Tomorrow, IDW releases the first issue of their latest G.I. Joe series, Hearts and Minds. Written by nationally acclaimed author Max Brooks (best selling author of World War Z) and using Howard Chaykin (Major Bludd) and Antonio Fuso (Spirit) on the art duties, IDW promises a more introspective look at the characters deeply rooted in the G.I. Joe mythology.
Brooks eschews action for a more solemn, personal look at Major Bludd and Spirit, really digging into their personalities and character.
In all fairness, I can see some readers getting at least a bit irked at this premise. In the first issue, we get a lot of text, a lot of detail, and not a whole lot of action to speak of. But the great thing is, the dialog and plot are so seamless and fun to read the lack of action does not seem glaring at all.
Brooks draws some very interesting perspective on Spirit especially, likening his heightened senses to a genetic disorder (sensory integration dysfunction) which gives him extremely sensitive senses and makes him a perfect tracker. It’s amazing, with only about twelve pages to tell a story, Brooks weaves a fascinating history of G.I. Joe’s infamous Native American character.
With a few neat twists and turns, even in a non-action packed story, Max Brooks has told an in depth and amazing tale with a very small canvas to work with. It makes me very excited to see what else Mr. Brooks has planned for us.
“In all fairness, I can see some readers getting at least a bit irked at this premise. In the first issue, we get a lot of text, a lot of detail, and not a whole lot of action to speak of. ”
You know, Larry Hama has been getting a lot of grief from fans about how he answers questions, but in his defense the one that’s stuck with me was when he said “No one cares about the story, they care about the characters.”
Now while they aren’t mutually exclusive, he has a very good point. If I don’t care about the characters, no matter how interesting the events are, I will lose interest.
I’m really looking forward to this series. I’ve been hoping for a more serious look at things. To many, a more mature and adult look at things seems to mean killing off characters to reflect the realsim of war.
But I’m hoping this series brings us closer to the characters. I want to care about the guys again. And maybe even learn to really hate some of the bad guys.
And for once I think this IDW title really deserves all the hype you’ve been giving it. Loving the art in the Spirit side of things as well.
I like the idea of focusing on the personal motivations of individual characters, and not having to descend into a firefight every time.
But rather than having two unrelated short stories I’d much rather have a story involving two characters interacting, or just focus on one character for a full comic. How about an issue focusing on someone like Low Light, or one of the female Joes, having to prove herself as equal to the guys?
Question about the ambush scene in the “Spirit” story, the other half of the book–what language were those enemy soldiers speaking?