Review by Ian Keogh
As enjoyed by boys when serialised in the 1970s, the Steel Commando was a robot created by Professor Brayne serving with British forces during World War II. It was a comedy action strip, and due to a mix-up the robot would only take orders from Ernie Bates, the laziest man in the army. Rebellion have issued a reprint volume showing the stories as fun, but very much of their era.
So can anything be done with the concept in the 21st century? It turns out Ned Hartley has plenty of ideas on that score, not the least of which is removing the Steel Commando from his World War II era. With the help of Dan Boultwood’s cartooning the mood is reset to manic and madcap, and Hartley realises there are other Rebellion properties also ripe for updating, so throws them in as well.
Hartley and Boultwood start during World War II and the despicable plans of Nazi scientist Doktor von Hoffman, very keen to capture Brayne’s latest designs, which turn out to be an updated version of the Steel Commando. However it’s susceptible to being taken over remotely, and from there the creators take a leap into a future altered by Hoffman, further still into the future for some mayhem in space, and then deep back into the past.
The essence of Steel Commando as a robot with a stiff upper lip remains, but transformed into something far funnier and far sillier, with Boultwood maximising the constant excess. It’s a case of just lighting the fuse and keeping up the rocket pace until the end. It’s utterly bonkers and totally enjoyable.
