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World War One action aplenty, and Ramsey’s Raiders, too! Commando ranks swell again as new writer Petri Hänninen is enlisted

By John Freeman on April 9, 2024

Commando Issues 5739-5742 are on sale from Thursday 11th April, 2024 in all good newsagents and digital outlets. Featuring aerial hijinks and jeep hijacks, we’re again treated to two all-new stories, and two represented classics.

Comic writer Petri Hänninen — *Writer Petri Hänninen*

This set from DC Thomson Media also sees the debut of a brand-new writer, Petri Hanninen, providing “Kings and Aces” for Commando No. 5739, with Spanish artist Marc Viure, a relative newcomer to the title, on interior art, weaving a wonder of a World War One story, with a twist!

Petri is the first Finn to write for the title, a comic writer with over 20 years of experience, and a regular contributor to the digital anthology Aces Weekly, with another story coming up in Volume 68. His Commando debut has been picked up on Finnish TV and in two magazine interviews.

Commando‘s Finnish edition, Korkeajännitys, celebrated its 70th year of publication last year.

Spanish comic artist Marc Viure — *Marc Viure*

Petri was featured in the Eisner-nominated To End All Wars anthology in 2015, and has worked extensively for Egmont, and written several Moomin stories. He’s also worked as a films and comics reviewer, written novels for young adults, and created scripts for short movies and video games.

“It’s a great honour to be a first Finn to have his story in the British Commando,” he says.

As we previously reported, Marc Viure, who’s lived in Morocco for several years while learning his craft as an artist, has been pitching his samples to a variety of publishes on both sides of the Atlantic, including DC and Marvel.

You can find him here on Instagram, follow him on Facebook, and here on Behance.

Commando 5739: Home of Heroes: Kings and Aces
Story: Petri Hanninen | Art: Marc Viure | Cover: Neil Roberts

Interior art for Commando 5739, "Kings and Aces" by Marc Viure

Neil Roberts' cover rough for Issue 5739 Kings and Aces — *Neil Roberts’ cover rough for Issue 5739 Kings and Aces*

All Maude Graham wanted was to help the Royal Flying Corps during the Great War. She was tired of the ammunition factories and knew she could make a difference.

But when she arrives at the airfield with glowing references, all she is met with is laughter and prejudice. Well, she might be limited on the ground, but Maude knows the sky’s the limit!

Commando 5740 – Gold Collection: The Bamboo Cage
Story: CG Walker | Art: V Fuente | Cover: Penalva
First Published 1970 as Issue 503

To the crump of grenades and rattle of machine guns that echoed through the Burmese jungle in World War Two, a new sound was added… the twang of bow strings and the hiss of arrows flying through the air. And to the Japanese that sound brought terror. It meant Captain David Heywood and his fierce Kachin tribesmen were on the warpath!

Classic Commando incoming! CG Walker’s great yarn is deep in the thick jungle in Burma, with magnificent artwork from Victor de la Fuente and Jordi Penalva.

Commando 5741 – Action and Adventure: Ramsey’s Raiders: Hijacked Jeeps!
Story: Ferg Handley | Art and Cover: Carlos Pino

Ramsey’s Raiders: the ragtag group of mavericks on wheels! The mounted Special Raiding Force were carnage on a chassis but what are the Raiders without their jeeps?

Well, they were about to find out as they returned from an ambush to find their jeeps missing in action!

Behind the scenes! Pencils by Carlos Pino for the cover of Issue 5741 Ramsey's Raiders: Hijacked Jeeps — *Behind the scenes! Pencils by Carlos Pino for the cover of Issue 5741 Ramsey’s Raiders: Hijacked Jeeps*

Ferg Handley’s rag-tag group of high-risk mavericks return in a brand-new adventure! This time the wheeled menaces are taken off the road when their jeeps are hijacked! Will the raiders recover — or will they be infantry from now on?!

Commando 5742 – Silver Collection: Butterfield’s Battle
Story: CG Walker | Art: Gordon C Livingstone | Cover: Ian Kennedy
First Published 1981 as Issue 1568

An easy-going manner and interest in history, plus a name like Claude Butterfield… they don’t seem to add up to the stuff that heroes are made of, do they?

But Claude could be as fierce as a tiger if something made him angry — and then whoever was responsible had better look out!

Don’t be fooled by this light and calm Ian Kennedy cover — for inside this Commando is a tiger of a story, full of hot-blooded action and adventure!

Commando Issues 5739 – 5742 Full Cover Gallery

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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.