The war is over… for 2025 as far as Commando is concerned, at least, as the final set of the long-running war comic for this year (Issues 5915-5918), one featuring a welcome return for Warlord’s Union Jack Jackson, go on sale from Thursday 18th December 2025 in TG Jones, WHSmith Travel, other select newsagents – and as digital editions through Magzter.
All four stories this time out are set in various theatres of war during World War Two, with Brent Towns scripting a new adventure of sabotage in Norway, “Crocker’s Crew”, and Paolo Ongaro providing art well suited to the bleak winter setting (albeit with a strange sense of perspective on a couple of panels), with Simon Pritchard’s cover suitably capturing the deadly setting, too.
While Towns sets up possible confrontation between Captain Matt Crocker and Captain Berry of the Special Operations Executive, it turns out they rub along fairly well despite the dangers and unexpected developments during a dual mission to destroy a hydroelectric power station and capture Nazi nuclear secrets. This makes for a refreshing change from the usual trope of rivalry between a battle hardened soldier and a toffee nosed upper class twit that often drives a Commando tale, and Towns delivers it well. There’s no pulling back from the reality of a behind the lines mission, either.
Four year since his last Commando cover was commissioned Graeme Neil Reid makes a welcome return to Commando for “Union Jack Jackson: Kamikaze Ken”. It’s a treat to see his return, especially on another story featuring the popular Warlord character. He’s detailed his creation of the cover on his Patreon, available to subscribers; well worth a read to see how much goes into the creation of his miniature masterpieces!
Inside, Esteve Polls delivers some truly stunning art to complement Dominic Teague’s excellent story, mixing high adventure with humour as our British hero and American allies try to steal a secret device from the Japanese. High jinks entertain throughout this tale, rounding off an enjoyable year of new Commando stories.
Represented are “Mighty Maguire”, first published in 1971, and “The Short and The Tall”, from 1984, the latter written by David Motton, who wrote some of the earliest Commando stories. Many of his carbon copy scripts for stories for both IPC and DC Thomson have been sold recently on eBay by Phil-Comics, and there are two examples on offer in their latest auction, ending later today – one featuring Lion’s “Captain Condor”, the other Valiant’s “The Steel Claw”. You’ll need a fair chunk of change to acquire either, given bidding over the past couple of days!
Commando 5915 (Home of Heroes): Crocker’s Crew
Story: Brent Towns | Art: Paolo Ongaro | Cover: Simon Pritchard
Out of the chaos of World War Two, Captain Matt Crocker of the British Commandos and his crack team had carved themselves a niche as the best of the best when it came to sabotage. It was with a grim confidence, then, that he accepted their next mission – infiltrate and destroy a Nazi-occupied power plant in the Norwegian mountains.
However, the SOE’s mysterious Captain Berry insisted on accompanying, and Crocker began to worry what his ulterior motives might be. A commando’s life is never an easy one…
Commando 5916 (Gold): Mighty Maguire
Story: Richardson | Art: Franch | Cover: Ian Kennedy
First published 1971 as No. 593
Tom Maguire had collected things all his life. Butterflies, antique weapons, foreign stamps… there wasn’t a corner of his bedroom that didn’t hold some unusual trophy.
Then war came and Tom was sent to Burma, but he still found time for his collecting… although now it was the fierce Kachin tribesmen he was interested in. He collected a whole army of them – the fightingest bunch of men the Japanese had ever been up against!
Commando 5917 (For Action and Adventure): Union Jack Jackson: Kamikaze Ken
Story: Dominic Teague | Art: Esteve Polls | Cover: Graeme Neil Reid
Union Jack Jackson and his pals were on a mission to steal an experimental radar receiver from the Japanese when they hit a hurdle. The USS Red Bank, the destroyer they were going to sail away on, was sunk by Japanese suicide pilots… men who would self-sacrifice their lives to sink their enemies.
So then, why was one of the pilots – named Kamikaze Ken by the Americans – floating, alive, in the water beside Union Jack Jackson?
Commando 5918 (Silver): The Short and The Tall
Story: David Motton Art: Gordon C Livingstone | Cover: Philpott
First published 1984 as No. 1848
Private Danny Miller was just a little bloke, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take care of himself. No, he was a tough customer who could cope with just about anything.
What he couldn’t put up with was his mate Brian who was determined to pay the little fellow back for saving his life. Because Brian’s schemes always ended up getting Danny into more trouble – not less!
• 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 Issue 5915 – 5918 Gallery
• Commando Comics is online at commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter
- About the Author
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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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