Latest Batch of Commandos Take On The Cold War

By Jeremy Briggs on June 20, 2013

The last batch of four Commandos introduced the new gatefold back covers with their unobstructed cover artwork and the current batch of four now on sale continues the changes with the new stories now given a fresh typeface and the inside black and white art expanded to fill more of the page. The reprint issues of Gold, 50 year old, stories and Silver, 25 year old, stories will retain the original classic format.

The new issues are as follows –

No 4611 — See Paris And Die!
Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Benet
Cover: Benet

By Summer 1944, the Allies had broken out of the Normandy beach head and the race for Paris was on. The Convict Commandos were at the head of the advance — sent in to make sure the city wasn’t leveled. For once, Jelly Jakes was pleased with their mission; he’d always wanted to see Paris. Mind you, he hadn’t banked on seeing it as he hurtled earthwards from the top of the Eiffel Tower!

Free 8 Page Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/20th-june-2013-collection?issue=4611

No 4612 – Run To Freedom
Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Rezzonico
Cover: Janek Matysiak

In 1968, a series of reforms known as The Prague Spring loosened the iron grip of communism on Czechoslovakia. Looking forward to this new beginning, Marek Kaldova — an RAF avionics expert — returned to his native Czechoslovakia after twenty years in exile. Things didn’t go smoothly, though. The Russians invaded and Marek found himself on the run from the KGB who were desperate to uncover his priceless secrets. Help was at hand, in the form of British Secret Service operative Sergeant Bob Carter, but even he would have his work cut out on the Run To Freedom.

Free 8 Page Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/20th-june-2013-collection?issue=4612

No 4613 — Spy In Battledress
(Gold reprint, originally No 89, October 1963)
Story: Eric Hebden
Art: Amador
Cover: Alvaro

The Commandos were tough, dedicated men who had risen from the funeral pyre of Dunkirk to hit back at the Nazis with blazing tommy guns and a brand of courage that was unique. Their motto…United We Conquer! But there was one man who mocked that brave motto when he crept ashore on raids with his Commando mates. They all knew him as “Mitch” Mitchell, but German High Command knew him better as Leutnant Hans Reister of the SS. And what the Commandos didn’t guess was that each time he was leading them straight into a German ambush…

Introduction by Calum Laird, Editor
A traitor amongst Commandos? Not only would the man himself have to be bold, but the author of his tale would have to be similarly brave. Sustaining a story of treachery amongst a series of raids where the spy would have to avoid shooting his countrymen takes a lot of ingenuity. Fortunately for us, Eric Hebden succeeds admirably. And he manages to confound our expectations, too.
Alvaro, who did a score or more of the early Commando covers, sets the scene for the story and between his covers, Amador does a fine job of carrying the tale along with strong black and white work — even when he’s supposed to be drawing a red hat.
All in all a surprising yarn…for all the right reasons.

Free 8 Page Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/20th-june-2013-collection?issue=4613

No 4614 — A Pack Of Wolves
(Silver reprint, originally No 2192, June 1988, re-issued as No 3660, September 2003)
Story: Allan Chalmers
Art: Gordon Livingstone
Cover: Jeff Bevan

The three men were part of a band of Italian bandits, a pack of wolves who roamed through the mountains to make a fat profit while their war-torn country crumbled about them. There were other similar groups in the area too, but this lot had by far the strangest leader of all…an eccentric history lecturer from England!

Introduction by Scott Montgomery, Deputy Editor
Some people might think that they know exactly what to expect from the pages of Commando. But every now and then comes a story that plays with those expectations and ultimately turns them around.
A Pack Of Wolves is a case in point. Instead of a fearless Tommy we have an utterly despicable one. Expecting a villainous German? Well, here’s a noble and honourable one. And when we meet the characters who we think might be the eponymous Pack Of Wolves — we meet another pack of them soon after. Nothing is quite what it seems here. And this memorable tale is all the better for it.

Free 8 Page Preview: www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/20th-june-2013-collection?issue=4614

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Jeremy Briggs

News, reviews, interviews and features for print and on-line: Spaceship Away (since October 2005), Bear Alley (since February 2007), downthetubes (since June 2007), and Eagle Times (since October 2008). Plus DC Thomson’s The Art Of Ian Kennedy, Titan’s Dan Dare and Johnny Red reprints, Ilex’s War Comics: A Graphic History and 500 Essential Graphic Novels, and Print Media’s The Iron Moon and Strip magazine.