Cowardly Cadman returns to Commando, as an air ace!

By John Freeman on November 7, 2023

Commando 5697: Action and Adventure - Cadman: Up, Up and Away! Story: Andrew Knighton | Art: Mike Dorey | Cover: Mike Dorey and Bryn Houghton

Commando Issues 5695 – 5698 are on sale Thursday 9th November in all good newsagents from DC Thomson, and as digital editions. This set includes two all-new World War One issues to mark Remembrance Day, one featuring Cadman the Fighting Coward, alongside two rip-roaring reprints, one never before represented.

Yes, cowardly Cadman is back, plucked from the pages of the long-gone weekly comic The Victor and plunged into a new Commando story by Andrew Knighton and Mike Dorey, this time looking skyward to escape the trenches — but he soon finds that life in the Royal Flying Corps isn’t any easier or safer than on the ground!

Commando 5695: Home of Heroes: Monty’s Marauder’s – Machine-gun Mayhem
Story: Ferg Handley | Art and Cover: Carlos Pino

The fighting men of the First World War are back, as Monty’s Marauders return to wreak havoc on the Kaiser’s men!

Autumn 1915, and Second Lieutenant Aubrey Monteith’s superiors have planned a local offensive aimed at reducing a salient and straightening out the British lines. This meant plenty of work for the Marauders, as they were sent behind enemy lines to take out the enemy’s machine guns ahead of the battalion’s attack. That is… if things went to plan!

The Kaiser and his men had better watch out! Monty Marauder’s return to wreak havoc in no-man’s-land against the German lines in Ferg Handley’s returning series! With Carlos Pino’s outstanding artwork on the cover and interiors, you won’t want to miss this jaunt!

Commando 5696: Gold Collection – Sea Snatch
Story: Clegg | Art: Amador | Cover: Ian Kennedy
First Published 1970 as Issue 502

It’s hard to leave a mate in the lurch, especially when he’s wounded and behind German lines. It’s hard to forget he ever existed, even when you’re waging war against the hated Nazis.

That’s the spot Eric Carlsson and Chris Borge, two Norwegians who’d escaped to fly for the RAF, were in. They planned and plotted to rescue their friend who’d been left behind in Norway… even when they knew it meant disobeying orders and being called traitors and spies!

After all, he was their mate…

What a reprint this is! Clegg writes a tale as old as time about friends not leaving a man behind — no matter the cost! The bright and intense cover to ‘Sea Snatch’ is by the legendary Ian Kennedy and the clean, crisp interiors are by Amador! You put that all together and you get one heck of a classic Commando!

Commando 5697: Action and Adventure – Cadman: Up, Up and Away!
Story: Andrew Knighton | Art: Mike Dorey | Cover: Mike Dorey and Bryn Houghton

November 1914. As the fighting heats up on the Western Front, Lieutenant Gerald Cadman realises he is in real danger of having to fight in the war! But this cowardly cad has a cunning plan to escape battle yet again — take to the skies!

Little does he know that flying an ‘unarmed’ reconnaissance plane makes him a target for falling bricks and fired bullets from the rival German kites!

Commando 5698: Silver Collection – The Reckoning
Story: CG Walker | Art: Gordon C Livingston | Cover: K Walker
First Published 1981 as Issue 1521

Alan and Dick had been friends for years. They were boys at the same school together. Alan was the quiet one. Not very interested in sport, he was usually to be found reading a book. Dick was the happy-go-lucky type, always playing football, tennis or cricket. Everybody reckoned Dick would make a better soldier than Alan.

But the day of reckoning came. It was in the mountains of Italy, with the war raging fiercely all around. A lot of secrets were revealed that day — and no-one was more surprised than Alan.

On its first outing since 1980, “The Reckoning” returns to Commando pages! But don’t be fooled into thinking that because it’s been on the shelves for over 40 years that this yarn has gone stale! With twists, turns and a lot of action — you’ll be annoyed we didn’t reprint it sooner!

• If there’s a past Commando comic you would like to see reprinted, contact the team via generalenquiries@commandomag.com

Commando Issues 5695 – 5698 Cover Gallery

December 1980 It’s hard to leave a mate in the lurch, especially when he’s wounded and behind German lines. It’s hard to forget he ever existed, even when you’re waging war against the hated Nazis. That’s the spot Eric Carlsson and Chris Borge, two Norwegians who’d escaped to fly for the R.A.F., were in. They planned and plotted to rescue their friend who’d been left behind in Norway… even when they knew it meant disobeying orders and being called traitors and spie

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.