Falklands at 40: Commando to mark anniversary of South Atlantic conflict in April

DC Thomson Media has announced it will mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War with three special issues of Commando, 5531, 5532 and 5534, on sale from Thursday 14th April 2022. One is written by best-selling award-winning New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author of over fifty novels, James Swallow, making a welcome return to the comic.

James Swallow returns to Commando with a Falklands at 40 story
James Swallow returns to Commando with a Falklands at 40 story

The three issues also feature two covers by the late Ian Kennedy, and one by Neil Roberts.

The announcement of the imminent withdrawal of the British Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship HMS Endurance in early 1982 prompted the Argentinian Junta in Buenos Aires to plan a military grab of the Falklands – a siege they assumed would succeed, with little resistance. Such an adventure was attractive as a distraction for the Argentine public, at a time of political unease.

On 19th March 1982, Argentinian forces landed on the South island of South Georgia, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic and raised their national flag. After little reaction from Britain, the head of the ruling Junta in Argentina, General Leopoldo Galtieri launched Operation Rosario, the invasion of the Falkland Islands by the Argentinian military on the 2nd April.

On 3rd April, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher faced an appalled and furious House of Commons to announce that Argentine armed forces had landed on British sovereign territory; had captured the men of Royal Marine detachment NP8901; had run up the Argentine flag at Government House; and had declared the islands and their population to be Argentine

Three days later, Operation Corporate began, with a British naval taskforce leaving Portsmouth for the southern ocean. By 25th April, South Georgia was back in British hands and on 14th June the Argentine forces in the Falklands surrendered to the British. Over 900 lives had been lost in the fighting.

British comics such as Battle and Warlord featured strips centring on the conflict in the 1980s, which Jeremy Briggs documented for downthetubes back in 2007, at the time of the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War. Commando has also published several stories about the conflict, most particularly back in 2012, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary.

The three special Commando comics to be released this year are

Commando 5531: Home of Heroes – Old Dogs
Story: James Swallow | Art: Paolo Ongaro | Cover: Ian Kennedy

Commando 5531: Home of Heroes - Old Dogs - cover by Ian Kennedy

Known as Operation Folklore, the Air Ministry knew they had to box clever if they wanted to beat the invading Argentinians out of the Falkland Islands. Flying a Canberra under Chilean colours, they would recon the enemy without arousing suspicion. But when the pair operating the aircraft is a reckless, young RAF pilot and the officer who made his training a misery, the two will have to put aside their differences to face a ruthless killer willing to do anything for the bounty on their heads!

James Swallow is a BAFTA-nominated scriptwriter, the award-winning New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author of over fifty novels, with over a million books in print worldwide. 

He’s well known for writing action-packed espionage thrillers, fast-paced science fiction, video games and much more.

The film rights for his Marc Dane thriller series have just been bought by Capstone Pictures.

Commando 5533: Action and Adventure – Cold Conflict 
Story: Colin Maxwell | Art: Klacik | Cover: Neil Roberts

Commando 5533: Action and Adventure - Cold Conflict  - cover by Neil Roberts

April 1982 saw Britain enter a new conflict half the world away. But before the war would officially begin, tensions rose as three Royal Marines were sent on a recce mission far from their base at Port Stanley when Argentinian forces invaded the Falklands. 

Left with an impossible mission that could change the tide of the conflict, the three marines must battle both the climate and the Argentinians if they are to save the day.

Commando 5534: Silver Collection – The Deadly Trade
Story: Ian Clark | Art: Carlos Pino | Cover: Ian Kennedy
Originally Commando No. 2621 (1992)

Commando 5534: Silver Collection - The Deadly Trade

April 1982 —Argentine troops poured onto the Falkland Islands and Britain stood on the brink of war. 

For Garry Mullen of the elite Special Boat Squadron, it meant at last the chance to put the deadly skills acquired over years of training to the ultimate test!

All three of these special issues will, as usual, be on sale in newsagents, and available digitally, from Thursday 14th April 2022 (and a day earlier for the digital edition).

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

Operation Corporate: The Falklands War in British Comics

In the early 1980s, Britain was at war over islands in the South Atlantic many Britons had never heard of – and some at the time even thought were part of the Shetlands. Back in 2007, Jeremy Briggs examined the British comics that featured the 1982 Falklands conflict between Britain and Argentina…

Battle's documentary-styled re-telling of the Fight for the Falklands was written by John (Judge Dredd) Wagner, with art by Jim Watson
Battle’s documentary-styled re-telling of the Fight for the Falklands was written by John (Judge Dredd) Wagner, with art by Jim Watson


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