GI Joe #15
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Tom Reilly & Jordie Bellaire
A Real American Hero
Previously, in G.I. Joe:
The fledgling G.I. Joe unit had their first encounter with the mysterious organization Cobra, which didn’t turn out as well as it could have. Afterwards, the Baroness and Cover Girl had a little side adventure and some girl bonding, while unbeknownst to Duke, General Hawk’s secret unit Shadow Force continues to recruit members. Taking some personal time, Duke gets called on to investigate an Energon reading near him, which lands him smack-dab in the middle of a Dreadnok trap for Cobra Commander, courtesy of Destro, who has assumed command of Cobra…
Whew, that was a lot. I have to admit, before this “Dreadnok War” story arc started, I was getting a little bored. The four character-centric miniseries that started G.I. Joe off were all good, although I’m still not sure where the Scarlett one fits in. When the proper series started, the first arc was great, but then things slowed down a bit too much. I was starting to get bored. Then this new arc came along at just the right moment and gave everything the shot in the arm it needed.
Multiple Flavors of Revenge
Weaponless and on the run from the Dreadnoks, Duke and Cobra Commander have been forced together. Finding a seemingly abandoned property, they try to find supplies and a means to contact their teams. Instead, they find themselves of a hulking brute with a massive sledgehammer who calls himself Road Pig. A pair of the Dreadnoks find their way to the property soon, where they become “acquainted” with Road Pig themselves. And the rest of the ‘Noks aren’t too far behind. The deck just keeps getting more and more stacked against our unlikely duo.
The pacing of the first two parts of this arc was pretty breakneck, so this issue slows things down to work in some more character moments. It works well, giving the reader a chance to breathe while also still advancing multiple plotlines at the same time. There are some really good character bits snuck in here, especially for Duke and Cobra Commander. My only complaint is that those two are some of the most-developed characters in the rather sprawling cast already, so I hope that some of the others start to get a spotlight soon.
Outnumbered and Outgunned
There are a lot of Dreaknoks. There are the familiar “name” ones, and there are a ton of nameless, faceless cannon fodder. It’s actually a little absurd, the sheer number of them that are pursuing Duke and Cobra Commander. I know we’re trying to set big stakes that require them to team up, but it’s a bit much.
Not that the heated pursuit at the core of the arc is the only major happening this issue. We also get an interesting scene involving a meeting between General Hawk and Destro, which has major implications for several members of the Joe team moving forward. Although given Clutch’s actions towards the end of the issue, I think that part of the intel Destro offers Hawk is about to become a little bit outdated…
Half the Battle
Joshua Williamson, one of the busiest men in modern comics, pens this arc as he has several of the miniseries and the main series to date. He does a good job juggling the various plotlines and giving the characters a chance to shine, again I just wish that there were a few more characters getting more time in the spotlight than our main group. The trouble with a large ensemble cast, I suppose.
Regular artist Tom Reilly is back for this story arc, and his style works well for this book. It’s a touch on the cartoony side, which makes sense for a couple of reasons: 1, because G.I. Joe in fact was a cartoon, and 2, because it helps counterbalance some of the violence and blood. It sort of reminds me of Robert Kirkman’s “Invincible” in that regard. It works pretty well.
The coloring, on the other hand… I think they’re going for an old-school comic book look, but it just doesn’t work for me. I don’t know if it works any better in print, since I’ve been reading in digital, but the colors feel washed and grainy. It’s almost like a watercolor effect, for lack of a better way to put it. I’m struggling to explain it, but it just doesn’t look “right.”
Oh, one more thing that is a quibble of mine with all of the Energon Universe books lately: the issues just end. There’s no “to be continued,” “continued next issue,” or really any kind of indication that it’s the end of the issue. You just get a big panel, content-wise, and then you turn the page and it’s the letter column. I’m always looking to see if they stuck the letters page before the end because of a two-page spread or something, but no, the issue just ended without warning. Just bugs me, is all.
Putting It All Together in a Kung Fu Grip
So far, the “Dreadnok War” has been the shot in the arm that this book needed. Some good character moments, good old Cobra backstabbing, lots of plot progression, and action, action, action. Based on the ending of this issue, things are going to hit the proverbial fan in the last two parts of this arc, and are likely going to lead to some crazy happens to follow.
If you haven’t been following the book to this point, you’re not going to jump in with a “Part 3 of 5” on the cover, but if you go back to Part 1 and start from there, you’ll be able to pick up enough to follow along and see if you like it. If you do, there’s plenty to go back and catch up on. I recommend the two “Codename G.I. Joe” deluxe hardcovers, they collect all of the initial setup miniseries, then you can get the trades of the main series and be pretty much caught up. Then you’ll know - and knowing is half the battle. (Come on, you knew I had to fit that in here somewhere!)