G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #39

January 28, 2005

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Union of the Snake Part Four

Cobra launches their attack on the Pit – and neither team will ever be the same!

Writers: Brandon Jerwa & Josh Blaylock
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks: Cory Hamscher
Colors: Val Staples
Letters: Robin Spehar
Editor: Mark Powers
Cover Art: Tim Seeley, Andrew Pepoy & Val Staples
Publisher: Devil’s Due

Last issue, Zartan broke Cobra Commander out of G.I. Joe custody, only to reveal that the two men were using each other’s identities. Meanwhile, Destro has finally discovered the location of the Joe headquarters, the Pit. This issue, Destro makes his move against the Joes, just as Cobra Commander makes his move against Destro.

With two issues left in this storyline, it’s incredible to think that there are still more shocks to come. This is a seriously action-heavy issue. The Joes are in bad shape – the Jugglers have cut the team down to 12 members, they’re under the command General Rey, a man many of them have never met, and now their viscous enemies are descending upon them with guns blazing.

G.I. Joe has always been a book that could surprise you – it’s ostensibly a kids’ property, but the fans are in their 20s now. More than that, even when the fans were kids, this book could be pretty harsh at times with the violence, the action, and even the casualties. Although there have been resurrections during the course of this property (the original Cobra Commander being the most obvious example), there have been far more characters who have stayed dead. This issue ends on a major cliffhanger that will have fans of one of the characters in an uproar.

We also start to get a little characterization of the new leader of the “official” Joes (as opposed to the splinter group of former Joes carrying out their own missions). General Rey is still something of an enigma, but here he’s painted as a man of honor. The question, for the Joes and the readers, is whether he’s being genuine or if he’s just a puppet of the Jugglers.

Tim Seeley continues to own this book artistically. He has a beautiful, clean line, and Cory Hamscher and Val Staples all come together to make this the best this property has ever looked.

This may not be the best point to jump into reading the book, in the middle of such a major storyline, but if you can find the first three issues in this arc it’s a great time to come on board, because the Joe team has never undergone so many changes so quickly, and the story has almost never been this good.

Rating: 8/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #38

December 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Union of the Snake Part Three

G.I. Joe and Cobra both face schisms as they teeter towards the brink of collapse.

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Emiliano Santalucia
Colors: Brett R. Smith
Letters: Robin Spehar
Editor: Mark Powers
Cover Art: Tim Seeley & Andrew Pepoy
Publisher: Devil’s Due

Last issue Duke and Snake-Eyes got sprung from prison by the unlikely duo of Scarlett and Storm Shadow. This issue, as they make their escape, Zartan and the Dreadnoks plan their own jailbreak – to free the imprisoned Cobra Commander!

Devil’s Due promises that next year will feature the biggest storyline in G.I. Joe history, and Brandon Jerwa is working overtime to make that happen. The Joe team has been pruned down to just 12 members, under the command of General Rey, but the members left out (or under fire) aren’t going to go down without a fight. Meanwhile, Destro has seized command of Cobra, but Zartan’s faction has other ideas.

We get a few nice revelations in this issue, about who’s really been in Joe custody all this time, the truth about Zartan’s mysterious condition, and a powerful scene between Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow, brothers too long at odds. There’s also a surprisingly powerful scene between Flint and Lady Jaye, the married couple caught up in the midst of this torment.

Emiliano Santalucia handles the pencils on this issue, stepping in for regular artist Tim Seeley, and the transition is almost seamless. The artwork looks a little more detailed, a little polished than usual, but the style is nearly exactly the same. It’s a great-looking comic book – as good as Seeley is, Santalucia would be a perfect artist on this book full-time if it came to it.

The Joes were my favorite toys as a kid, and even at the ripe old age of 27 I’m a huge fan, and this may be the best they’ve ever been. I can’t wait to see what’s coming up in 2005.

Rating: 9/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #36

November 11, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Shroud (Union of the Snake Part One)

As the G.I. Joe team falls apart, Cobra begins to rebuild.

