G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO – JINX – Review

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO – JINX, by Image Comics & Skybound on 4/9/25, recounts a silent adventure depicting Jinx’s mission to escape a COBRA base before it explodes.

Credits:

• Writer: Dan Watters
• Artist: Dani
• Colorist: Brad Simpson
• Cover Artist: Dani, Brad Simpson (cover A)
• Publisher: Image Comics
• Release Date: April 9, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Page Count: 32
• Format: One-Shot

Covers:

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Analysis of G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO – JINX:

Plot Analysis:

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Jinx takes a page out of real-time thrillers such as 24 to start with a ticking bomb where every page is another second down. We catch up with Jinx at the moment she sets off a timebomb with a 20-second timer inside a COBRA base. As each second ticks by, Jinx must use her elite ninja skills to fight Crimson Guards through hallways, up staircases, across catwalks, and onto the base’s roof before the bomb goes BOOM.

The issue ends with Jinx making a perfect superhero landing on the snowy slopes outside the base.

First Impressions:

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Jinx is a perfectly fine action set piece to give readers an appreciation for Jinx’s skills as a ninja and G.I. Joe operative. Dan Watters’s script showcases Jinx’s prowess with plenty of urgency, and Dani’s stylistic art has plenty of pop. That said, the positives struggle against the negatives.

Artwork and Presentation:

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Jinx is a silent issue, so the creative pressure rests on Dani’s shoulders to pull off the story, further the plot through the action, and keep the narrative interesting. In general, Dani succeeds, even with the heavily stylized approach, but there are two stumbles – one structural and one element – that don’t land well.

First, the story structure doesn’t match the action. Dan Watters’s script gives readers twenty seconds over twenty pages of action. There’s no way the amount of action taking place happens within twenty seconds. There are multiple examples of single panels that should take up multiple seconds, so the gimmick is novel, but the execution is faulty.

Second, Watters and Dani add a last-minute nailbiter where one of the COBRA soldiers, wounded but not dead, re-emerges as a last-minute obstacle. The soldier’s re-emergence doesn’t make sense because Dani’s depiction of his first encounter with Jinx shows him getting cut in half. Either Dani went overboard with the first round of the fight, or Dani lost track of the script. Either way, the art pulls you out.

Art Samples:

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Story Positives & Negatives:

The Positives:

Action, energy, and urgency. Dan Watters and Dani deliver it all in spades with an issue designed to elevate Jinx as one of the most formidable ninjas on G.I. Joe’s team. If you want a quick time waster that keeps your blood pumping, this comic will be a solid pick.

The Negatives:

The challenge with silent issues is making sure the art is perfect. Not just in visual appeal but in its ability to tell a clear, gripping story. Dani somewhat succeeds, but the structural flaw in the pacing and the lack of (or need for) a double tap on the biggest soldier Jinx encounters pull you out of the immersion of the issue.

Big Picture:

Series Continuity:

The aptly named ‘Silent Missions’ series is a 5-part weekly event that showcases a single Joe in a silent issue with a guest team of artists and writers. Next week, Spirit takes center stage with the creative team of Leonardo Romero and Matheus Lopes on writing and art, respectively.

Final Thoughts:

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G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO – JINX presents a silent one-shot showcasing Jinx’s prowess as one of G.I. Joe’s deadliest ninja operatives. Dan Watters’s script uses a clever setup to kick the story into high tension and urgency from page one, and Dani’s stylistic art is solid. That said, the pace of the art doesn’t match the pace of the gimmick, so the immersion is lacking.

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