GI Joe

GI Joe 25-28

These are really starting to blur into each other.  Larry Hama will introduce someone new every couple of issues, and it’s neat to see all of these characters I remember popping up.  

There’s an overarching storyline that’s been running through the title from the beginning, but I couldn’t tell you what it is at this point - Destro, Major Bludd, the Baroness, and Cobra Commander have been plotting against and with each other in various configurations this whole time, it’s frankly unbelievable that they haven’t all killed each other by now.  The Joes chase Cobra around the world, always getting close, never really accomplishing much when it comes to shutting them down. The lack of fatalities with that many bullets flying around gets distracting after a while. It’s a suspension of disbelief that all action comics have to deal with, but the lip service to a realistic military environment and the absence of spandex makes it particularly jarring.  In that way, it’s very similar to the 80s cartoon. It’s geared for a slightly older crowd, but not by much.  

Some specific comments:

How.  How in the world is Junkyard the dog staying on the helicopter skid?

Issues 26 and 27 goes over the origin of Snake Eyes.  He really is the best part of GI Joe. He’s got that Jason Bourne uber competent thing going for him, the coolest outfit, a strict code of honor, and the strong silent cool factor.  And he’s a ninja. There’s nothing about him that I don’t love, I don’t know how you could improve him.  

Nice chase scene.  Also, it’s another example of Hama depicting ordinary people completely unimpressed by the self-importance of both GI Joe and Cobra.  He really seems to enjoy taking the piss out of them whenever he can.

This is also where we learn that Storm Shadow’s been working undercover, and isn’t really a bad guy.  Super sweet, it means the good guys get a second badass ninja.  

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? No

Would read again? No

Rating: Fine