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Cory Hamscher
Colors: John Rauch
Letters: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
Cover Art: Tim Seeley & Jeremy Roberts
Publisher: Devil’s Due

After a rather blasé two-issue story, Brandon Jerwa is back in full force this month with a great offering for the readers, if not for the G.I. Joe team. With Hawk out of commission, permanently, it would appear, his replacement with the Jugglers shows none of the compassion for the team he brought to the table. The new bosses want to gut G.I. Joe, just as Destro is getting Cobra up and running again.

This issue is very much a tale of two armies. The Joes are being ripped apart from on-high, while their personal bonds and loyalty to the cause are still strong. Over at Cobra, the command is in place and functional, but the individuals still harbor deep anger and mistrust for one another. Can either army function in such a state?

Destro also pulls off a few unusual operations in this issue, plots and schemes to chip away at the American faith, which are much more subversive and, potentially, much more effective than anything Cobra Commander ever did.

Tim Seeley does a fantastic job with the art this issue. The characters look strong and distinct, and it’s a lot of fun for an old-school Joe fan like myself to see this issue focus on a lot of the original core members. (We also get a reminder that, no matter how iconic Duke has become to the team, he wasn’t one of the originals.) The cover echoes that fact, and it’s really a beautiful piece of art. At first blush it may appear to be a standard, generic pin-up cover, but it turns out to actually be germane to the story. Plus it looks really, really good.

This is a strong start to the next storyline, which is especially good after the last two issues. It seems this series is back on track.

Rating: 8/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #35

November 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Bad Moon Rising Part Two

The battle you’ve been waiting for – Snake-Eyes versus Wraith!

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Cory Hamscher
Colors: Brett R. Smith
Letters: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
Cover Art: Tim Seeley & Sunder Raj
Publisher: Devil’s Due

Perhaps it’s because the book is still coming down from a really spectacular, Earth-shattering storyline, but the two-part “Bad moon rising” hasn’t quite lived up to the best of Brandon Jerwa’s work on G.I. Joe. Once Destro’s new operative Wraith was introduced a few minutes ago, we were told he was tough and skilled and basically cool, but we didn’t have a real chance to see him in action until this issue, when he takes on Snake-Eyes. It’s a well-done fight scene, but a pretty standard one, a scene that seems to be included mostly for the purpose of convincing us how tough Wraith is. One of the best things of the last story arc, the return of General Colton (the original G.I. Joe) is barely touched upon this issue.

There’s more plot in this issue, of course – Destro gets a major shock at the end of the issue, but the best scene is a conversation the bedridden, paralyzed Hawk has with Kamakura, and even that is somewhat clichéd. The victim lashes out at the world – it’s realistic, yes, but it’s still something we’ve seen many a time before.

Seeley, Millet and Hamscher continue to score very high marks on the art side. The comic looks consistently clean, the fights are well-choreographed and the explosions and conflagrations come together beautifully. Quieter scenes, like Hawk in the hospital, look just as good. They may not be action-packed, but they are necessary to give the story weight, and the art team keeps them from getting dull. Colorist Brett Smith deserves major credit too – his work goes a long way towards establishing mood

This two-issue arc seems more like it was in place to tidy up a couple of things from the last arc and establish a few things for the next arc. It does its job, but it doesn’t really pop the way G.I. Joe usually does. This story just wasn’t meaty enough.

Rating: 7/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #33

August 20, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: The Road Less Traveled & Fathom Part Three

General Hawk lingers on the brink of death, and no matter what happens, the Joe team will never be the same.

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley & Talent Caldwell
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Cory Hamscher & Jason Gorder
Colors: Jeremy Roberts & Christina Strain
Letters: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
Cover Art: Tommy Castillo (Cover A); Michael Turner (Cover B)
Publisher: Devil’s Due

Last issue the G.I. Joe team stopped Cobra from rescuing the captured Destro… but at what cost? In the closing pages, General Hawk was shot in the back by Cobra Commander, who in turn was shot by the treacherous Baroness.

This issue, Hawk wakes up from his coma to find that things have been very different in his absence. Jerwa walks us through how the team has been cleaning things up while he healed, and how he prepares for a world where G.I. Joe is not needed… but something is haunting him.

I knew where this story was going by the third page. By page 15 I was certain, and I was just marking time waiting for Brandon Jerwa to pull the big last-page switcheroo I knew was coming. Well, he pulled it all right, but the switch was not what I was expecting at all – it was something that took me totally by surprise, and that’s about the highest praise I can give. Plus, it’s about all I can say without spoiling a great ending.

