There have been so many iterations of G.I. Joe is comic books over the years, and all of them have their strengths and weakness.
For my money, the greatest G.I. Joe book I’ve ever read was the absolutely astonishing COBRA: The Last Laugh, published by IDW and created by Mike Costa, Christos Gage and Antonio Fuso. Now out of print and going for a pretty penny, I’ve read and reread the story of Chuckles and his infiltration into COBRA multiple times, and it never loses its power.
The rights to the G.I. Joe line went over to Skybound Entertainment in June 2023, and the last year has seen the company releasing multiple mini-series featuring Duke, Destro, Cobra Commander, and Scarlett, all of them leading to this week’s release of G.I. Joe #1.
Here’s the log line:
THE BIGGEST COMIC BOOK LAUNCH OF THE DECADE!
Conrad Hauser, Codename DUKE, has assembled a special force known as G.I. Joe to battle the rising power of the mysterious COBRA in the aftermath of the Autobots and Decepticons’ arrival on Earth.
But the enigmatic Cobra Commander has unleashed the power of Energon like never before!
Featuring the First Appearance of an ALL NEW character and many familiar faces, this is the comic that will change everything you think you know about G.I. Joe…and that’s only half the surprises in store.
G.I. Joe #1 comes from the creative team of writer Joshua Williamson (Duke, Cobra Commander), artist Tom Reilly (Duke) and colorist Jordie Bellaire (Duke, W0rldtr33), and is a genuinely great first issue. The work Williamson and the various creators have put into building the new world of G.I. Joe, which is shared with Skybound’s Transformers property, pays off with a book that honours its various iterations. Most notably, this book is very much in line with the classic ’80s animated tv show, which is sure to please longtime fans.
As someone who loved IDW’s G.I. Joe run as a whole, not just COBRA: The Last Laugh, I’ll admit to some hesitancy when the lP went over to Skybound. The grounded spy stuff was a big selling point to me, and as part of the Energon Universe, I knew this series would lend itself to more sci-fi elements. However, so far the crossover between the two has been done so well, with the focus of G.I. Joe still on classic characters, but in a brave new world.
For longtime fans and newcomers alike, G.I. Joe #1 is a solid debut, with a compelling story and eye-popping art sure to leave readers shouting “Yo Joe!”