That was a pleasant surprise.

I knew going in that the 2026 G.I. Joe #21 was going to bring Scarlett and the Arashikage ninja back into the mix (it’s on the cover, after all). But I didn’t know that this was going to be a largely silent issue, in tribute to the original silent issue in the 1984 G.I. Joe #21.

In honor of this issue’s tribute to a classic story, I’d like to do this review in a “mostly silent” style.

…

Okay, maybe that doesn’t work.

A Joe Tradition

General Hawk has dispatched a team of Snowjob, Cover Girl, and Frostbite on a mission to retrieve Scarlett. She, along with her friend and partner Jinx, have been embedded amongst the ninja of the Arashikage clan for quite some time now. The last time Scarlett checked in, she reported that the Arashikage had discovered some kind of energy sword, which they were barely able to prevent Cobra Commander from obtaining. Now Snowjob and his team have orders to bring in Scarlett and the sword, whether she likes it or not - and if she refuses, she will be branded an enemy of the state.

Scarlett is trying to convince Jinx to leave with her when Cobra Commander and a squadron of Vipers arrive at the compound, blazing through the ninja with their Energon-powered weapons. Scarlett, Jinx, and the white-clad ninja Storm Shadow fight back, leaving a trail of dead Vipers in their wake.

Arriving in the chamber that holds the energy sword, Cobra Commander is confronted by the Hard Master. A blast from a gauntlet weapon takes care of that threat, but before the Commander can grab the sword, he is confronted by our sword-wielding trio. Once again, they easily cut a path through the Vipers. Storm Shadow swings his blade towards Cobra Commander... his blade is blocked by a female Viper who now wields the energy sword!

As the battle for the energy sword rages on, one of the Cobra aircraft fires missiles at the building, which brings it down on everyone's heads! The female Viper retrieves Cobra Commander and the energy sword, and so they both take their leave of the scene. Scarlett glares at the departing Cobra craft as she starts the search for Jinx and Storm Shadow. Snowjob arrives, forcing Scarlett to come with them, even though she doesn't want to leave her friends behind.

Fortunately, unbeknownst to Scarlett, those friends still live. Jinx is in bad shape, but at least she's still alive. Storm Shadow and the Hard Master find themselves contemplating what comes now. In the meantime, Cobra Commander returns to base with his prize in tow - one more artifact for his plans, putting G.I Joe on the back foot yet again.

The Silent Blade

The original "silent issue" from 42 years ago is considered a classic, and for good reason. Not only is it the first of its kind, but it's also a great story, to boot. The good news is, this 2026 homage issue is incredibly well-done, doing great honor to its legendary predecessor (even if its wordlessness makes it read really quickly).

Now, this issue isn't completely silent. It does manage to utilize a little bit of a "cheat" - the issue is bookended by Snowjob reporting in to base over encrypted radio - but the main crux of the issue is indeed completely without words or sounds.

We haven't checked in with Scarlett and Jinx since the events of the Scarlett miniseries, almost 2 years ago. Because of the way this issue is put together, we still don't know what they have been up to in that time - and based on the ending, I don't think we will for a while. We know they've definitely been keeping up on their training, if nothing else - the way the two of them and Storm Shadow tore through squadrons was Vipers was incredibly impressive!

Speaking of impressive, there's clearly more than meets the eye to that one Viper. Being able to wield the energy sword would be enough, but the fact that they managed to hold their own against Storm Shadow is no small feat. They appear to be female, and we see strands of either white or blonde hair peeking through an opening in her helmet. Who is she? Is she a new character, or someone that we've seen before? Personally, I'm torn between her either being Helix or a new take on Snake-Eyes. Only time will tell when we learn more about her.

The other mystery we're left with is what exactly that energy sword is, and what it can do. That particular puzzle will likely be solved sooner, now that the sword is in the possession of Cobra. They haven't been known to wait too long to use weapons or tools that they've obtained, after all.

Written Report

Joshua Williamson gets to kick back and take a little bit of a break this month. No dialogue means that his workload is effectively cut in half. All kidding aside, I'd imagine that a silent issue is harder than a regular one, not the other way around. You would need to lean heavily on your artist, hoping that they can accurately convey emotion and intent through their visuals alone.

The good news for Williamson is that Tom Reilly is able to do those things in spades. His art is kinetic, with a great eye for action (of which this issue has plenty), but also able to convey the quieter moments so that you don't need words to know what characters are thinking or feeling. Reilly's cartoony style seems almost "turned up" a bit this month, which works to counterbalance the greatly increased blood quotient this issue (our leads using swords instead of guns or Energon weapons definitely leaves things a little bloddier than normal).

Like the art, Lee Loughridge's colors carry a lot of responsibility in an issue like this one. The color work here complements Reilly's artwork and makes the whole package feel more "complete." The red of blood, of which there is plenty, this issue. The blue of the Energon beams. The reflection on Cobra Commander's helmet. The snowstorm threatens to trap the survivors at the Arashikage temple. And more.

Just a great effort all around.

Who's That Girl

All in all, the 2026 G.I. Joe #21 is a terrific homage to the original 1984 silent issue, delivering action, big moments, and a few mysteries that will need to be solved in time. It brings Scarlett and the Arashikage ninja back into the picture for the first time in two years, while advancing the overall storyline of the series by giving Cobra a new weapon that will no doubt cause the Joes plenty of trouble soon. Its breakneck pace and lack of dialogue mean it's a faster read than most, and there isn't much in the way of character moments, but it makes up for that with some dynamic and bloody action.

This series has been firing on all cylinders since the Dreadnok War arc, and if they can maintain the momentum, this Energon Universe version of G.I. Joe could go down as one of the best. Much like the mystery of who the sword-wielding Viper is, only time will tell.