The “Fathom” storyline by Jerwa and Talent Caldwell comes to its conclusion this issue as well and, frankly, it was a little disappointing. This last chapter, just four short pages, is a quick attempt to give the character an origin, establish his place in the G.I. Joe universe and show how tough he is before Caldwell finishes up.

Tim Seeley does a nice job on the artwork on the main story, including some particularly creepy sequences that work very well and tie in beautifully with Cover A, by Tommy Castillo. It evokes the feel of an old EC horror comic, and while that may seem an odd choice for G.I. Joe, it works wonderfully.

This was an excellent issue, an incredible epilogue to the “Players and Pawns” storyline that sets up the new status quo for the series in a big way. The solicitations for issue #34 say “everything changes” – and it’s not hard to believe. Not hard at all.

Rating: 9/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #32

July 24, 2007

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Players and Pawns Part Five & Fathom Part Two

Cobra plots to go after Destro – and G.I. Joe is ready for them.

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley & Talent Caldwell
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Cory Hamscher & Jason Gorder
Colors: Brett R. Smith & Christina Strain
Letters: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
Cover Art: Tim Seeley, Cory Hamscher & Val Staples (Cover A); Talent Caldwell, Jason Gorder, Peter Steigerwald & Christina Strain (Cover B)
Publisher: Devil’s Due

When Cobra learns that G.I. Joe will be transporting the captured – and very cooperative – Destro, they plan a daring ambush to take him from the custody of the Joe team and into their own.

Meanwhile, Snake-Eyes and Scarlett set out to rescue Claymore from Overkill, and the leaderless splinter group called The Coil finds a new home. And Duke, dressed down last issue for insubordination, tries to bury the hatchet with Hawk.

The culmination of this issue, simply put, blew me away. There have been some fantastic battles in this series, most notably the gigantic three-way war between the Joes, Cobra and The Coil in issue #25. But this issue contains, quite possibly, the greatest hand-to-hand combat scene I’ve ever read in a G.I. Joe comic. And yes, I’m including the various Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow duels in that statement. The conclusion of this issue has that epic feel, like the first time you saw Optimus Prime and Megatron slugging it out in TransFormers: The Movie. You just knew this fight was different somehow, you knew that something huge was going to happen, and you get the same feeling here. And it pays off. I’m a little miffed that this issue ended with a “to be continued,” since it’s labeled as the last issue of a storyline, but it’s such a fantastic cliffhanger that you can’t be mad about anything other than the fact that you have to wait to see what happens next.

Jerwa and Talent Caldwell continue their “Fantom” back-up story. The mercenary named Wraith has been hired to spring two Cobra agents from G.I. Joe custody. This is an oddity – on the one hand, you don’t want the bad guys to win, but on the other hand, Wraith is one of those characters that is just so cool you want to see how far he can go.

Caldwell also contributes fantastic artwork, as well as a fantastic cover. Tim Seeley’s artwork on the main story is also really solid – Overkill is suitably grotesque, and this is one of the few times ever that Duke and Hawk are really distinct from one another visually, mainly because Seeley gives them each a different hair texture. Finally, I can look at the two of them and tell who is who without having to check the dialogue and guess.

This is a great issue, the best since Brandon Jerwa took over this series from Josh Blaylock, and it’s one that has some serious consequences. G.I. Joe has always been distinct from other titles, in that characters can die without warning and you never know that anyone is safe. Even so, the end of this issue left my jaw on the floor. Fantastic.

Rating: 9/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #31

July 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Players and Pawns Part Four & Fantom

Duke’s insubordination catches up with him… and Destro wants to make a deal.

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley & Talent Caldwell
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Cory Hamscher & Jason Gorder
Colors: Brett R. Smith & Christina Strain
Letters: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
Cover Art: Mike Norton, Cory Hamscher & Val Staples (Cover A); Talent Caldwell, Jason Gorder, Peter Steigerwald & Christina Strain (Cover B)
Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing

As “Players and Pawns” continues, things seem to be falling apart for everyone… Cobra Commander is left to deal with yet another departure from his ranks, Duke is on the hot seat for his recent reckless behavior, the Baroness’s loyalty remains questionable… arguably the character in the most comfortable position this issue is Destro, and he’s been captured!

