G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #325, by Image Comics on 2/11/26. Joes dive into a brutal drone war in Borovia, testing cheap tech against Darklonian armor in a milestone slugfest.
Credits:
- Writer: Larry Hama
- Artist: Chris Mooneyham
- Colorist: Francesco Segala, Sabrina Del Grosso
- Letterer: Pat Brosseau
- Cover Artist: Andy Kubert, Laura Martin (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: February 11, 2026
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #325:
First Impressions:
This issue hits like a shotgun blast to incoming drones. It left me pumped from the raw combat vibe. Solid execution on modern warfare hooks without wasting panels.
Recap:
In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #324, Ace pilots the Sky Raven toward an unidentified object in orbit over the North Atlantic. Duke and Stalker realize it’s a massive station built by Revanche androids. G.I. Joe launches a shuttle with Payload, Sci-Fi, and Lady Jaye to investigate, while Cobra uses it as decoy bait for their real orbital plans.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):
In Borovia near the Darklonian border on day 437 of the invasion, Duke, Roadblock, Down Range, and R.C. embed with Borovian forces led by Junior Leytenant Elena Lomazow and Kapitan Osenenko. They ride in a BTR driven by Serzhant Kovalchuk to observe drone and sniper tech. Incoming enemy drones force evasive jinks, with R.C. blasting two with shotgun while Elena downs the third.
They camouflage the BTR to look wrecked. The team splits: Osenenko takes R.C., Roadblock, and Elena to trenches and a drone site near a ruined tractor factory, while Kovalchuk leads Down Range and Duke to a sniper hide under a tank wreck. Darklonian snipers hide in the bombed factory admin building. Down Range spots their elevated positions through unnatural dark windows.
Enemy armor advances: a T-90 tank with two BMPs heads for the drone site. Elena launches a suicide drone that kills the commander but fails to penetrate; Down Range drops a satchel charge through the open hatch. Roadblock covers with his M2 machine gun as a BDRM scout car ambushes from smoke.
Roadblock shreds the BDRM with .50 cal fire. A Darklonian soldier pops the hatch with a grenade; Elena nails a headshot at 100 yards. The Joes prove low-cost drones and snipers can punch above weight against outdated gear. A filecard introduces R.C. as drone expert from East L.A.
Writing
Pacing charges forward like a jinking BTR under drone fire, shifting seamlessly from embed briefings to split-team skirmishes without drag. Dialogue crackles with authentic soldier banter, from Duke’s calm commands to R.C.’s casual “De nada” after buckshot saves, advancing plot and personality. Larry Hama’s structure layers observation mission into escalating ROE breaches, hooking readers on tech tests amid chaos. No filler expositions bog it down.
Art
Chris Mooneyham’s clarity cuts through trench murk, rendering drone POV dives and shotgun blasts with pinpoint readability even in frenzy. Composition masterfully overlaps sniper scopes, wrecked tanks, and armor columns for tactical depth, pulling eyes through the battlefield. Francesco Segala’s colors grind mud-browns and smoke grays into visceral mood, spiking with orange flashes on impacts. Panels synergize with script for kinetic flow.
Characters
Duke anchors as steady commander, motivating splits and spots with experience. R.C. leaps off the page via drone rigs, skeet-honed shotgun, and filecard backstory of hacker-to-pilot grit from Boyle Heights. Elena earns “firecracker” cred with clutch shots and jammer smarts, feeling relatable under fire. Roadblock and Down Range reinforce consistency as .50 cal beast and Minnesota-honed sniper.
Originality & Concept Execution
“Drone War” premise refreshes Joe lore by pitting $500 Borovian kludges against pricey Reapers and Russian hand-me-downs, nailing asymmetric edge. Hama executes observation brief flawlessly, blending real-world Ukraine echoes into franchise without heavy preaching. Filecard revival adds nostalgic freshness; premise delivers on low-tech triumphs over state gear. No stale tropes derail it.
Positives
Explosive drone takedowns and Ma Deuce barrages deliver peak action, with Mooneyham’s art syncing perfectly to Hama’s punchy writing for immersive chaos that maximizes entertainment value. New blood like R.C. and Elena pop instantly through feats like shotgun saves and 100-yard shots, boosting team dynamics and character relatability per criteria. Milestone format nails fan service with filecard revival and letters hyping prior orbital decoy plot, enhancing originality payoff.
Negatives
Bulky backmatter swamps the main tale with fan mail on Terror Dromes and toy dreams, diluting battlefield payoff and slowing pacing close. Zero Cobra whispers ignores orbital recap threads, weakening structure ties and originality in series context. Split-team switches occasionally blur momentum in tight page count, hurting clarity execution.
Art Samples:
The Scorecard:
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): [3.5/4]
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [3.5/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [1/2]
Final Thoughts:
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G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #325 is a grit-soaked drone fest claims prime slot in your Joe pulls. Ditch if Cobra schemes are your jam, but snag it for Joes grinding real-world proxies in the mud. Milestone punch justifies every page turned.
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