I ran a bit behind last week getting the IDW reviews posted, but I don’t intend to make that mistake this week, especially as Cobra Command continues on and we finally get at least a little bit of interaction between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

I’m the last person to complain about a lack of ninja conflict within the G.I. Joe universe, but IDW has really been dragging out the whole Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow dynamic.  Apparently they’re moving closer to a resolution here as Snake Eyes wades neck deep into Red Ninja territory.

Click the “Read the Rest of this Entry” link below for the full review!

Snake Eyes #10

Writer – Chuck Dixon
Artist – Alex Cal

Still far behind enemy lines in Nanzhao, Snake Eyes, Helix, and Alpine investigate an apparent silent assault on UN troops on a bridge…and when Snake Eyes investigates one of the arrows left behind, he immediately senses what’s going on.

We also get a little more detail behind Cobra’s plans for Nanzhao, hoping to raize the country and destroy the drug trade to inflate their own drug trade in South America.  The details of Cobra’s contracts with India and China are also revealed, demonstrating how the organization could built itself up financially with their current direction.  As Cobra wipes out the poppy fields of Nanzhao, they’re sharing credit for the act, while still getting blame for the slaughter of UN Peacekeepers, generally causing global conflict all around them.

Meanwhile, Snake Eyes orders transport to a remote jungle area with Helix hot on his heels and they both go face-to-face with a cadre of Red Ninjas.

Like the Cobra Command issues before this one, they are fast paced, enjoyable and written remarkably well.  Snake Eyes’ gestures and acts are all translated quite nicely to paper, and I’m growing to enjoy this whole master/apprentice relationship with Helix.  Snake Eyes shows a remarkably dark side of himself when he lures Helix into the jungle behind him, then uses her as bait to flush out the Red Ninjas, even if he does end up saving her life.  As they get closer to Storm Shadow, you feel a distinct sense of gravitas for the upcoming events.  We also start seeing a trace of a rivalry between Storm Shadow and Zartan, over the death of his Oyabun.

As we’ve come to expect throughout the Cobra Command story, Alex Cal’s art is remarkable.  His sense of action and story flow throughout the initial Red Ninja attack was nearly flawless, and there were several sequences towards the end of the issue with Snake Eyes, Helix, and other Red Ninjas that were the same way.  He has an exceptional sense of movement and the way one panel flows to another.  I continue to enjoy his artistic license that he takes in certain places with Helix’s camouflage uniform, and am extremely impressed with his work drawing Cobra Commander especially.

As an aside, Robert Atkins does one of the alternate covers of this issue, and it is stunning.  One awesome looking Storm Shadow.

Yes, like the issues before it, this is another great installment of Cobra Command, and I look forward to seeing it come to its certain to be exciting finish.  Check out the 5-page preview below for an example of the writing and art.

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