Although there hasn’t been a shortage of action in this story arc (or in this issue, either), Jerwa has surprised me with the story. Instead of a big, shoot-em-up war story like most G.I. Joe epics, this has been a quieter story about political games, strategies and working for the greater good even if one’s orders dictate otherwise. It’s made for a different sort of story, and it’s one I’m mostly enjoying. I do worry that going down this route may alienate some readers who come in mostly for the gunfights and explosions, and I hope Jerwa has included enough of them to keep them satisfied.

This issue also includes a back-up story, “Fantom,” by Jerwa with art by recent Superman wunderkind Talent Caldwell. Two mysterious agents are trying to recruit a third, a man called Wraith, into a new faction in the endless war between G.I. Joe and Cobra. The idea is not entirely original – there have been other sides to their struggle for years, from the Oktober Guard to The Coil. This storyline promises to go more in-depth with that plot device, though, and the fact that we don’t know exactly who these new agents are working for makes it even better.

The art, with inks by Jason Gorder and color by Christina Strain, is gorgeous. We’re in a nightclub, with a purple and blue color scheme that sets the stage perfectly and looks authentic, but isn’t dark enough to ruin things. It’s a very different art style from the rest of the book, though, and a rather jarring transition. Since I initially skipped reading the blurb on the first page of the back-up, I was two pages into it before I realized it was a G.I. Joe story and not a preview for a new Devil’s Due property. It’s an interesting idea, though, and I’ll be anxious to see where it goes.

While this isn’t the best Jerwa has done since taking over the title, he puts forth some very interesting ideas and some pretty surprising plot developments in this issue. With just one chapter left in the storyline, I’m waiting to see how it turns out.

Rating: 7/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #30

May 29, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Players and Pawns Part Four

Barrel Roll is trapped on Cobra Island! Cobra Commander makes an offer to the Baroness! And Destro’s scheme continues!

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Cory Hamscher
Colors: Brett R. Smith
Letters: Dreamer Design
Cover Art: Tim Seeley, Andrew Pepoy & Tony Washington
Publisher: Devil’s Due

As you can tell from the triple teaser, this is a really packed issue, with lots of interweaving plotlines going on at once. Out of all of them, only the Destro subplot seems to suffer from the clutter. As he tries to set up an alliance with a Central American dictator, the Joe team gets in good with his enemy. Most of the action in the book is involved with this subplot, and most of it is good, but the storyline here isn’t quite as cohesive as the other bits.

Meanwhile, last issue we left Barrel Roll being held at gunpoint by a mysterious figure who wants him to get them off Cobra Island together. We find out who it is this issue, but the identity of the assailant isn’t really spectacular enough to justify all the mystique. It’s a clever bit, though, one that works perfectly well with what the writers have done with these characters since the series was relaunched a few years ago, and it gives the new member of the Joe team a needed chance to show off.

Finally, we’ve got Cobra Commander trying to determine where exactly the Baroness’s loyalties lie now that Destro has split off from the fabled “ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world.” He makes her a very intriguing offer. The decision she makes is certain to impact the characters for quite some time.

And that’s not all. Hacker, one of the newer members that Jerwa has introduced, is put to great use in this issue, and every page is overflowing with plot as the book rolls on to next issue’s conclusion.

Tim Seeley’s artwork, as always, is fantastic. His action scenes are second to none, and Brett R. Smith’s coloring work really stands out. They do lighting effects and shadows equally well, really making the atmosphere of the various scenes work depending on the environment. The only problem with artwork, for some reason, is one that G.I. Joe artists have had since the earliest days of the franchise – with a book where so many of the characters are the square-jawed, dusty-haired All-American Good Guys, several of the characters look just too much alike. When characters aren’t in uniform or you only get a headshot, Hawk, Duke and Ripcord are virtually indistinguishable from one another.

Jerwa’s first major storyline ends next month, and he’s doing a really good job. He just needs to be able to smooth things out – in a book with a cast this big, accessibility and cleanliness of plot are key.

Rating: 7/10

TransFormers/G.J. Joe #6

April 3, 2004

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: The Iron Fist

With Bruticus on a rampage, only the the Autobot Matrix can save the world… but at what price?

