I know I haven’t been posting many reviews lately for the IDW titles, even though I’ve been enjoying them much more than I had recently. I figured I should change that for G.I. Joe #18. Written by Chuck Dixon with art by SL Gallant, the main G.I. Joe title started off quite slowly, and has taken a while to build…but it has been building.
There are spoilers in this review, so click the “Read the rest of this entry” link below to check it out.
First of all, I’ll say that I can anticipate some complaints with this issue, because as much as the story has been charging forward, this one takes a total detour, bypassing the Cobra MASS Device storyline for a focus instead on a G.I. Joe training mission gone bad. Cover Girl, Downtown, and Tripwire are the main characters involved here as they participate in a training mission led by Stalker. However, that training mission is interrupted by a pair of Cobra desert troopers who show up just in time to make things interesting.
The issue has a great flow, with some terrific art by Mr. Gallant. While the Joes are all running around in generic black shirts and camouflage pants, the Cobra desert troopers look remarkably like the Rise of Cobra Desert-Vipers, which is a very cool touch. The helmets are slightly different, but beyond that, the look is quite Rise of Cobra, without being directly tied to that movie universe. I think that’s a neat touch, and I like seeing them integrate characters that have actual toy representations.
The dialog is written very well, intermixing military jargon seamlessly without seeming overdone. There’s some suspense built within this issue, and all in all it was a great “one off” type of story that proved to be a very entertaining read.
Of course, many may complain that, like usual, the story doesn’t really end up any further along than it was with the last issue, but at the end of the day, the issue was fun and a brisk read and I enjoyed it, regardless of how far it progressed the universe. Cobra is built up to the max as they have been in issues past (to the point where you wonder just how G.I. Joe can possibly stop them) but all in all, it was a fun comic this month, and I’m looking forward to #19. Some images can be found below.
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I’ll say that the preview pages you’ve shown DO indeed look interesting.
There are key problems with this title though. Even with Gallants art looking decent here, why is it Atkins can only produce 6 issues a year? I hate the trading off of artists, it interrupts the feel and flow of the book. There are plenty of GIJoe titles being published today, why mess with the art style in the main book, especially with the insane amount of love for Roberts art in the fanbase?
Second, why is there absolutely no connection to the toyline? One of the things that thrilled me about the second half of the DDP original run was seeing all the toys we aere getting geting comicbook treatment : Scalpel, Blackout, Barrel Roll, etc, etc.
Why aren’t these guys Desert Vipers?
I know it seems a small thing, but the abrupt differences between all GIJoe mediums is really starting to make this franchise feel like a jumbled mess of random ideas. GIJoe RoC line, toyline, classic GIJoe ARAH and the upcoming Renegades. All eerily similar yet different.
And with an all-new take on GIJoe the main IDW title has yet to actually clearly define their version of the GIJoe universe.
I’ve been hearing a few people say the title has improved quite a bit lately so I may give it another try, but I have my doubts Chuck Dixon can even write a really good Joe book.
Why Brandon Jerwa isn’t writing this title is beyond me.
It’s a different universe; I don’t mind there being no tie-in to the toy line. As soon as they make the characters in this comic an actual Desert-Viper, for instance, in the minds of many fans they’re then tied into characters and appearances from everything else that was released in that particular toy line. If the Desert-Viper is a Desert-Viper, then you’re stuck in the Rise of Cobra universe.
And, although my knowledge of this line is still pretty limited (I haven’t caught up on the main Ongoing series yet – should be getting the first two trades in the mail any minute now, and will catch up on my iPod), none of the Origins stuff I’ve read or the G.I. Joe: Cobra line have been directly tied to the toy lines; the Crimson Guards have different helmets, Tomax & Xamot look different, their Cobra Commander design is unique, etc. It’s G.I. Joe, and obviously so, without being handcuffed creatively by having to directly reflect the toy designs.
No kidding. That’s why I identified it as a problem. With this all standing on its own and having no tie in to the movie, toys or cartoon and spending 6 issues on a battle with robots this series is seriously lacking identity. I’m saying it should tie in to the toys. As it is its just an alternate take on the gijoe universe and one I don’t give credit to more than any fan made comic. Sure they bought the license but hasbro obviously doesn’t care enough about the comics to support it with some toys based on the comic.it has none of the official feeling the DDP comics had.
Great issue – very cool stuff! I’m enjoying this incarnation of GI Joe, don’t know what to expect, but I like it.
I chose Cover B because B is for… “Oh, hey Cover Girl!”
i, too, want more characters drawn from the toyline… especially any and almost all vipers. night and alley are right up there at the top along with theoriginal blue-shirts.
cashel