From the skies of northern France to ruined towns and the sometimes sunny, sometimes stormy Mediterranean, our heroes brave it all in the next few issues of Commando. All set during the turbulence of WWII, each issue tackles different conflicts in Europe – and it’s not always clear who the enemy is…
Kicking it off, with story by Steven Taylor, issue 5003: American Eagles features Spitfires and Thunderbolts fighting against German ME 109s in the skies over northern France. American Lieutenant Eddie ‘Mac’ MacDonald was one of the first to travel across the Atlantic and join the Brits in their Eagle Squadrons. But then, after the bombs fell on Pearl Harbour, his homeland ventured into the war and Mac couldn’t wait to share his experience with his fellow Yanks. But not everyone wanted to learn… Bullets are fired straight at the reader from ME 109s in Janek Matysiak’s cover, preparing adventure seekers for the perils within!
Story – Steven Taylor
Art – Jaume Forns
Cover – Janek Matysiak
Then, from one squadron to another, we find out that not everyone is as friendly as Mac, and your wingmen don’t always have your best interest at heart. Story by Boothby, issue 5004: Trouble Squadron follows Michael ‘Scatty’ Wilson, who is the only surviving pilot of his unit. Bitter and twisted, he’s ready to take revenge on the Nazis – even at the cost of his new squadron. Emotionless, he’s a zombie among his new men. His chief objective is to hit his targets - his men’s survival no longer a priority. Framed in cover art by prestigious veteran Commando artist, Ken Barr, who designed the first ever cover of Commando, Trouble Squadron’s cover contrasts serene sky blues against a trail of fire spurting from the engine of a Spitfire…
Story – Boothby
Art – Auraleon
Cover – Ken Barr
Then, from the tight American formations of the Eagle Squadron and the perilously low altitude flights of Scatty Wilson’s Blenheims, issue 5005: Urban Gunners shows our heroes in the claustrophobia of the American infantry after the D-Day landings. Bored and eager to see the action of the front, American Private Brad Lynch had no idea of the fear he would soon know all too well. Part of the anti-tank division tasked with covering infantry under German machine gun fire at Aachen, Lynch’s nerves are shaken. His friends are dying – shot down by enemy snipers. His aim is off; he’s tormented by nightmares. Will he ever regain control of himself as he deals with the horrors of war? With interior and cover art by Manuel Benet, the blackness of Aachen’s crumbling streets compresses the panels, showcasing the confined paranoia of Lynch, as the tight buildings offer no escape from the pressure of the front.
Story – Ferg Handley
Art – Manuel Benet
Cover – Manuel Benet
And finally, with cover art by another veteran, Jeff Bevan, issue 5006: Go Down Fighting follows two heroes in their battle for the Mediterranean. On one side, Italian navy Lieutenant Ricardo Brazzo fondly remembers his youth, working on his father’s fishing boat. He had wanted to see the world, so joined the navy. He was good, eager to chase The Royal Navy out of the Med – to make it Mussolini’s Lake. But he had no idea how good the British navy was. Still he fought on. On the other side, British navy Lieutenant Norman Ryan commanded a Fairmile launch. He easily tore through Italian convoys and tankards. Then a storm hit, damaging Ryan’s engines. Both men’s paths will cross, but both will fight on against all odds. Ian Clark’s captivating story of the war at sea shows a side not often seen, blurring the line between hero and villain, friend and foe.
Story – Ian Clark
Art – Peter Foster
Cover – Jeff Bevan
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