Writer: John Ney Rieber
Art: Jae Lee
Colors: June Chung
Letters: Ben Lee
Cover Art: Jae Lee
Publisher: Dreamwave

While the initial premise for this series was great – the G.I. Joe and TransFormers titles reimagined in a World War II setting, in execution the book has suffered from extremely slow pacing and issues that felt padded. If this had been done in four issues instead of stretching it to six, many of which were quite late, it would have read better and more satisfying.

This issue features the long-awaited final battle, which delivers for the most part, focusing on the odd friendships that have bonded between the characters – Stalker, Roadblock, Grimlock and Bumblebee make for an intriguing foursome. By contrast, you see the distrust and venom between Cobra Commander and Megatron, Destro and Starscream. The villains are every bit as dastardly as the heroes are noble.

One of the things that makes an alternate timeline setting like this appealing is the freedom of doing things to characters that couldn’t be done in-continuity for fear of damaging the continued marketability of the property. Rieber takes full advantage of that freedom, but I think he actually goes a bit too far, sealing off the storyline so much that any potential to return to the setting is almost voided. Not that this is a book screaming for a sequel for me, but I do think there’s a lot of potential in the basic idea, and the character designs are great.

Jae Lee did a great job reimagining these characters for a 1940s setting, particularly the Autobots. Seeing Grimlock as a tank and Bumblebee as a motorcycle were nice twists, and the huge, imposing Optimus Prime was a highlight of the book. The only downside to the artwork is that I never felt we got to see quite enough of the robots to totally envision them, although I suspect a toy line would be a best seller. June Chung’s color scheme employs grays and dark greens and browns almost exclusively, giving the whole series a dark, stormy mood that’s appropriate for the story but extremely gloomy for the reader.

In the end, out of the two crossover series these properties have shared in the past year, this one may have been the most anticipated but just wasn’t as good as Devil’s Due’s G.I. Joe Versus the Transformers. This one didn’t use the potential of combining the two favorites to its fullest potential, but that potential is still there, and if they ever decided to revisit this world, I for one would at least take a look.

Rating: 6/10

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (2001 Series) #29

May 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Players and Pawns Part Two

As G.I. Joe cleans up from last issue’s blast, Destro makes a move to consolidate his own power base.

Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks: Cory Hamscher
Colors: Brett R. Smith
Letters: Dreamer Design
Cover Art: Tim Seeley, Andrew Pepoy & Val Staples
Publisher: Devil’s Due

Last issue, Hawk and Lady Jaye were caught in an explosion in a television studio Cobra set up. This issue, as Barbecue and Lightfoot dig through the wreckage to find survivors, trouble brews in the central American country of Sierra Gordo – the kind of trouble that may need G.I. Joe assistance.

With G.I. Joe Reloaded getting so much attention, it’s easy to forget how good the core series really is. Brandon Jerwa tells two stories in this issue that mesh together – one is the old-school Joe versus Cobra conflict that has defined this title since the early 80s. The other is more of a realistic story of military skirmishes, terrorism and world events. It’s a delicate balancing act, but he handles it well.

This issue also shows us a lot more of the team, catching up on old friends like Zap and Clutch, reminding us what Ripcord and Tunnel Rat are up to and following up on Barrel Roll as he takes on a Cobra base singlehandedly. He gets most of the action this issue, right up to a dandy little page 21 cliffhanger

Seeley and Hamscher do their usual good job with the artwork. They have action scenes down pat and throw in nice dramatic posing throughout. The only problem artwise is that many of the faces, especially on the male characters, look too much alike, and when they aren’t in uniform or when they’ve got a close-up, it can sometimes be hard to tell who’s who.

Brett R. Smith’s colors really shine as a high point of this book. Bright scenes, dark scenes… he does it all well. And I’m not sure whose choice it was to switch Cobra Commander’s uniform from blue to black, but such a simple stylistic change makes the character look much more menacing and makes you take him more seriously as a villain.

Reloaded may be the current superstar of the G.I. Joe franchise, but people shouldn’t forget they have a solid title right here that’s highly entertaining in its own right. This is a solid G.I. Joe title, and it’s as good now as it was when it launched the 80s nostalgia craze three years ago.

Rating: 7/10