First
published in 1952 as story papers in The Rover, the original
Bomber Braddock adventures were collected into prose books such as I
Flew with Braddock, and Braddock and the Flying Tigers, and his
comic adventures featured prominently in The Victor.
Having previously been written from the perspective of his
navigator George Bourne, Braddock’s latest interpretation is from long established
Commando writer, Ferg Handley, who does away with third party perspective and
gives Matt the objective space to evolve from flawed rookie with attitude to true
bombing hero. On writing Braddock, Handley says:
Sometimes, dreams do come true. As a boy, I loved reading the war stories in Commando and The Victor, so imagine my delight when I was offered the chance to revive one of DC Thomson’s old characters for Commando. I was given a list to choose from, and when I saw the name Braddock, I knew that this was the one for me. My father was a wireless operator/air gunner in Bomber Command during the war, so I’ve always been drawn to RAF stories.
I was tempted to dive straight in and write up a story. But on reflection, and after checking out Braddock’s early adventures, I decided to go for a full reboot and begin telling the pilot’s story from the very start. Braddock had found it hard to join the RAF as a pilot due to his background, so that made for some interesting incidents at the beginning of his career. And once he’d been accepted, the Battles of France and Britain made for some great action scenes, as the rookie struggled to make his mark.
Artists Morhain and Defeo faithfully capture many of the details
of Braddock’s missions as well as his no-nonsense attitude, while Keith Burns
adds the well-known drama and flair of Braddock’s character to stunning
wraparound covers.
Sergeant Matt Braddock follows Lord Peter Flint in a series of
characters from DC Thomson’s archives to be brought back in the pages of Commando.
Commando Issues 5259 ‘Braddock’ and 5267 ‘Braddock: Demons’ are
out 5th September and 3rd October in select WHSmith stores or
digitally via the Comixology or Readly apps.
Commando presents the return of maverick bomber pilot Matt Braddock! Following on from the triumphant return of Codename Warlord, DC Thomson brings back another beloved character – Braddock — this time from The Victor! Written by Commando veteran, Ferg Handley, with interior artwork by the prolific Morhain and Defeo, plus an wraparound cover by aviation enthusiast Keith Burns!
Story | Ferg Handley
Art | Morhain & Defeo
Cover | Keith Burns
Steel and Sand boasts a trifecta of classic Commando talent. From an exciting story woven by wordsmith CG Walker to wonderful interior artwork by Gordon C Livingstone, and then topped off with an amazing cover by the one and only Ian Kennedy! This is an issue you don’t want to miss!
Story | CG Walker
Art | Gordon C Livingstone
Cover | Ian Kennedy
Originally Commando No. 721 (1973).
To commemorate eighty years since 1st September, 1939, and the beginning of the Second World War, Commando is releasing Issue 5261 Invasion: Poland as a special one-off story focussing on Poland’s defence against the German Invasion. Featuring a dual narrative from Iain McLaughlin about a father and son torn between the Polish Air Force, the Army and the invasion – plus a stunning cover by Ian Kennedy!
Story | Iain McLaughlin
Art | Morhain & Defeo
Cover | Ian Kennedy
Czech Mate is the second part of our 80 year commemoration of the start of the Second World War, this time from the Czechoslovakian perspective. Ian Clark’s story is about a pilot called ‘Richthofen’, but not the one you’re expecting! This ‘Richthofen’ was not a natural flyer but fate played its hand when he fled to Britain. Can this pilot get over the anxiety of living up to the ‘Richthofen’ name?
Story | Ian Clark
Art | Ibanez
Cover | Ibanez
Originally Commando No. 2670 (1993).
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