G.I. JOE #12 – New Comic Review

G.I. Joe #12, by Image Comics on 10/15/25, shine a spotlight on Shooter’s tense breakout from a Darklonian labor camp while setting up the explosive “Dreadnok War” ahead.

Credits:

• Writer: Joshua Williamson
• Artist: Marco Fodera
• Colorist: Lee Loughridge
• Letterer: Rus Wooton
• Cover Artist: Tom Reilly (cover A)
• Publisher: Image Comics
• Release Date: October 15, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Page Count: 32
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of G.I. JOE #12:

First Impressions:

The issue mixes cold steel and colder stares in a story that moves fast but lingers on the right bruises. Williamson’s script fires clean and sharp, with Foderà’s visuals bringing out every twitch of tension from the snowcapped prison. It’s slick stuff. If only Shooter’s jailbreak logic weren’t rusted by that mysterious, unexplained metal shard.

Recap:

Last issue’s firefight under Paris left the Joes bloodied but unbroken. Clutch and Hound barely escaped Major Bludd’s chaos, Baroness and Cover Girl danced their verbal knife fight through Cobra’s schemes, and everyone limped back to the Pit to regroup. Trusts fractured, scars fresh, and a new Darklonia mission teased what’s next: Enter the Night Force.

Plot Analysis:

In the Pit, Duke requests time away from the team to visit Frost’s grave, stirring tension with Hawk about secret intel surrounding Cobra’s robotic interests. Meanwhile, Flint and Lady Jaye prepare a high-stakes rescue from one of Darklonia’s most brutal prisons. Their target: Jodie “Shooter” Craig, a captured sniper whose record is as classified as her patience is razor-thin.

Inside Grenadier Labor Camp, Darklon toys with Shooter, offering her an impossible deal: kill for him, or rot behind the walls. His lieutenant Ivana revels in the cruelty, threatening to end Shooter’s suffering the slow way. Flashbacks trace Shooter’s childhood and her father’s strict lessons about steady hands and moral clarity, turning her captivity into psychological warfare as much as physical.

When the Joes breach the perimeter, chaos erupts. Beach Head, already imprisoned, seizes the moment to join the fight, freeing Shooter just as alarms blare. The ensuing gunfire and snowmobile chase carry all the series’ trademark grit and style, but Shooter’s cell escape hinges on a vague, off-panel trick involving a sliver of metal. It’s the story’s single stumble in an otherwise fluid sequence of sharp beats and satisfying payoffs.

As the dust settles, Shooter makes her “impossible shot” to finish her mission, while Major Bludd resurfaces inside Cobra HQ as the outfit’s newest recruit. Between Hawk’s cryptic comments and Destro’s pact with Cobra Commander, the chessboard’s more crowded than ever, and the Joes will need more than luck heading into the looming Dreadnok War.

Story

Williamson crafts an issue that hums with suspense and professional polish. His dialogue stays tight, focusing on layered loyalties and moral strain without losing rhythm. The narrative momentum works beautifully… until it crashes against the vague plot device that lets Shooter MacGyver her way to freedom. A more concrete solution would have transformed a good scene into a great one.

Art

Marco Foderà’s linework combines precision with cinematic composition. The icy blues and tight panels make the prison feel claustrophobic, while Lee Loughridge’s colors paint the night missions with a cool, tactical chill. Each action set piece is deliberate and legible, proof that visual storytelling remains one of the book’s strongest weapons.

Characters

Shooter dominates the emotional arc this issue, finally stepping from whispered legend to fully realized operative. Her stoicism contrasts well with Flint’s blunt heroism and Beach Head’s simmering frustration. Hawk’s secretive demeanor laces suspicion into every briefing, hinting at deeper layers in the command’s motives.

Positives

The story’s pacing is taut, the visuals sharp, and the tone balanced between military precision and pulpy tension. Shooter’s introduction feels earned, grounding the series’ expanding scope with personal stakes. Williamson’s clipped, confident dialogue brings authenticity to every briefing and firefight, making the Night Force premise worth investing in.

Negatives

Shooter’s prison escape almost cracks its own realism. The missing detail of how she acquires the metal to pick her lock breaks the story’s grounded tone, weakening an otherwise excellent sequence. The scene feels like a skipped panel in an otherwise standout issue.

Art Samples:

Final Thoughts:

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G.I. JOE #12 blends grit, tension, and cinematic flare into one sleek mission file. The writing sings, the art stuns, and the setup for the Dreadnok War lands exactly where it aims. If only that mysterious bit of metal made sense, Shooter’s breakout would be legendary instead of just impressive.

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