Welcome back to G.I. JoeVersity, a weekly look at all the goings-on in the thrilling world of G.I. Joe, including new issues of IDW’s awesome G.I. Joe titles, and the latest action figure releases and movie news!
This Wednesday, IDW dropped two G.I. Joe comics on us: “Cobra” #14 and a very special, Independence Day inspired “G.I. Joe: A Real American Treasury Edition” collecting three stories from the classic Marvel series by Larry Hama and various artists. Let’s take a look each of ’em!
Fairborn’s Eleven
Written by Mike Costa
Illustrated by Antonio FusoG.I. JOE UNDERGROUND! Armed with secret knowledge of Cobra’s inner workings, a rag-tag force of ex-villains and damaged heroes takes the fight to the darkest corners of the world, under the vigilant eye of Flint!
Las Vegas is the new headquarters of G.I. Joe. More precisely, a small specialized detail of Joes, but still… Led by Joe mainstay Flint, this covert team is holed up in a super casino and charged with pulling information from captured Cobra inner-circle member and the casino’s former owner, Tomax Paoli. Of course, Paoli’s not the only Cobra alum in the building. The newly-minted Joe agent Chameleon’s not super happy to be sharing space with another old snake, a situation that’s generating some of the best drama this book’s seen in a while.
More surprising, I think, is the budding friendship between Chameleon and Lady Jaye. Neither of them has ever been portrayed as what you might consider, y’know, the “warm and fuzzy” type. So, admittedly, seeing them sitting together, grabbing a bite to eat is a just little odd at first. But the more we see of these two, the more I like it, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of the lady Joes in all of the other books, too.
Tomax might be Flint’s main informant as far as the team’s concerned, but this issue reveals an ace up his sleeve. Major Bludd, in custody since his the end of the ‘Cobra Command’ arc, is feeding Flint intel related to, among other things, a secret son of the former Cobra Commander… an angle Flint’s all to ready to pursue as a means of bringing down Cobra. However, true to each’s form, it’s starting to look like Bludd and Tomax are pointing the team in different directions, forcing Flint to launch multiple operations to achieve his goals and keep Tomax off Bludd’s scent as a side informant. Flint’s little team gains one more member this issue as Ronin joins up. Of course, Ronin’s addition doesn’t necessarily mean things are going to get easier, but it should make for some pretty good action in the near future.
Blacklight’s sub-story sees the double agent in a airport firefight with Firefly, marking the return of everyone’s favorite Cobra saboteur, albeit very briefly. Blacklight manages to escape, and hope another plane to Zurich… which, coincidentally, is exactly where Flint and the Joes are headed.
With ‘Underground’, creators Costa and Fuso have shifted the focus off Cobra for a while, and it’s paying off. G.I. Joe as sort of a high-stakes, globally-focused heist movie is a pretty great idea, and something I don’t think we’ve ever seen before. The irregular cast shines some light on fan-favorites like Flint and Lady Jaye, who maybe haven’t had a chance to take center stage before. It’s a nice change of pace from everything we’ve gotten from IDW’s Joe books in the last few years. It’s not 100% new reader friendly, but Costa catches you up on things pretty quick. The arc’s only two issues in, so if you’ve been looking for a good opportunity to jump on “Cobra”, now’s your chance. I highly recommend it.
Freedom Rings Up for $9.99
Continued belowWritten by Larry Hama
Illustrated by Herb Trimpe, Marshall Rogers, Don Hudson, and Phil GosierCelebrate America’s independence with this special 4th of July Treasury Edition of G.I. JOE! JOE scholar Mark Bellomo scoured the run of ARAH for the most patriotic stories for your Independence Day reading enjoyment, and decided on: Issue #1, “Operation Lady Doomsday “; #82, “Weeding Out”; and finally issue #155, “A Letter from SNAKE EYES.” From the very first introduction of the JOE team to the final issue filled with SNAKE EYES’ response to a teenager thinking of enlisting, this commemorative collection is designed for real American heroes.
‘A Real American Treasury’ collects Marvel Comics’ “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” #s 1, 82, and the series finale, #155. Billed as a compilation of “the most patriotic stories for your Independence Day reading enjoyment”, this one baffles me just a little bit with its choices. I’m all for including #155, as it’s really never been reprinted and is one of Larry Hama’s finest pieces of writing. It’s a sought after book that’s genuinely a touching and inspirational story, and manages to be one without ever being hindered by its toy roots. But including #1 and 82 seems like a missed opportunity to me.
Given the opportunity, I could pick out at least ten issues better suited for this kind of thing — RAH #20, #24, or “G.I. Joe: Special Missions” # 2 just to name a few — but hey, nobody asked me. Still, neither issue is a bad comic, and in and of themselves, they’re highly enjoyable and a pretty good introduction to Hama’s run and the way things used to be.
Joepourri
It’s been a relatively light week for G.I. Joe news, but don’t forget:
– G.I.JoeCon 2012 is just two weeks away! The show’s Oktober Guard Boxed Set is sold out and preregistration is now closed, but you can still go to the show and be part of the biggest G.I. Joe celebration around! [gijoecon.com]
– If you can’t make it to New Orleans, there’s Heroescon in Charlotte, NC, next weekend, June 22-24. “What’s that got to do with G.I. Joe,” you ask? Well, G.I. JoeVersity LIVE!, that’s what. On Sunday, I’ll be hosting a live panel with some of the finest G.I. Joe artists to have worked on you favorite special missions force, including Robert Atkins, SL Gallant, Herb Trimpe and plenty more! [heroesonline.com]
Got a question for me or the G.I. Joe creative teams? Email me: chad@multiversitycomics.com
