by generalsjoes | Jul 13, 2010 | 5 Page Previews, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
Continuing the fascinating origin of Zartan in the IDW universe, G.I. Joe: Origins #17 hits comic shops tomorrow, and we’ve got a 5-page preview for you today. I was pretty enthralled by the first issue, and I’m really looking forward to reading the continuing saga…expect a review to be posted tomorrow upon release!
Until then, whet your appetite with the first 5 pages of story.
Chuck Dixon (w) • Alex Cal(a) • Tom Feister, Cal (c)
The Origin of Zartan, Part 2: The twisted origin of COBRA’s man of a thousand identities continues as Zartan is trained in the ways of death and disguise by his COBRA masters. But perhaps he knows far more than they. A deadly game begins; a game where only Zartan knows the rules. A glimpse inside COBRA and their evil schemes to manipulate world events from the shadows.
* 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
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by generalsjoes | Jul 1, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
I figured a good return to the update pool would be a review of a very understated, yet fantastic read, G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds #2. As with issue #1, written by Max Brooks with art chores shared by Howard Chaykin (Firefly half) and Antonio Fuso (Tripwire half), the lack of action and “snazz” is almost palpable. You can tell this was meant to be written from a strictly “prose” perspective, and it dives deeply into the characters that make up the G.I. Joe mythology.
Of course, it’s a bit of a double edged sword, because we’re focusing on these characters from the IDW universe, which doesn’t really tie in to the existing Real American Hero mythology, but it still provides some very cool insight “behind the mask” so to speak. To avoid spoilers, I’ve placed the actual review after the jump.
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by generalsjoes | Jun 22, 2010 | 5 Page Previews, Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
Operation: HISS has been a pretty enjoyable read thus far, even being somewhat predictable along the way. The art is a bit hit or miss, and the characterization of Duke as a traitor has been a stretch. It was obvious he was going to get back on the good guys’ side again, it was just a matter of how long it took. However, I do enjoy the series as a whole, and find it pretty neat to get a continued look at the Rise of Cobra universe. Honestly, unlike a lot of fans, I think there is a place for the Rise of Cobra universe in the myriad of G.I. Joe continuities, and it’s cool to see this world continue along in the comic page. The latest issue is released this Wednesday.
Looking at the 5-page preview below, my only thought would be… I thought Neo-Vipers were nanomite enhanced super soldiers… how is Scarlett is whupping their asses?
G.I. Joe: Operation Hiss #5
Brian Reed (w) • Gianluca Gugliotta (a) • Joe Corroney, Augustin Padilla (c)
Major Bludd has convinced the United States government that G.I. Joe has gone rogue. One wrong move could spell disaster not just for the Joes, but for the whole world!
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
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by generalsjoes | Jun 17, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
Wow. The IDW Universe is really starting to pick up steam, and September looks no different, with a wide assortment of fun and interesting looking titles. Some very cool artwork on these covers, and some serious intrigue scattered throughout. Looking forward to seeing what the months ahead are going to bring us!
I mean come on…in one month we’ve got another G.I. Joe: Cobra Special…a tribute to the original silent issue (and a first peek at Snake Eyes’ origin)…and Rod freaking Whigham drawing a G.I. Joe cover again! Click the “read the rest of this entry” link below to get all of the details!
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by generalsjoes | Jun 15, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comic Reviews, G.I. Joe Comics, G.I. Joe Reviews, IDW
Warning – There are Spoilers abound in this review! If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading.
As I sit down and read through this issue, it suddenly occurs to me. We are well over a year into G.I. Joe’s run through the IDW universe, and we haven’t even seen Storm Shadow yet. How is that possible? Or did I just miss it somewhere along the way?
I don’t have a clue why I suddenly thought of that as I was reading the issue…perhaps it was seeing Snake Eyes meditating in the darkness as Scarlett welcomed him back to The Pit in a sort of awkward non-conversation. I don’t know whether I should commend Chuck Dixon for holding off that long, or if I should ask “what the #@$ are you waiting for?” Granted, there really hasn’t been a place for Storm Shadow to fit in yet, but part of me does hope they don’t just reserve the “Origins” book to show all of the…you know… origins. I mean, something like that has to happen in the main title, right?
G.I. Joe’s flagship book continues to move at a decent pace, though I’ve grown a bit weary already of the “Destro in the gulag” storyline. It at least takes a step in the right direction this time around, and it was cool to see him have some direct (sort of) interaction with Cobra Commander. I find myself really digging Cobra Commander’s “look” in this universe, and part of me hopes maybe this is a new evolution of the character. As comfortable as we all are in his typical battle helmet or hood, this fanged faceplate is growing on me. It would be neat to see this look in Renegades as well.
We get a small taste of Destro’s ancestry in this issue, too, which follows pretty typical norms as his Scottish ancestor uses grenades to scatter a French invasion force just prior to the events of Waterloo. Gallant’s art continues to have a great flow and feel in this issue, and he draws landscape scenes and action with similar energy. I find myself consistently reminded of Mark Bagley, and I enjoy that style of art, so I have no issues with that whatsoever.
The issue wraps up with a possible cameo of Cobra Island, as the Joes look to pay a little visit to this mysterious piece of green forest in the middle of the ocean.
As I said, the pace continues pretty steadily this month, and things actually continue to happen. Action was mostly concentrated in the gulag, but it looks like that could potentially change next month as the Joes crawl into enemy territory. It does continue to surprise me that we have a glaring lack of certain core characters, but there’s always something to look forward to. One just hopes they don’t wait a little bit too long.
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by generalsjoes | Jun 8, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
The initial four issue limited series for G.I. Joe: Cobra was a critical and fan raving success. Praise was heaped upon the book for its dark undertones, the “film noir” art and the dark and gritty realism injected into every single panel and every single page. I was one of those who was a devout fan.
The single issue special featuring the Twins only helped build up the mystique…an amazingly well crafted exodus telling the story of Tomax and Xamot, totally able to separate them from their somewhat goofy Sunbow personalities into mysterious, dangerous, deadly foes for the G.I. Joe team.
When IDW announced that Cobra was going to shift to an ongoing series, I was excited…but also a bit trepidacious. After all, this was a very unique feel…could they actually keep this up, month to month?
Well, Issue #5 hits shelves today…the first step towards the ongoing series. Introducing Serpentor, how did Cobra fare in it’s first foray into a regular rotation? Click the “read the rest of this story below” to find out for yourself.
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