Halloween may have come and gone, but Commando continues its spooky trend, with issues 6007-6010 on sale this Thursday 5th November. Two new weird World War One set stories are on offer this week, alongside some good old-fashioned classic all-out action from the archives, both with Ian Kennedy covers.
The set includes a smashing new story, “Burning Light”, set on the Western Front written by N A Breakenridge aka Nathan Breakenridge, a Scottish writer who likes things a bit creepy or weird, told with a nod to MR James, with Manuel Benet providing suitably haunting art.
Definitely recommended, as is his equally hair raising new tale, “Sands of Time”, a time twister of a story that leaves on a cliffhanger, of sorts. Will it be resolved? Let’s hope so. Vicente Alcazar’s art on this story is pitch perfect.
If you’d like to read more strange stories by Nathan, do check out his official website. His work has also appeared in the Scottish literary magazine Pushing Out the Boat, Neon, Gutter, New Writing Scotland, an annual volume publishing poetry and prose, the biannual literary magazine Shooter, and an award-nominated anthology of strange tales, Mooncalves, published by No-Press, available digitally via AmazonUK (Affiliate Link) here.
Kelly’s Choppers head for Commando
As if this set’s thrills aren’t enough, there’s also word on that the stars of another Warlord strip, “Kelly’s Choppers”, will be making their first appearance in Commando later this month.
Set during the Korean War, the strip, largely drawn by Terry Patrick, with some tie-in covers by Jeff Bevan, starring Lieutenant Jack Kelly, a United States Air Force helicopter pilot, made its debut in Warlord No. 259 (cover dated 8th September 1979) and continued to feature in the war comic into the 1980s.
Commando 6007 (Home of Heroes): Burning Light
Story: N A Breakenridge | Internal and Cover Art: Manuel Benet
The Western Front, 1915. As his unit attempts to silently circumvent the British lines, the troubled Feldwebel Karl Heinz lets out a sudden scream of terror before falling to the ground, stone dead. Their position given away, the rest of his unit is quickly dispatched by British machine guns. After the battle, British Private Arthur Llewellyn Jones comes across Heinz’s body and the diary he carried with him. As he reads, Jones comes to learn of the awful deed Heinz committed, and the terrible vengeance that was brought down upon him.
Writer N A Breakenridge weaves a weird and wonderful story about the horrors of war coming back for revenge, with atmospheric artwork by Manuel Benet to top it off…
Commando 6008 (Gold): Suicide Strike
Story: Brunt | Internal Art: Jose Maria Jorge | Cover Art: Ian Kennedy
Originally printed as No.528 in 1971
The Fleet Air Arm soon discovered how expensive it was to have Rick Lennox as one of their pilots. In his first week of combat, he had two planes shot from under him. Rick wasn’t exactly delighted about this either, so he decided it was time the enemy also had some repair bills to face – the bigger the better!
Anything that moved – on land or sea – would be fair game for Rick…
You can’t go wrong with this classic Commando by Brunt, with great art from fan favourite Jose Maria Jorge, about a brash young man and his hardened CO coming to an understanding…
Commando 6009 (For Action and Adventure): Sands of Time
Story: N A Breakenridge | Internal Art: Vicente Alcazar | Cover Art: Neil Roberts
Egypt, 1916. Following its victory at the Battle of Romani, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force pursued the invading Ottomans back to Palestine. As part of this drive, four men from the 156th Brigade – the Scottish Rifles – are sent ahead of the rest of the brigade to scout the Ottoman progress and report back.
But, after noticing a meteor landing in the desert, the men find themselves the wards of a mysterious British soldier with no memory of who he is. As they draw closer to the site of the meteor landing, things only become stranger…
N A Breakenridge is back again with another warped World War One issue. Something very strange is going on in the desert – something, the Commando team say, you might expect to see more in a HP Lovecraft yarn, although I’d suggest it’s more suited to a science fiction anthology. Plus, that master of horror comics, Vicente Alcazar, lends his mighty pencil to this issue and Neil Roberts’ lurid cover is the cherry on top.
Commando 6010 (Silver): Air Gunner
Story: R A Montague | Internal Art: Flores | Cover Art: Ian Kennedy
Originally printed as No. 1473 in 1980
Alone in the rear turret of a Lancaster bomber, Paul Dean searched the night sky with weary eyes, his four Browning machine guns ready for instant action.
Here he was above Nazi‑held Europe on a dangerous bombing raid when he could have been safely tucked up in a warm bed back in England. And the reason he was in this peril was all thanks to the air gunner’s badge he wore on his tunic – a badge which thousands of gunners wore with pride. Now Paul was trying to win that same right…
Offering more courage than you can shake a stick at, an R A Montague story which has an unexpected twist…
• Commando Comics are online at commandocomics.com | Commando Collection Sets on the DC Thomson Webshop | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter | Follow Commando Comics on Facebook | X | YouTube |
• If there’s a past Commando comic you would like to see reprinted, contact the team via generalenquiries@commandomag.com
Commando Issues 6007 – 6010 Cover Gallery
• Commando Comics are online at commandocomics.com | Commando Collection Sets on the DC Thomson Webshop | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter | Follow Commando Comics on Facebook | X | YouTube |
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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