Nathan Never #3
Nathan Never #3 — titled 'Operazione Drago' and published in August 1991 — is the third issue of what became Sergio Bonelli Editore's flagship science fiction series, and it marks the debut of interior artist Stefano Casini on the title, introducing an artistic voice that would remain closely associated with the series for decades. The issue launches a two-part storyline (continued in #4) that deepens the series' ambition to blend action-genre cinema homage with ongoing serialized continuity, a relatively novel approach for Italian comics at the time. It also consolidates the early appearances of Legs Weaver, Edward Reiser, and Sigmund Baginov — core cast members who went on to anchor the broader Nathan Never universe and its spin-offs — within the series' inaugural months.
In "Operazione Drago," Nathan faces his most dangerous mission yet when Athos Than, head of a powerful criminal organization, seizes a deadly stockpile of bacteria. Tasked by the government, Nathan infiltrates a martial arts tournament on Athos's island, using a false identity to track down the weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. Written by Bepi Vigna and illustrated by Stefano Casini, with lettering by Francesca Piovella, the issue's cover by Claudio Castellini captures the tension of a high-stakes mission in a 2300 ITL comic from 1991.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Nathan Never was conceived by the Sardinian writing trio of Michele Medda, Antonio Serra, and Bepi Vigna, who had been developing a science fiction comic while collaborating with Bonelli on Martin Mystère and Dylan Dog; the project received editorial approval in November 1989, and the series launched on newsstands in June 1991. Issue #3, scripted by Bepi Vigna, was drawn by Stefano Casini, who had been selected for the project as early as 1989 and made his series debut with this very issue. Claudio Castellini — who defined the visual identity of Nathan Never and drew the interior art of the debut issue — continued providing covers through issue #59, meaning his cover graced #3 as well, lending the young series visual continuity even as interior artists rotated.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Title: 'Operazione Drago' (Operation Dragon) — Nathan Never #3, published August 1, 1991 by Sergio Bonelli Editore.
- Script and plot by Bepi Vigna; interior art by Stefano Casini — Casini's debut on the Nathan Never series.
- Cover art by Claudio Castellini, who provided all covers for Nathan Never #1 through #59.
- The issue is the first chapter of a two-part story, concluding in Nathan Never #4 ('L'Isola della Morte').
- Plot: Nathan is sent undercover as a martial arts champion named Robert Clouse to infiltrate Dragon Island and recover lethal bacteria stolen by warlord Athos Than, who plans to breed a genetically engineered super-soldier race.
- The name 'Robert Clouse' is a direct nod to Robert Clouse, real-world director of the Bruce Lee film 'Enter the Dragon' — consistent with the series' habit of encoding sci-fi and cinema references throughout its stories.
- Athos Than and Kwai Chen appear in this issue; fan commentary confirms their return in later issues, establishing them as recurring figures within the series' continuity.
- Legs Weaver (Rebecca Lawrence Weaver), Edward Reiser (founder and first head of Agenzia Alfa), and Sigmund Baginov (the agency's Polish computer genius) are indexed as characters in this issue, part of the core supporting cast introduced across the series' opening months and central to the Nathan Never universe's eventual spin-offs and expanded storylines.
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Reprinted in Nathan Never #3 (1992), Nathan Never #3
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