Welcome back to G.I. JoeVersity, our look at all things G.I. Joe, including IDW’s comics, the latest action figure releases, convention coverage, and movie news!
This week, we’re catching up on the G.I. Joe comics offerings for July 2012, and finally taking some time to finally open our San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Jinx. So let’s jump right in!
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS
Women in the Military: Danger Girl / G.I. Joe #1
Written by Andy Hartnell
Illustrated by John Royle
Covers by J. Scott CampbellThe two most incredible covert action teams the world has ever known–so covert, in fact, that neither knows the other exists–are meeting for the first time ever! Repeat: Danger Girl and G.I. JOE, together. Spies! Girls! Ninjas! COBRA! If your head did not just explode, then you are one of the lucky few remaining that will live to enjoy a summer blockbuster you’ll have to see to believe!
Last week saw the premiere of Danger Girl / G.I. Joe #1, the first in a four part crossover from writer Andy Hartnell artist John Royle. In the category of event comics I never knew I wanted, this one would’ve probably been pretty close to the top. I was pretty skeptical. I’ve got nothing against Danger Girl. In fact, I enjoyed the first Cliffhanger! series by J. Scott Campbell and Hartnell quite a bit, but for whatever reason, I didn’t find the idea of G.I. Joe meeting the Danger Girls all that appealing.
Of course, Danger Girl creator Campbell’s has plenty of experience working in the G.I. Joe camp, having been the primary cover artist for Devil’s Due/Image relaunch in 2001. And those covers have been reused a few times as part of IDW’s efforts to reprint the entire Marvel run, so it’s almost like the guy never stopped being involved. His work’s a lot of fun and appeals to my inner 13 year old, so if he’d been announced as the crossover’s main artist, I might’ve been more enthusiastic. That could’ve been0 the books hook right there: J. Scott Campbell drawing G.I. Joe! But like most Danger Girl comics of the last few years, Campbell’s just on the development side, and offers very little art wise, and that means Hartnell and Royle have to work that much harder.
Thankfully, they kind of aced it.
Danger Girl / G.I. Joe doesn’t have a lot of the hyper-realized, heavy on the espionage elements that define IDW’s three G.I. Joe ongoings. And it doesn’t even go for the classic, character-driven, jargon-laced adventure style story that fans have come to expect from Hama’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Danger Girl / G.I. Joe has more in common with the Real American Hero cartoon than anything else, and thanks to Royle’s almost Campbell-like art style, it does a beautiful job of telling a story that’s lighter and brighter than anything we’ve seen in the mainline Joe comics in quite a while. There’s more action and wide open bombast in the first eight pages than we’ve seen in the other books this past year. I love the current Joe titles, but I can’t tell you the last time they featured a two against ten dogfight. And speaking of things we’ve never seen, the plot’s involves an almost all female cast of Joes on a rescue mission to bring back Scarlett and Flint. As far as I know, this is the first time we’ve seen the ladies getting this kind of attention, and that in and of itself is pretty fantastic, and long overdue.
Recommended for fans of: Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey, Dan Slott’s She Hulk, and McG’s Charlie’s Angels.
Call Me Billy: Cobra #15
Written by Mike Costa
Illustrated by Antonio FusoThe lies and betrayals keep adding up, as Flint struggles to maintain his honor amidst his team of scoundrels and backstabbers. And is the information that Tomax has been supplying really on the level? Of course not… but what game is he playing?
After several months of talking about the guy and trying to track him down, Mike Costa and Antonio Fuso finally introduce us to Cobra Commander’s son, William Kessler-Latta… but please, call him Billy.
Continued belowLongtime fans will recognize that Billy’s name is an homage to actor Chris Latta, AKA Christopher Collins, best known as the voice of Cobra Commander in the G.I. Joe animated series, and Starscream on Transformers. And of course, Billy himself is an homage to — or. rather, a modern re-imagining of — the Marvel Cobra Commander’s son, Billy.
Costa and Fuso always produce one of most solidly entertaining comic books around, and this current storyline is no exception. I’m digging Flint’s Vegas team and their sort of stripped-down operations, and after this issue’s ending, I can hardly wait to see the big Chameleon / Firefly confrontation coming up next month.
Seriously folks, if you’re not reading this one, you really should be. It’s one of the best.
Recommended for fans of: Ed Brubaker’s Winter Soldier, Matt Kindt’s Super Spy, and Nathan Edmondson’s Who is Jake Ellis?
Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow #15
Written by Chuck Dixon
Illustrated by Robert Atkins
Cover by Andrea Di Vito“Serpent’s Shadow,” part 3!
SNAKE EYES continues a deadly game where the rules are known only to him. To prove his renewed loyalty to the Arashikage Clan, he joins a team to kill the new COBRA COMMANDER! But danger lurks for him within the ninja clan with a new betrayal around every corner. ALSO! Zartan makes some interesting new friends.
A lot happens in this issue. Storm Shadow’s apprentice, Rika, expresses concerns about Snake Eyes’ loyalty to the Arashikage, Zartan’s plane goes down in Australia where he’s rescued by three very familiar bikers, and Cobra Commander exposes Storm Shadow’s true intentions, ending whatever tenuous agreement Cobra had with the Arachikage clan.
We’re treated to another flashback into Snake Eyes and Storm Shadows past. These little peeks into the past are fast becoming my favorite thing about this book. Chuck Dixon is doing a great job showing us sides of both his stars that we’ve never really seen before, and I’m loving it.
This time, we get to see that the ruthlessness and wicked nature of a true ninja doesn’t come naturally for Snake Eyes. And eventually, we’re shown the steps the Hard Master is willing to take for his apprentice to reach his potential. Young Storm Shadow, however, takes to deceitfulness pretty easily, and almost revels in the outcome of his actions.
Recommended for fans of: Kill Bill, Miller’s Daredevil, Wolverine: Origins, and Dixon’s Nightwing.
The Lady in Red
It’s a common practice these days for toy companies to do some kind of exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con. This year, Hasbro offered up several exclusives related to G.I. Joe, not the least of which was an awesome 30th Anniversary style Jinx figure. I wasn’t able to attend SDCC, however, thanks to some excellent folks over at Hasbro, I was able to get a Red Jinx, and she is one incredible toy.
Other sites (like YoJoe.com) do a much better job of reviewing toys, but here’s just a few quick snapshots of the figure on-card, out and open, and in action.
Jinx comes with a backpack/sword holder, two katanas, a battle staff, and a figure stand (not pictured). My only gripe has to do do with Jinx’s backpack, and how is just sort of pegs into her back. With a lot of figures, you’ll get some kind of strap or harness running across the toys chest so the backpack doesn’t just appear to be sort of floating there, but Jinx doesn’t have anything like that.
It’s not a big deal considering the incredible detail and articulation she does feature, but it’s something I kind of always look for.
Moving on…
Jinx has the new swivel ankle which I first noticed on the G.I. Joe: Renegades Scarlett figure. I will say I wasn’t crazy about the joint on Scarlett, as it isn’t great for getting a good solid, legs shoulder-width apart stance. But the ankle works a lot better for Jinx, especially when you start posing her in all kinds of ninja stances.
And that’s her. Jinx is pretty tough to come by, but if you’re able to get your hands on one at a reasonable price, she’s definitely a must have.
That’s all we have this time, but come back next week when we’ll be looking at part two of Larry Hama’s San Diego epic in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero # 181.
Got a question for me or the G.I. Joe comics creative team? Send an email to chad@multiversitycomics.com
