G.I. JOE

G.I. JOE #8

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G.I. JOE #8As Duke‘s own friends continue to investigate him, the Mad Monk begins his campaign of terror using Destro‘s Batttle Android Troopers and providing G.I. JOE with three simultaneous threats in New York City by offering Cobra resources to the meth dealing Heathen Motorcycle Gang (under the command of Zandar and Zarana), a terrorist group planning to detonate a dirty bomb in the city, and an anti-immigrant group planning a biological attack on diplomats from the United Nations.

Spread thin across the city the JOEs attempt to neutralize each threat, but with the questions looming about Duke’s loyalty, and the fact that the Mad Monk is only getting started, things are likely to get far worse for the team and their leader in the coming issues.

The issue also gives us more of Destro wooing the Baroness to his side to take down the Mad Monk, before the destroys all of Cobra with his insanity, as the pair indulge in an unusual game of skeet shooting. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #6

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #6The latest issue of G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files turns its attention on the covert team’s leader. Through flashbacks writer Mike Costa and artist Werther Dell’Edera deliver a look at what makes Flint tick and the choices that led him to lead this team and to decide its need to be disbanded as soon as humanly possible.

Given his recent capture and the team’s volatile nature which includes two former agents of Cobra, Cobra Commander’s son, and a computer programmer who may be losing his grip on reality you can definitely see where Flint is coming from (although his unresolved feelings for Chameleon certainly factor in as well).

To be honest, I’ve never been that big a fan of Flint who I’ve always seen as a blander Duke. This issue does a good job in fleshing out and selling the character as the man willing to take the job that needs to be done (whether or not he believes he’s a good fit for the assignment). As to whether the team (and comic’s) days truly are numbered, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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G.I. JOE #7

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G.I. JOE #7Although the cover teases the reappearance of Snake Eyes (who apparently died in the final issue of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow before IDW’s New 52-ish soft reboot of all the G.I. JOE properties) everyone’s favorite JOE sadly doesn’t return (unless you count Quick Kick dressed up as Snake Eyes as part of a covert test of new JOE stealth technology – which I don’t).

The real story here is the Mad Monk, the man Cobra Commander has entrusted with control of Cobra’s actions in New York, to the mutual displeasure of both the Baroness and Destro, who decide to pool their resources, as well as Duke who discovers the man has kidnapped the JOE’s comatose wife to blackmail Duke into doing his bidding.

I like the series bringing Destro and Baroness together (for apparently the first time?), and given Destro’s reasoning for distrusting the man and the kidnapping of Duke’s wife G.I. JOE #7 does what is needed to showcase the character as a legitimate threat to both friend and foe. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #6

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #6With Tripwire, Hard Drive, and Beach Head all captured by Zartan‘s crew of Dreadnoks and thrown into a serious of death traps for the outlaws’ amusement, Roadblock and Spirit set out to stage a daring rescue of the group’s compound while Zartan’s new soldiers become a little concerned with their mini-despot’s obsession over the object retrieved from the crashed satellite.

G.I. JOE: Special Missions #6 does a good job of reintroducing both the character of Zartan and the importance and lure of the M.A.S.S. Device as well presenting the dangers of such technology falling into the wrong hands. And Zartan is very much the wrong hands (can you imagine army of genetically created Zartan’s loosed on the world?).

With the focus on Zartan and the JOEs we don’t get as much of the Dreadnoks as I’d like (who only really see cheering on during the various death traps they can think up), but there’s certainly enough here for fans of the characters to check out. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #5

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #5After wrapping up the business with the Night Creepers in the last issue, the beginning of G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files‘ second arc shifts the focus from Chameleon to the the only member of the team with less battlefield experience, the team’s computer and intelligence expert Clockspring whose continued loyalty may be in question thanks to his unreturned romantic feelings for Chameleon which the untrustworthy Tomax has begun to use to twist the man to his will.

The issue takes the opportunity to spell out Clockspring’s rather sad life story which contains only a few bright spots such as when the computer geek finally found a home with the JOEs (although he’s far less comfortable with his current role in the field with far less resources than he became accustomed to working with).

I don’t expect big changes in beginning next month, but this issue certainly foreshadows dangerous territory for Clockspring and his teammates who may no longer be able to trust the man in charge of the covert team’s valuable intel.

…

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