G.I. JOE #16 – New Comic Review

G.I. Joe #16, by Image Comics on 12/17/25, asks whether Duke’s conviction to protect an information asset is worth the bloodshed now consuming the desert.

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 17, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Page Count: 32
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of G.I. JOE #16:

First Impressions:

The opening pages immediately establish a chaotic energy that refuses to let up. The Dreadnoks are throwing a literal bonfire party for Duke and Cobra Commander, complete with the kind of darkly comedic dialogue that makes these antagonists feel unpredictable and genuinely menacing. The pacing snaps forward with urgency, pulling readers into three conflict zones at once without losing the thread of what makes each location distinct.

Recap:

The previous issue, G.I. Joe #15, left Duke and Cobra Commander trapped at Road Pig’s desert compound, now surrounded by Dreadnoks who want Cobra Commander dead and Duke captured. Meanwhile, Colonel Hawk was meeting with Laird Destro and Ms. Carlton-Ritz to discuss a possible alliance against the mysterious robots threatening the world. Hawk rejected the Cobra offer, but Destro’s head of security, Mercer, revealed plans to take more direct action. The Joe team back at headquarters realized Duke had gone silent, and Clutch organized a rescue mission using outside allies.

Plot Analysis:

The issue opens with the Dreadnoks preparing Duke and Cobra Commander for execution, framing it as a party where Duke can interrogate his prisoner before they kill him. Duke attempts to convince the Dreadnoks that Cobra Commander’s information about the Energon source could save lives, but Ripper dismisses the argument and proposes a fight. If Duke beats Ripper, he’ll get a chance to question the Commander. The fight begins, but the attention shifts as the narrative cuts to Destro’s meeting.

Destro meets with Colonel Hawk and presents advanced weaponry as a trade, but Hawk realizes the guns are worthless without Energon power. Hawk points out that Cobra Commander controls the Energon supply, making him the only asset worth negotiating. Destro finds this argument compelling and orders Mercer to eliminate Hawk. Hawk manages to escape, grabbing a weapon and shooting his way out of Destro’s facility. As he flees, he realizes that securing Cobra Commander is now essential to Joe success.

Back at Road Pig’s compound, Duke and the Dreadnoks are interrupted by strange noises. It’s Clutch and other Joe operatives arriving for the rescue. A massive firefight erupts between the three factions: Dreadnoks, Joe soldiers, and Duke defending Cobra Commander. The battle escalates when the Dreadnoks reveals they have their own Energon weapon, turning the desert into a warzone of supernatural firepower.

As the chaos settles, Duke follows Cobra Commander and learns how the rescue team found them. Clutch explains he tracked Duke through radio signals and found a signal blocker in the area. The Baroness urges retreat, but Duke insists on capturing Cobra Commander despite being outnumbered. The issue ends with Road Pig emerging from the chaos, challenging Duke directly as Energon crackles around him.

Story

The pacing races forward with genuine momentum, cutting between three distinct locations that each feel urgent and consequential. Williamson’s dialogue crackles with personality; the Dreadnoks speak like actual chaotic personalities rather than generic villains, their banter about grape soda providing dark comedic relief. However, the structure reveals a significant weakness. Duke’s rescue feels mechanically convenient rather than earned. Clutch’s tracking method, finding a signal blocker through radio pinging, is explained in two lines and resolves what should have been a substantial obstacle. Destro’s meeting with Hawk also suffers from poor strategic planning. Destro has Hawk at his mercy and immediately moves to assassinate him, only for Hawk to escape through combat and the scene. This decision undermines Destro as a calculating antagonist and reads as narrative shortcutting rather than character choice.

Art

Tom Reilly’s linework is dynamic and clear, capturing kinetic action sequences with sharp panel composition. The problem lies entirely in the coloring. Jordie Bellaire’s work here is noticeably muddy and desaturated, draining visual excitement from combat scenes that should explode off the page. Critical action moments lack contrast and punch. The desert environment, which should feel vast and oppressive, instead feels flat and monochromatic. During the Energon sequences, the color choices fail to make the supernatural elements visually distinct from standard gunfire. The final page, where Road Pig appears with crackling Energon, should be a stunning visual payoff. Instead, the muted palette makes the moment feel average rather than apocalyptic.

Characters

Duke’s motivation remains consistent, his stubborn refusal to abandon Cobra Commander despite mounting evidence that it’s tactically stupid. This makes him likeable but also frustrating in a way that feels unintentional. Ripper maintains his brutal sense of humor, making the Dreadnoks feel like a coherent group with real priorities. Destro, however, becomes less compelling here. His decision to kill Hawk rather than negotiate suggests he’s abandoned the strategic thinking that made him a credible threat. Mercer remains unexplored, functioning more as a plot device than a character. The Baroness appears briefly but without meaningful development beyond “she has weapons.”

Originality & Concept Execution

The Dreadnok War concept remains engaging; treating these mercenary outlaws as genuine threats with their own code and priorities is fresher than standard villain hierarchies. The multifront conflict structure is ambitious, attempting to show how actions cascade across three separate groups. However, the execution stutters when major obstacles resolve too quickly. The Energon weaponry concept adds sci-fi stakes to what began as a tactical military story, but the visual presentation fails to make this feel new or dangerous.

Positives

The action sequences maintain brisk, readable momentum throughout, with Reilly’s panel layouts ensuring you always know where combatants are positioned and what’s happening. The Dreadnok characterization remains the issue’s strongest element, particularly Ripper’s darkly funny dialogue and the group’s inexplicable bond over grape soda. Duke’s stubborn insistence on protecting Cobra Commander, even when surrounded and outnumbered, creates genuine tension around whether this conviction will get him killed. The Energon weapons concept escalates the stakes beyond simple gunfire, suggesting the series is building toward larger supernatural conflicts.

Negatives

The coloring throughout this issue is genuinely abysmal. Bellaire’s palette is so muted and desaturated that critical action moments blur together visually. What should be explosive Energon sequences feel drained of power, with supernatural firepower looking indistinguishable from standard gunfire. Destro’s poorly planned meeting with Hawk is a narrative fumble. Presenting him as calculating and cunning, then having him immediately attempt murder when Hawk offers legitimate counterarguments, makes Destro read as emotionally reactive rather than strategically superior. Duke’s rescue feels too convenient for its own good. Clutch’s tracking method resolves in two explanation panels, turning what should have been a desperate gamble into a solved puzzle. The issue suffers most from telling rather than showing when it comes to tactical planning.

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 2.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 1.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 2/2

Final Thoughts:

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G.I. JOE #16 proves that velocity alone cannot carry a comic when key plot moments cut corners. The Dreadnoks remain charismatic, the multifront conflict structure works conceptually, and Duke’s stubborn conviction creates real stakes. But Destro’s incomprehensible strategic choices, Duke’s rescue that requires no actual cleverness, and coloring so muted it actively sabotages the artwork’s impact make this a frustrating read.

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