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Warlord battles world’s deadliest killers, in all-new Commando

By John Freeman on March 25, 2025

Spring has well and truly sprung, and if that isn’t enough to brighten your day, there’s a brand-new set of Commando comics heading your way from DC Thomson – including a new Warlord adventure.

Commando issues 5839-5842 are on sale from Thursday 27th March 2025 in newsagents and via digital platforms.

New this time out is “No Surrender”, a story written by Rossa McPhillips set during the a North Africa campaign of World War Two, presumably inspired, in part, by the work of Britain’s Long Range Desert Group during “Operation Caravan”.

(Most accounts of the activity of the LDRG are more often found in memoirs than online. But, for the curious, David Axe has written a fascinating article, about how the Long Range Desert Group battled sand, heat and the Axis, driving hundreds of miles to attack an Italian airfield, real life events partially echoed in the opening sequence of “No Surrender”).

The saying, “The enemy of your enemy is your friend” certainly gets put to the test in this story, when the LDRG are called on to accept the surrender of Italian troops – but a fanatical Nazi does everything he can to stop it. As usual, Rossa McPhillips spins a terrific tale, with plenty of twists and turns in the mix to keep readers entertained.

Commando 5839: No Surrender! Story: Rossa McPhillips Art: Kev Hopgood Cover: Keith Burns — *The unofficial motto of the LDRG was “Non Vi Sed Arte”, “Not by Strength but Guile” – and there’s plenty of guile in this story*

This story features art by 2000AD and Marvel artist Kev Hopgood’s first ever Commando tale, the artist perhaps best known for his work on Iron Man and Doctor Who. War comic fans will recognise him, too, for his work on Action Force, for Marvel UK, and G.I. Joe. Plus, there’s a knockout cover from Keith Burns, too.

Commando 5841: Codename Warlord: Six of the Best Story: Dominic Teague Art and Cover: Carlos Pino

Also new this set is another Codename: Warlord tale, the secret wartime agent star of the Warlord weekly comic back in action. “Six of the Best” from Domnic Teague and Carlos Pino, is a “cracking yarn” adventure from cover to cover, one that sees Peter Flint battling some of the world’s greatest assassins, all while speeding through Europe on an overnight train.

Carlos delivers some great art on this, and Dominic Teague delivers an action-packed adventure in the full spirit of Warlord’s original run, with some twists fans of the editorial character will most certainly enjoy.

The Commando team say this is one issue you’ll want to get onboard with – and they’re not wrong.

No one likes a know-it-all – especially in a combat situation! “The Sands of Fear”, represented this set, delivers another brilliant cover by Ian Kennedy and a rip-roaring tale of desert combat, and reveals, starkly, what can happen when you bite off more than you can chew…

Wrapping this set is “Someone Must Lead” a story that starts in the desert and ends in the jungle by way of a sleeper train, a tale that shows a slightly different side to the Second World War in Asia. With another classic Ian Kennedy cover, what’s not to love?

Commando 5839: No Surrender!
Story: Rossa McPhillips
Art: Kev Hopgood
Cover: Keith Burns

Egypt, 1942. The war in the desert was as hot as the blazing sun, with the Italians fighting the British in an all‑out battle for supremacy. The Long Range Desert Patrol was an ace in the hand of the Brits, and their raiding parties went behind enemy lines to cut off vital supplies to their Italian opponents.

Little did they know they would soon be fighting shoulder to shoulder for survival against a common enemy – the German Afrika Korps!

Commando 5840: The Sands of Fear
Story: Bullen
Art: Collado
Cover: Ian Kennedy
First published in Commando 564 in 1971

Lieutenant Bill Johnston had real trouble on his hands – in the shape of a know-it-all Yank out on patrol with Bill’s tough, desert‑wise Long Range Desert Group men, who just didn’t take to big heads. And the American, Lieutenant Schnabel, thought he knew the lot.

So, as well as the desert and the Nazis, Bill had to tame Schnabel too. It looked like being some patrol…

Commando 5841: Codename Warlord: Six of the Best
Story: Dominic Teague
Art and Cover: Carlos Pino

Carlos Pino's cover rough for Issue 5841 - Codename Warlord — *Carlos Pino’s cover rough for Issue 5841 – Codename Warlord*

Britain’s finest spy, Lord Peter Flint, is on another top-hole adventure! After Warlord’s most disastrous mission yet, Flint ends up as the number one target of ‘six of the best’ assassins the world has ever seen!

But why does the phrase ‘six of the best’ seem familiar to him? Who is the mysterious sixth assassin who is an ‘old friend’ of Flint’s?

Will these questions be answered – or will this be the end of Codename Warlord?!

Commando 5842: Someone Must Lead
Story: RA Montague
Art: Carrion
Cover: Ian Kennedy
First published in Commando 1703 in 1983

Cut off from their unit by the Japanese and in company with a leaderless group of Gurkhas, two British soldiers had to decide which of them would take command. Should it be Private Herbie Green, a seasoned veteran and the company scout, or Private Bob Chandler, a newcomer to the jungle?

The choice seemed obvious, but there was more to the situation than met the eye.

• If there’s a past Commando comic you would like to see reprinted, contact the team via generalenquiries@commandomag.com

Commando Issues 5839 – 5842 Cover Gallery

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.