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The Boy Commandos
The Boy Commandos, Vol. 1
One of the most popular of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's "kid gang" comics from the early 1940s, The Boy Commandos were an international team of boy soldiers dedicated to fighting the "Ratzis." The team included members from England, France, the Netherlands and the United States, under the leadership of Captain Rip Carter. The series featured typically imaginative tales, including appearances by Nostradamus, who predicts both Hitler and The Boy Commandos; a look back at World War Two from the year 3045; a New York gangster on the run in Europe, a New York cabbie arrives in Europe, determined to take on the Germans single-handed; the team is captured by the German Army in Africa; a ghost aids the boys in defending a French village; and a kitten accidentally lends a paw in a raid on a German-held town.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2010
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About the author
Joe Simon
359 books25 followersJoseph Henry "Joe" Simon (born Hymie Simon) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.
With his partner, artist Jack Kirby, he co-created Captain America, one of comics' most enduring superheroes, and the team worked extensively on such features at DC Comics as the 1940s Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy, and co-created the Newsboy Legion, the Boy Commandos, and Manhunter. Simon & Kirby creations for other comics publishers include Boys' Ranch, Fighting American and the Fly. In the late 1940s, the duo created the field of romance comics, and were among the earliest pioneers of horror comics. Simon, who went on to work in advertising and commercial art, also founded the satirical magazine Sick in 1960, remaining with it for a decade. He briefly returned to DC Comics in the 1970s.
Simon was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999.
With his partner, artist Jack Kirby, he co-created Captain America, one of comics' most enduring superheroes, and the team worked extensively on such features at DC Comics as the 1940s Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy, and co-created the Newsboy Legion, the Boy Commandos, and Manhunter. Simon & Kirby creations for other comics publishers include Boys' Ranch, Fighting American and the Fly. In the late 1940s, the duo created the field of romance comics, and were among the earliest pioneers of horror comics. Simon, who went on to work in advertising and commercial art, also founded the satirical magazine Sick in 1960, remaining with it for a decade. He briefly returned to DC Comics in the 1970s.
Simon was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 29, 2020
The Boy Commandos Vol. 1 is a much appreciated 250 pages of the first, chronological Commandos stories created for DC by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Applying the kid gang concept to WWII, the series features kid representatives of several Allied countries, each with his own (somewhat annoying) accent.
As with Kirby's '70s WWII series, The Losers, Commandos uses WWII scenarios to tell a variety of human interest stories. One story begins with Nostradamus; another ten thousand years in the future (Kirby was always willing to employ his love for science fiction pulp in his work). Gangsters, a Japanese prisoner, a family curse, a pampered aristocrat and the French Underground are all used as story ideas; Simon and Kirby themselves make an appearance in "Satan Wears a Swastika", along with The Sandman and the Newsboy Legion.
The stories are smartly printed on non-glare matte paper, using the original colors. Much of the art is printed a little too dark, but is still preferable to modern, rancid computer re-coloring.
Like most comics of the period, the stories are of limited emotional resonance and can be formulaic (though Simon and Kirby, as seen above, mixed and mashed different story angles with more agility and experimentation than most). I read the book in two different sittings, giving my mind a rest with other readings. Any way you choose to read it, it's a good compilation of some of the better comics being produced at the time.
As with Kirby's '70s WWII series, The Losers, Commandos uses WWII scenarios to tell a variety of human interest stories. One story begins with Nostradamus; another ten thousand years in the future (Kirby was always willing to employ his love for science fiction pulp in his work). Gangsters, a Japanese prisoner, a family curse, a pampered aristocrat and the French Underground are all used as story ideas; Simon and Kirby themselves make an appearance in "Satan Wears a Swastika", along with The Sandman and the Newsboy Legion.
The stories are smartly printed on non-glare matte paper, using the original colors. Much of the art is printed a little too dark, but is still preferable to modern, rancid computer re-coloring.
Like most comics of the period, the stories are of limited emotional resonance and can be formulaic (though Simon and Kirby, as seen above, mixed and mashed different story angles with more agility and experimentation than most). I read the book in two different sittings, giving my mind a rest with other readings. Any way you choose to read it, it's a good compilation of some of the better comics being produced at the time.
August 20, 2021
In 1942, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby left Timely Comics (and their successful creation, Captain America) for greener pastures...and at DC Comics they created a feature popular enough to appear in three titles: Detective, World's Finest, and Boy Commandos. It's one of their first kid gangs, but their storytelling here is noticeably more mature than their Timely work, possibly because the subject matter was dearer to them: Winning the War.
