G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #303, by Image Comics on 1/17/24, gets into recon mode when the Joes observe Revanche making covert deals with Serpentor. What’s that trick mutant up to?
The Details
- Written by: Larry Hama
- Art by: Chris Mooneyham
- Colors by: Francesco Segala, Sabrina Del Grasso
- Letters by: Pat Brosseau
- Cover art by: Andy Kubert, Brad Anderson
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: January 17, 2024
Is G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #303 Good?
What have we learned today, Boys and Girls? We learned you can’t leave Serpentor alone to do what he wants because it always leads to trouble, and trouble is what the Joes get in G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #303.
When last we left G.I. Joe, the mutant bomb detonated on Cobra Island created the intended effect of turning everyone exposed into flesh-hungry mutants. However, the mutants kept their minds intact, so Serpentor pounced on the opportunity to rally the flesh-hungry survivors under his leadership as a new army preparing to invade Springfield.
Now, Alpha-001 arrives on Cobra Island bearing gifts and an offer of alliance. The gift is a surgical device that will cybernetically upgrade Serpentor’s mutants and alter their appearance to pass for a healthy human. What does Alpha-001 want in return? Who knows, but it can’t be anything good.
The key to the success of this series is the number of smart creative choices by Skybound. Hiring Larry Hama to continue the series that made him famous is smart. Building on the catastrophic destruction of Cobra Island by turning what should be the end of Serpentor into a new and more formidable threat is also smart. Delivering a take on G.I. Joe that feels familiar but fresh is the smartest choice of all.
We shouldn’t be surprised that Robert Kirkman and Skybound are doing everything possible to make the best use of the Hasbro license, but expecting the best and seeing the results are two different things. Skybound, so far, is making the most of their opportunity across all their Hasbro titles.
What’s great about G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #303? The magic word in this issue is momentum. Serpentor turned his lemon into lemonade by turning defeat into a superhuman army, and now that army is getting a powerful upgrade. Every step Serpentor takes makes his plan to invade Springfield feel like a slaughter in the making, and we can’t wait to see what Cobra and the Joes do about it.
What’s not so great about G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #303? After three issues, the Joes have largely been passive or in observation mode. Hama’s arc is focused almost entirely on Serpentor. More Serpentor is necessarily a bad thing, but keeping the Joes waiting on the sidelines is starting to wear thin.
How’s the art? Chris Mooneyham’s art is dramatic, gritty, moody, and “macho.” If you like your G.I. Joe comics with visual gusto and unapologetic vim and vigor, this is it.
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What’s G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #303 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #302 review to find out how Serpentor rallied his new army.
We begin with a large helicopter requesting permission to land on Cobra Island. Serpentor agrees and personally greets Alpha-001. The mutant leader gives the A.I. one minute to explain his intentions.
Alpha-001 comes from Revance with a gift, a surgical pod that will upgrade Serpentor’s mutants with powerful cybernetics and plastic surgery to make them pass for human. After a deadly demonstration, Serpentor agrees. The upgrades will enhance his mutant army’s ability to infiltrate and conquer Springfield.
We conclude the issue with assassins, spies, more spies, and more assassins.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #303 keeps building the growing threat of the mutant Serpentor and his superhuman army as the series builds to an eventual invasion of Springfield. Hama’s story stacks and builds Serpentor as a greater threat, and Mooneyham’s gritty, “macho” art is fantastic.
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