Finally, we got Team Fortress 3
G.I. Joe may not reclaim their heyday from the 80s, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still tell great stories. While the movies struggle, and the tv shows remain M.I.A., the comics have been the strongest available outlet for these characters and their vehicles. And wouldn’t you know, let’s tie it in with Transformers, too (for like the 3rd time or so, at least in terms of making them a real shared universe.) That’s what we have with the current run of Skybound Comics, where we had a couple of different miniseries before leading up to our main comic released today bearing the title, with issue 1.
I thought it was for the cool toys to play with
--SPOILERS DOWN BELOW--
As far as first issues goes, it is taking a page from Transformers, with a bit of shocking death, some stage setting for the future of the franchise, and establishing some character dynamics. Though not nearly as sad and mysterious as the latter title, G.I. Joe shows how the current story of the Energon Universe is taking place, with it following the events of Transformers #12, with a piece of Cybertron now in the hands of the US Government, and the titular team is tasked to guard it from any potential threats, despite Duke, the team leader, unsure if they’re ready. Cobra Commander and Destro, now in the possession of Energon, are ready to take it by force, with LASERS.
Are you not entertained?
Al Gore's gonna make An Inconvenient Truth 3 out of this
The team dynamic is mostly on full force, here. Baroness, usually a Cobra agent in past stories and toys, is now a Joe, and her feisty and arrogant nature shows the disruption it can cause for their future as a team (Stalker retorts back to her in Russian how when he brings her back to her parents and see what a disgrace she has become, they’ll ask him to kill her instead.) That coalesces with Duke’s decision to assign her within his group, who is still processing the events of his own miniseries, as he questions what he can do to handle this unknown Cybertronian threat, and what will happen if it falls into worse hands.
Baroness: "Shut up, you stupid old pig. Or I'll slit your throat in your sleep."
Stalker: "Try that and I'll not only kick your ass, I'll drag you right back to your mommy and daddy and tell them how their little princess got into this messed up life. They brought you into this world, so maybe they'll do me a favor and take you out."
With a minor detour of a new Joe, Risk, kicking butt to scare off any potential MARS Industries backers (Destro’s company), we get things rolling into the big action set piece at the Colorado base (Not the first time the Centennial State has had Transformers activity). And of course, the Joes are out of their element when Cobra comes in full throttle, from hacking their computers to firing their lasers (blargh)! The art in this comic is pretty decent. A little stiff paneling with the impact of the action takes place before the motion, but it’s decent and more than serviceable. The colors are sharp, and help to liven the atmosphere where it’s taking place (purple and yellows in the nightclub, red for when the Colorado base has been Cobra-fied). Things may turn for the worse for G.I. Joe right now, but things can always turn up for our heroes, somehow. Maybe a little sacrifice or two. Human shields usually hold up sturdy against laser fire, right? Maybe Rock n Roll will make it out alive this time from all that firepower, eh?
I thought Laser Surgery was for the eyes.
A solid start for both teams duking it out over stolen resources. (y) -ALArts
Look, I can see his parachute, he's ok.
STORY: Joshua Williamson ART: Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire On-Sale: November 13, 2024 | SRP: $4.99 | 40 pages
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