The printing is a touch on the dark and muddy side, but it suits the material better than the same bright colors DC used for their Archive hardbacks. Throwing boy mascots into the height of WWII combat might not be realistic, but emotionally it's a satisfying series. Nor do the stories suffer for the haste with which they were prepared: Simon and Kirby were working hard to create a backlog of material against the inevitable day they were drafted.
It's a product of its time, but "don't you know there's a war on?" And it's hard to repress a smile at the brief cameo by the Newsboy Legion and the Sandman (in a rare piece of cross-promotion).
The printing is a touch on the dark and muddy side, but it suits the material better than the same bright colors DC used for their Archive hardbacks. Throwing boy mascots into the height of WWII combat might not be realistic, but emotionally it's a satisfying series. Nor do the stories suffer for the haste with which they were prepared: Simon and Kirby were working hard to create a backlog of material against the inevitable day they were drafted.
It's a product of its time, but "don't you know there's a war on?" And it's hard to repress a smile at the brief cameo by the Newsboy Legion and the Sandman (in a rare piece of cross-promotion).
April 5, 2018
Kinda wish they'd done a better job on the reproduction in this one, but perhaps they didn't have access to good source material. I know those old Kirby originals aren't around any more. Or maybe they didn't want to put the time or money into it. Either answer could be true. Or both.
The stories are interesting, a little more nuanced than many of the other 1942-era comics I've read. Not to say they're subtle or high-brow, but Simon and Kirby do offer a little more meat than your average Golden Age adventure gem. On the other hand, the Boy Commandos have no personalities or defining traits. Aside from Brooklyn, I don't remember any of their names, and only the Dutch kid got any type of back story.
The art and lettering is a little murky in this edition, but the drawing's still pretty solid.
The stories are interesting, a little more nuanced than many of the other 1942-era comics I've read. Not to say they're subtle or high-brow, but Simon and Kirby do offer a little more meat than your average Golden Age adventure gem. On the other hand, the Boy Commandos have no personalities or defining traits. Aside from Brooklyn, I don't remember any of their names, and only the Dutch kid got any type of back story.
The art and lettering is a little murky in this edition, but the drawing's still pretty solid.
September 1, 2016
The Boy Commandos Volume 1 (1941-42/Collected 2010): written and illustrated by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby: Terrible, muddy colour reproduction caused by somebody who doesn't know how to use a colour scanner makes for some tough pages in this collection. Still, it's rewarding to read one of the first 'kid gang' comics. And what a gang! Co-writer-artists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby basically serve up Our Gang with Heavy Weaponry in the Boy Commandos, as a bunch of prepubescent boys run around Europe and Asia machine-gunning the crap out of the Axis powers.
And they're sanctioned by the Allied military!
The Boy Commandos are a multi-national group nominally led by adult Captain Rip Carter. Their adventures are wild and woolly, and a lot more fun than those of most adult WWII comic-book characters. One can see how the 'kid gang' comic became a popular one in the 1940's before fading out around the end of WWII. Recommended. Boy, this needs to be colour-adjusted, though.
And they're sanctioned by the Allied military!
The Boy Commandos are a multi-national group nominally led by adult Captain Rip Carter. Their adventures are wild and woolly, and a lot more fun than those of most adult WWII comic-book characters. One can see how the 'kid gang' comic became a popular one in the 1940's before fading out around the end of WWII. Recommended. Boy, this needs to be colour-adjusted, though.
September 17, 2016
Well, this is definitely Kirby-the-early-years stuff. The energy is certainly there, but the overall glorification and mythification of warfare is more than a bit heavy. I was fascinated by the number of stories that the Boy Commandos were just a framing structure for telling a war-themed story about about character.
It's also interesting to compare the archetypes of the boy hero characters that Kirby uses again and again. I'm thinking of the Newsboy Legion and the Kid Cowboys of Boys Ranch in particular, but even characters like Moonboy and (my personal favorite) Kamandi, are variations of these types iconic characterizations.
I can't say this is among my favorite Kirby comics, but it was enjoyable and entertaining to turn my brain off and just fall into the allied propaganda of WWII.
It's also interesting to compare the archetypes of the boy hero characters that Kirby uses again and again. I'm thinking of the Newsboy Legion and the Kid Cowboys of Boys Ranch in particular, but even characters like Moonboy and (my personal favorite) Kamandi, are variations of these types iconic characterizations.
I can't say this is among my favorite Kirby comics, but it was enjoyable and entertaining to turn my brain off and just fall into the allied propaganda of WWII.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews