here.
• There are more details of Commando on the official Commando website, the Commando Facebook page
• Commando Collections: Our Checklist
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Commando Digital Editions
- Available on the App Store for Apple devices
- Available on Comixology
- Available on Readly
- Android App on Google Play
- Available on Kindle
- Available as browser edition
- About the Author
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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, downthetubes Comics News
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