The latest set of issues of Commando, Issues 5843 – 5846, go on sale from DC Thomson Media this Thursday, 10th April 2025 in all good newsagents, a set that sees the writer Sean Mason join the long-running war comic’s contributors. Both new stories explore themes rarely covered in the title, and both star American characters.
In addition to his new Commando duties, Sean Mason writes strips for Cutaway Comics, and creates a lot of the video content that gets released for their Doctor Who-inspired projects. He also directed Cutaway’s Paradise Towers Audio Adventures, written by Stephen Wyatt, and beyond comics, you may recognise him as an improv artist on the Manchester scene.
Sean’s debut Commando adventure, “A Dame to Kill For”, is a tale in the vein of hardboiled noir detectives like Philip Marlow, with a suitably smoky cover by Simon Pritchard and interior art from Alberto Saichann.
The story centres on private eye turned soldier Rick Brennan, who reconnects with an old friend on the streets of wartime Paris shortly after its liberation in 1944, who becomes the target of international assassins. Sean weaves a smashing detective story, with plenty of action, his script complemented by absolutely fantastic art by Alberto.
Very definitely a Commando in a style you’ve rarely read before, but perfectly in tune with the title’s war comic flavour, this is an issue you do not want to miss.
“Before Superheroes, Star Wars, 2000AD or even The Dandy, the first comics I read were Warlord annuals and Commando comics,” Sean tells downthetubes. “To finally get to write for Commando has been a childhood dream come true – and they even let me play with the format a little, so I could have a Chandleresque inner monologue instead of the more traditional scene captions.
“I love hard-boiled detective fiction, wartime adventures and spy stories so I was thrilled to put all of them into this story.
“Simon Pritchard’s cover and Alberto Saichann’s interiors are gorgeous,” he continues, “they really capture the tone I was aiming for – I want to make a movie poster version of the cover for my wall.
“I’d love to write more Rick Brennan adventures,” Sean adds, “so I hope readers connect with the story!
“I also have another Commando out soon called ‘Five Star General’, which taps into my love for theatre and prisoner of war movies and draws from my background in theatre and comedy.”
Also new this set is “Smokejumpers”, written by Steve Taylor, with art by Commando veteran Vicente Alcazar. While the Commando team are selling this in as “a rare and fiery stateside adventure”, pitting paratrooper firemen fighting forest fires on American soil, as it turns out, the story is much more than that. If you enjoyed films such as The Six Triple Eight on Netflix, be ready for a tale that exposes wartime racism that cameos the Tuskegee Airmen, a story that unfolds at an unusually slow pace, before exploding into dramatic action on in the latter half of the issue. Vicente Alcazar’s churrasco style art is particularly effective on this adventure.
If the story kindles enquiry into its real-world background, check out the site of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. (TAI), which focuses on honouring the accomplishments and perpetuating the history of African Americans who participated in air crew, ground crew and operations support training in the Army Air Corps during World War Two. Plus, of course, the 1995 film starring Laurence Fishburne, or the independently published book, The Tuskegee Airmen.
The Commando team love a rebel, so it’s perhaps no surprise they’ve plucked “Zero Smasher” from the archives for this set. Vic Harper is a maverick, a handsome loner who plays by his own rules, and his perilous aerial acrobatics are sure to put anyone’s head into a tailspin!
The set rounds off with a representation of “Bound by Duty”, first published in 1983, that has more twists and turns than a twisty-turny thing! Who is telling the truth in this tale? Who really is the traitor? An edge-of-your-seat thriller that’ll keep you guessing right up to the last page…
Commando 5843: Home of Heroes: A Dame to Die For
Story: Sean Mason
Art: Alberto Saichann
Cover: Simon Pritchard
December 7th, 1941. Rick Brennan was a private eye before the war, but there wasn’t much call for detective work in the Ardennes, just cold nights and bad sleep. When he got himself three days leave in Paris, he thought he had it made – finally, some rest.
But fate had other plans. After running into his old friend, Larry Carmichael, he found himself pulled into the kind of racket he thought he’d left behind in LA.
It all started when Carmichael introduced him to his new girlfriend – she really was a dame to die for…
Commando 5844: Gold: Zero Smasher
Story: Staff
Art: Mira
Cover: Ian Kennedy
First Published in 1971 as Issue 565
One mistake by Squadron Leader Vic Harper caused the loss of four valuable Liberator bombers and also cost Vic the command of his squadron. He was posted to a forgotten base to sit out the war where he could do no more damage.
But that didn’t suit Vic. He decided to wipe out his mistake by downing any and every Japanese plane that came his way. No wonder they began to call him…Zero Smasher!
Commando 5845: Action and Adventure: Smokejumpers
Story: Steve Taylor
Art: Vicente Alcazar
Cover: Marco Bianchini
Lieutenant Alvin Siskel of the 99th Pursuit Squadron was one of the best flyers amongst the famous Tuskegee Airmen. But after accidentally crossing the prejudiced Captain Jack Calhoun, he’s stripped of his rank and forced into service as a ‘smokejumper’ — paratrooper firemen fighting forest fires on American soil.
But things start to heat up for the smokejumpers when Japanese Fu-Go explosive balloons begin drifting across the Pacific, causing more forest fires than ever before. All in a day’s work for Siskel – but that’s not all the Japanese have planned!
Commando 5846: Silver: Bound by Duty
Story: Parker
Art: CT Rigby
Cover: Jeff Bevan
First Published in 1983 as Issue 1701
Military policemen have a job to do. Sometimes they don’t enjoy it, but they are duty bound to get it done. But what happens when an MP has a prisoner who saves his life and also convinces the policeman of his innocence?
More than that – what if the prisoner turns out to be a hero?
• Commando Comics is online at commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter
• If there’s a past Commando comic you would like to see reprinted, contact the team via generalenquiries@commandomag.com
Commando Issues 5843 – 5846 Cover Gallery
• Commando Comics is online at commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter
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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.
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