SCARLETT #1, by Image Comics & Skybound on 6/5/24, explores another popular member of G.I. Joe when Scarlett is sent to infiltrate a human trafficking ring and finds a missing colleague, Jinx.
Credits:
- Writer: Kelly Thompson
- Artist: Marco Ferrari
- Colorist: Lee Loughridge
- Letterer: Rus Wooton
- Cover Artist: Marco Ferrari, Lee Loughridge (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: June 5, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of SCARLETT #1:
Plot Analysis:
Continuing Skybound’s expansion of the interconnected Energon Universe, Kelly Thompson arrives with a 4-part tale showcasing one of G.I. Joe’s most popular spies. Does this first issue hold up to the nearly universal success of the rest of the Energon titles? It’s too soon to tell.
Scarlett #1 begins with the titular character parachuting into the waters outside a small resort in Monaco. After stowing her gear on the beach and changing into a fetching mini-dress, Scarlett blends right into the party with tactical support, providing remote support to her cleverly hidden earpiece.
The disembodied voice of Control reminds Scarlett that her mission is simply to gather intel about the presence of a human trafficking ring and their hostages. She is NOT to engage. However, Scarlett’s willingness takes a backseat when she identifies her friend Jinx, who has been missing for two years, acting as an armed escort for a small group who entered the party.
Scarlett notices silent signals from Jinx warning Scarlett to stay away. Scarlett ignores the signals and follows the group to a lower level of the compound. There, she finds a brawl breaking out between Jinx’s group and the security team orchestrating the auction of young women. Jinx appears to have her sights set on one of the kidnapped girls. By the time the brawl is over, Scarlett has the kidnapped girls ready for extraction, and Jinx has escaped in a helicopter with one of the girls.
When Scarlett returns home, she gets an unpleasant dressing down from her superior officer about engaging with authorization. Later, Scarlett finds Stalker waiting for her in her house with an offer to loan Snow Job to get Scarlett to Jinx’s location – the compound of the Arashikage clan. Why is Stalker helping Scarlett? Because the Arashikage clan has a weapon of interest to Stalker and his superiors.
As the narrative unfolds, we see flashbacks to Scarlett and Jinx developing a close friendship or possibly more, indicating Scarlett’s motivation to retrieve Jinx is very personal.
The issue concludes with Scarlett taking the direct approach by fighting her way into the Arashikage compound and making an offer the Hard Master can’t refuse – herself.
Character Development:
Kelly Thompson heavily leans on the show-don’t-tell approach to storytelling by sticking to action instead of expository narration and dialog whenever possible. New readers get a decent handle on Scarlett’s assertive personality, courage, and willingness to bend or break the rules when the opportunity presents itself.
As a point of concern that bears watching, Thompson seeds the potential that Scarlett and Jinx have more than simply a friendly relationship. If Thompson develops that connection into something romantic, it would be a canon-breaking creative choice.
Artwork and Presentation:
Marco Ferrari’s artwork is perfectly fine for this issue. Ferrari’s backgrounds and sets look great, the fight choreography is well done, and the panel compositions are excellent. That said, Ferrari loses a lot of character detail in the medium and wide shots, delivering characters that look like vaguely outlined blobs.
Art Samples:
Pacing and Structure:
In terms of pacing, Thomspon’s script flows relatively well, the scenes transition smoothly, and the back-and-forth between the present and flashbacks to Scarlett’s friend time with Jinx mesh well. In all, this is a smooth comic to read.
The structure is another weak spot in the script. Readers are dropped into the issue cold with almost no context or setup, so if you’re not already a G.I. Joe fan and familiar with Scarlett, it takes some patience to figure out who the players are and how pertinent they are (or not) to the story. This weakness is amplified by the big picture (see below).
Thematic Exploration:
The general theme of this issue is Heroism. Scarlett puts herself on a dangerous undercover mission to save the victims of human trafficking. When the brawl breaks out, Scarlett makes intentional moves to keep Jinx protected from a distance. When Stalker offers Scarlett a mission to infiltrate the Arashikage compound, she accepts to save her friend rather than recover Stalker’s weapon.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
As noted above, the structure is further weakened by a lack of connection to any other title. If you scrubbed the names from the dialog, you wouldn’t know this was a G.I. Joe comic, which makes Scarlett come across as a generic, red-haired spy.
Further, there’s not a hint of connection to Transformers or anything remotely Energon-related. If the point was to expand the Energon universe by giving top-tier characters a moment in the spotlight such that the future crossover conflict has more depth and meaning, this issue falls short.
Final Thoughts:
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SCARLETT #1 gives G.I. Joe’s most popular super spy a mission to save her long-lost friend from a ruthless clan. Thompson’s script moves well and captures Scarlett’s courageous personality, but the setup is generic spy fodder, lacks any clear connection to G.I. Joe in the interconnected Energon universe, and delivers just average art.
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