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Hallowe’en-inspired horror ahead in this week’s Commando comic releases

By John Freeman on October 12, 2022

Commando comics celebrate the spooky season of October with a month-long, bone-rattling bonanza featuring supernatural stories and things that go bump in the night! The Halloween specials begin with issues 5583 – 5586 on sale on Thursday 13th October, 2022…

Commando 5583: Home of Heroes – The Ghoul Squad 2 – Footprints in the Snow
Story: Mike Garley: Art and Cover: Manuel Benet
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Commando 5583: Home of Heroes - The Ghoul Squad 2 - Footprints in the Snow - Cover by Manuel Benet

First up in the spine-chilling set of Halloween Commandos is Issue 5583 and the return of Mike Garley’s Ghoul Squad — as something hunts them in the Alps! What started as a search and rescue mission to find an RAF reconnaissance plane soon becomes a desperate struggle for survival! With Nazi captors, deadly blizzards, and something monstrous stalking them on the extreme slopes, there is sure to be blood in the footprints in the snow!

Manuel Benet’s cover rough to Commando 5583 - Ghoul Squad 2: Footprints in the Snow — *Manuel Benet’s cover rough to Commando 5583 – Ghoul Squad 2: Footprints in the Snow*

Commando 5584: Gold Collection- A Stirling Called Satan
Story: RA Montague: Art: Mira: Cover: Keith Walker
Originally Commando No. 869 (1974)
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Commando 5584: Gold Collection- A Stirling Called Satan - Cover by Keith Walker

Eerie Issue 5584 was picked ‘By Special Request!’ from a reader for our Halloween specials of Commando! A Stirling bomber so unlucky, it had to be cursed by the devil himself! Every time the crew set off on a mission they wondered if it was going to be their last. Even its number, 5-3-5, added up to 13!

With a spooky story by RA Montague and uncanny art by Mira and Keith Walker, it’s no wonder that this creepy classic Commando was summoned by Commando readers to rise again!

Commando 5585: Action and Adventure – Frightful Tales
Story: Colin Maxwell: Art: Alberto Saichann: Cover: Graham Manley
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Commando 5585: Action and Adventure - Frightful Tales - Cover by Graham Manley

Gather round, for what awaits you inside this Commando is a collection of ‘Frightful Tales’ sure to keep you up at night! Join six Canadian infantrymen as they tell ghost stories to entertain each other on a cold Halloween night in the Netherlands in Issue 5585!

This grim and gruesome grimoire of stories was written by Colin Maxwell and brought to life by Alberto Saichann! But there’s more, as British comics legend Graham Manley makes his Commando debut on the cover of Issue 5585 – keep your eyes skinned for more from from him…

Commando 5586: Silver Collection – Fangs of Fear
Story: CG Walker: Art: CT Rigby: Cover: Ian Kennedy
Originally Commando No. 1398 (1980)
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Commando 5586: Silver Collection - Fangs of Fear - cover by Ian Kennedy

You may be thinking of vampire fangs when you hear ‘Fangs of Fear’, but this Commando features a different set of gnashers entirely – in the form of a deadly, venomous cobra! And this wasn’t the first time a cobra had fixed Lieutenant Bob Morton with a hypnotic stare —but that was when he was only a boy. It had haunted his nightmares for many years since then, and now it was happening again! Was this the time for him to die?

A more traditional Commando offering for readers who want a break from the more supernatural scares on offer this month. Issue 5586 features the golden trio of Commando contributors CG Walker, CT Rigby, and Ian Kennedy!

COMMANDO 5583 – 5586 COVER GALLERY

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.