Commando: Bandits at 12 Oclock

When I was a child the Commando books with aircraft on the covers were always my favourites. My excitement was almost unbounded if the aircraft featured was one I could get as an Airfix kit the next time we were in Woollies. I have bought and enjoyed all the other Commando collections, but this is the one I was especially looking forward to. It has not disappointed. As with previous collections of this type, the pages are bigger than they were originally - about 25% - which is ideal for aging eyes. A potential downside is that 12 books in one binding make for quite a thick handful, but they appear to have sourced special aerospace specification lightweight paper because it is not that heavy to hold. Now we just need someone to develop a floating easel to aid extended bath-time reading Yes, these collections are undoubtedly appealing to the big kid in all of us, but an amazing fact is that Commando is still being published now and recently celebrated its 4,000th issue. To my great delight it was an air themed story and this collection of 12 of the best airborne tales graphically demonstrates why it has enjoyed such a long and successful life.

Great stories, terrific artwork, and a much better piece of entertainment than telly, which has got on my nerves now for a few years with its dull, unimaginative and boring stuff. I don't think telly is for me anymore.

Really enjoyed the read and takes me back to my youth

Was disappointed that package was open and pages slightly damp, but have managed to dry it ok

Saw this advertised awhile ago and decided to get one. Read it from cover to cover in one go over christmas. The larger print sure helps ageing vision and such fun!

good condition all ok for a nice time with old war stories Nice volume and all stories very interesting I will buy more from you

Always an excellent read, how they wrote and drew these stories, and in their way tell us what war is about.

Grandson was engrossed as soon as he opened the present, nice to be able to continue the family reading matter.

All graphics are black and white and gave a good impression of this dramatic times. Also good and easy to read. Background is well recherched. Drop of bitterness is, that the Axis always be the stupid ones

I grew up in England and used to buy the Commando comic whenever a new issue came out. I thought this product would be similar in size but it's as thick as a Yellow Pages telephone book, with a footprint about the same as the original comics. I recognized a couple of the stories from years ago. And despite now being 57 years old, I find the stories as appealling as ever. If you're a fan of Commando comics, you need to buy this 12-story book.

I did grow up reading Commando war stories. We irreverently called them "trash mags" at the Northern Scottish boarding school I was ensconced in and they were nothing less than a God send. During those years while studying for `O' and `A' level exams, when I often felt my mind was going to turn into tapioca pudding if I attempted to squeeze one more fact into my grey matter, Commando War Stories came to the rescue! Uncomplicated gritty plots of brave intrepid souls , well drawn black and white visuals, these stories supplied an hour of total reverie that was completely satisfying and surely saved my sanity. To turn the pages of these stories once again is for me a time machine to innocent nostalgia and adolescent reminiscence. In a world that appears to be increasingly unhinged, these stories retain there power to succor a moment of complete relaxing escapism.

I was always a fan of these books, when I was younger. The stories are well-written, and make you feel like you are fighting the battles with the characters. The only complaint I had is that the stories conveyed a sense of jingoism, since they only talk about the feelings of the Allied countries. I would have liked to see a couple of stories where you also get to see how the Germans, Italians or the Japanese think, as central characters....

As an American, I didn't grow up with Commando Comics, so this was new to me. As a youngster, my military adventures revolved around SGT Rock, The Unknown Soldier, Haunted Tank and of course, Enemy Ace. Commando Comics ramps it up so much more. To me, Commando isn't just for kids. While, I have been reading these stories to my boys, I have also been enjoying them very much. Commando's artwork, while black and white, is phenominal. The historic research and detail is first rate. The characters are well thought out, and the plot works nicely in each example that I read. Actually, some of these stories have some interesting plot twists that the reader doesn't expect at the start of the story. So, not just your average shoot 'em up and let God sort 'em out sort of war comic. This is a compendium of twelve stories revolving around the RAF and Royal Navy pilots of WWII. Each story focuses on a different type of aircraft and in many different theatres. This is a well rounded book, and is more graphic novel than "comic". Highly recommended, and well worth every penny. Sarge