The Best of The Best
I think I was around 30-something years old when I came to the realization that G.I. Joe was not a soldier named Joseph who showed up in public areas to give children life advice, but rather the name of a specially selected group of mercenaries hand-picked from all across the world to tackle some of the greatest threats to humankind, more specifically, deadly emerging weapons technology and those who planned on using them towards naughty ends.
This latest iteration by Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, and Jordie Bellaire, introduces readers to this dream team of soldiers whose unique skills would put the team of Oceans 11 to shame. Leading this crew is the main Joe who goes by Conrad. A determined leader committed to reconciling differences and egos to create a cohesive and effective team. Unfortunately, the enemies at large are not exactly interested in permitting the Joes the time to graduate from training wheels to dirt bikes and come down on them hard like a sack of bricks straight out the gate.
The aforementioned enemies threatening the existence of this organization and the world at large is the ever-mysterious Cobra - a well-resourced faction led by a mysterious masked villain who goes by Cobra Commander. The creators certainly waste no time throwing readers into the deep end of the action, like an old-school father tossing a kid into the business end of the pool to avoid swimming lesson costs. The break-neck action in issue one is complemented with some good writing, soldierly rapport, and sleek, sharp, and crisp artwork that skillfully manages to capture a certain nostalgia with its colouring. Wrap this all up with a bow, and you’re presented with a series that will bring the warm and fuzzy feelings of 80/90s nostalgia.
More exciting still is the insertion of G.I. Joe into a larger comic universe that intermingles it with titles like Transformers and Void Rivals, a winning triple threat that can simply not be slept on. So if you didn’t know before, now you know, and knowing is half the battle. GO JOE!