G.I. JOE #2, by Image Comics & Skybound on 12/18/24, sets the Joes back on their heels when the battle to protect a shard of Cybertonian tech goes horribly wrong.
Credits:
- Writer: Joshua Williamson
- Artist: Tom Reilly
- Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
- Letterer: Rus Wooton
- Cover Artist: Tom Reilly (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: December 18, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of G.I. JOE #2:
Recap:
When last we left the Joes in G.I. Joe #1, Duke’s attempts to get his new recruits together, including the turncoat Baroness, into a cohesive team were not meeting expectations. Col. Hawk sent the fledgling team on their first assignment to safeguard a piece of alien robotic tech during transport to a research center in Colorado. Unfortunately, their first assignment went sideways when COBRA arrived to steal the tech for themselves.
Plot Analysis:
The issue begins in the middle of the cliffhanger from issue #1. Duke and his team are outgunned by COBRA’s tactical force because their Energon-enhanced weapons tear through every defense the Joes have. Rock ‘n Roll appears to be dead, Clutch is in Mercer’s iron grip, and Cover Girl frantically tries to render aid to Rock ‘n Roll. Mercer orders his team to open fire on any Joe.
Suddenly, Duke opens fire with the Fang Helicopter he commandeered in the last issue, evening the odds slightly. When Mercer and his team return fire, the copter sustains crippling damage, prompting Duke to leap back into the building and attack Mercer directly. The battle’s momentum shifts, but the advantage is short-lived when Cobra Commander’s Valkyries arrive, shooting the wounded and reinforcing Mercer’s team.
Baroness leaps into action with a surprise attack against the Valkyries, giving the remaining Joes a brief moment to retaliate. Cobra Commander, watching the battle remotely, recognizes the need for drastic measures to give his teams a chance to escape with the shard of Cybertron. The dictator remotely initiates a self-destruct on all the laser rifles, causing a massive explosion that buries the surviving Joes and gives his team the window they need to escape with the shard.
The issue concludes with the Joes taking stock of their loss at the Pit, Colonel Hawk calling in a new Joe to join the team (his introduction doesn’t go well), and a surprising reveal about the fate of Clutch after the explosion.
First Impressions:
Okay, G.I. Joe #2 is better than issue #1. Writer Joshua Williamson packs in a healthy mix of drama, action, and intrigue to give readers a respectable Joe story that intermingles traditional Joe elements, primarily through Cobra Commander, with the interconnected Energon Universe. Longtime Joe fans may still feel partial to A Real American Hero, but this issue shows potential as a worthy complement.
Artwork and Presentation:
Tom Reilly is delivering some of his best artistic work in this issue as Williamson’s plot relies heavily on action, power, and energy. Still, it’s hard not to compare the art tone, quality, and execution with A Real American Hero, and on that point, A Real American Hero is better.
Also, we were critical of Jordie Bellaire’s coloring in the last issue due to the off-putting spectrum-shifting and garish color choices, but the most offensive aspects of the coloring are not as pronounced here. The coloring is arguably drab in several panels (see below), but it’s an improvement.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives
The Positives
Joshua Williamson’s story focuses on the action to kick the issue off on an energetic note and shifts the energy to the drama as the Joes grapple with their demoralizing loss. In other words, this issue is a smart example of keeping the pace and energy up by shifting energy from one type to another without missing a beat.
Plus, Williamson wastes no time setting up the next issue with a solid cliffhanger.
The Negatives
We now know the unnamed Joe who picked a fight with gangsters in a casino in issue #1 is a new character codenamed Risk. There’s nothing wrong with creating new characters, but Williamson’s nameless introduction was a headscratcher, and his addition to the team, without input from Duke or explanation as to why Risk is needed, is also a headscratcher. If you’re going to introduce a new character, it needs to be less clumsy than this.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
G.I. Joe #2 is part of the interconnected Energon Universe, but it runs parallel to and has nothing to do with Larry Hama’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Consider this series to be occurring in a separate timeline or alternate universe.
Final Thoughts:
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G.I. JOE #2 is a distinct improvement over issue #1. Joshua Williamson’s script delivers a rollercoaster of action, high-intensity drama, and intrigue. Further, Tom Reilly’s artwork is solid. G.I. Joe fans who want a story that emphasizes plot over military authenticity may want to check this one out.
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