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About This Series
Issues
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About This
Series:
Issues:
Marvel's comic
series of "G.I. Joe" is unlike anything else in "G.I. Joe" media.
It's not based on the successful cartoon series, nor the toys. It
is simply based upon the "G.I. Joe" franchise owned by Hasbro.
Although not bad for kids to read, there are some things in the comics
that they could never have done on the kiddie cartoon series. The
violence in the comics is a bit more liberal (they actually do show
blood), and the women characters are shown more sexy. If I were
to give this comic series a movie rating, I'd safely say it was PG.
This series of "G.I. Joe" was extremely successful, running from 1982 to 1994 for a grand total of 155 issues. It also spawned many spin-off titles. This is certainly the most popular and definitely longest-lasting of any run in "G.I. Joe" comics, and "G.I. Joe" comics have been around since 1967 in one form or another. When all the spin-off series started coming out, this main series started being referred to as "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero".
G.I. Joe is the codename for an elite force of soldiers that continually thwarts the plans of the evil terrorist group known as Cobra. Both sides boast extremely colorful characters with almost superhuman capabilities. This is not a "superhero" comic, per se, although "G.I. Joe" in its entirety has often been considered a "superhero thing" by the masses. No one flies, no one has mutant powers...they're all just skilled in different ways and have strange costumes. I think of "G.I. Joe" as a cross between Batman and James Bond.
Growing up, I never cared for "G.I. Joe". As a general rule, I still don't. But I must give credit where it is due. Some of the characters, in comics or cartoons, are really cool. And some of the comics are standouts.
Snake Eyes is probably the best character G.I. Joe ever had, and he all but took over the series in the later years of the run, even having his name in the series' cover logo. He is a mute ninja with incredible talent and a likable, heroic personality. It's something special when a character that does not speak can have the most expression of any character in the title's line-up.
Starting with issue #138, the then-dwindling Tranformers line, reinvented as "Transformers: Generation 2", joined the cast of the G.I. Joe series in hopes to revive interest in the classic characters. Although Tranformers had lost some of its populace by 1993, the comics done with G.I. Joe were surprisingly well-done.
This series of "G.I. Joe" was extremely successful, running from 1982 to 1994 for a grand total of 155 issues. It also spawned many spin-off titles. This is certainly the most popular and definitely longest-lasting of any run in "G.I. Joe" comics, and "G.I. Joe" comics have been around since 1967 in one form or another. When all the spin-off series started coming out, this main series started being referred to as "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero".
G.I. Joe is the codename for an elite force of soldiers that continually thwarts the plans of the evil terrorist group known as Cobra. Both sides boast extremely colorful characters with almost superhuman capabilities. This is not a "superhero" comic, per se, although "G.I. Joe" in its entirety has often been considered a "superhero thing" by the masses. No one flies, no one has mutant powers...they're all just skilled in different ways and have strange costumes. I think of "G.I. Joe" as a cross between Batman and James Bond.
Growing up, I never cared for "G.I. Joe". As a general rule, I still don't. But I must give credit where it is due. Some of the characters, in comics or cartoons, are really cool. And some of the comics are standouts.
Snake Eyes is probably the best character G.I. Joe ever had, and he all but took over the series in the later years of the run, even having his name in the series' cover logo. He is a mute ninja with incredible talent and a likable, heroic personality. It's something special when a character that does not speak can have the most expression of any character in the title's line-up.
Starting with issue #138, the then-dwindling Tranformers line, reinvented as "Transformers: Generation 2", joined the cast of the G.I. Joe series in hopes to revive interest in the classic characters. Although Tranformers had lost some of its populace by 1993, the comics done with G.I. Joe were surprisingly well-done.
Issues:
#133: February,
1993.
Awesome Snake Eyes story! Snake Eyes is the mute ninja on the
side of G.I. Joe. He is nothing less than amazing. The
whole issue is just one big fight sequence. Excellent art by
Andrew Wildman, with story by Larry Hama.
#138: July, 1993. Scarlett story, with a cast of sexy women characters. Like most G.I. Joe "stories", I find it ignorable. But the awesome artwork and fetching female heroines/villainesses make it worthwhile. I've always been fond of the women characters from G.I. Joe, even though I wasn't a follower of the franchise. Scarlett and Lady Jaye (who doesn't appear in this issue) are spectacular for the side of G.I. Joe, and who could forget the bespectacled dominatrix The Baroness who works for Cobra? The other women characters in this issue prove interesting, as G.I. Joe was always more of a "boys' thing". Worth checking out.
#139: August, 1993. This is the first time that "Transformers: Generation 2" would be shown in the series' cover logo. However, they did make their initial appearance at the end of the previous issue. Scarlett's story is sort of put on the back burner, while the story concerning the alliance between Cobra Commander and Megatron builds. If you do not know, Cobra Commander is the major bad guy in the G.I. Joe stories, while Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons, the evil faction of the Transformers.
I was never a great fan of G.I. Joe or Transformers, then or now, but I am surprised that the two work so well together. Perhaps it's that they're both so heavily laden in sci-fi gadgetry that they share a common ground.
Megatron was made into a tank as part of the mutual agreement between him and Cobra Commander. Looks cool. As far as the sub-story elements go, Baroness, at this point in the series, now allied herself with G.I. Joe. Scarlett, undercover in the Cobra camp, is recovering from the nasty cut Snake Eyes gave her in order to save her life. And Snake Eyes is STILL the coolest character in G.I. Joe. Larry Hama and Chris Batista do the story and art, respectively.
#140: September, 1993. The story with Megatron and Cobra teaming up against G.I. Joe continues. It's still a cool enough idea, but to tell you the truth, I'm starting to get a little bored with the story. I'm more interested in finding out what happens to Scarlett, while she's recovering in Cobra Headquarters, and what our hero Snake Eyes, the mute ninja, does next. They tease us with these sub-plots a bit, but I rather they would just finish it up. Excellent writing and art still by the team of Larry Hama and Chris Batista.
#138: July, 1993. Scarlett story, with a cast of sexy women characters. Like most G.I. Joe "stories", I find it ignorable. But the awesome artwork and fetching female heroines/villainesses make it worthwhile. I've always been fond of the women characters from G.I. Joe, even though I wasn't a follower of the franchise. Scarlett and Lady Jaye (who doesn't appear in this issue) are spectacular for the side of G.I. Joe, and who could forget the bespectacled dominatrix The Baroness who works for Cobra? The other women characters in this issue prove interesting, as G.I. Joe was always more of a "boys' thing". Worth checking out.
#139: August, 1993. This is the first time that "Transformers: Generation 2" would be shown in the series' cover logo. However, they did make their initial appearance at the end of the previous issue. Scarlett's story is sort of put on the back burner, while the story concerning the alliance between Cobra Commander and Megatron builds. If you do not know, Cobra Commander is the major bad guy in the G.I. Joe stories, while Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons, the evil faction of the Transformers.
I was never a great fan of G.I. Joe or Transformers, then or now, but I am surprised that the two work so well together. Perhaps it's that they're both so heavily laden in sci-fi gadgetry that they share a common ground.
Megatron was made into a tank as part of the mutual agreement between him and Cobra Commander. Looks cool. As far as the sub-story elements go, Baroness, at this point in the series, now allied herself with G.I. Joe. Scarlett, undercover in the Cobra camp, is recovering from the nasty cut Snake Eyes gave her in order to save her life. And Snake Eyes is STILL the coolest character in G.I. Joe. Larry Hama and Chris Batista do the story and art, respectively.
#140: September, 1993. The story with Megatron and Cobra teaming up against G.I. Joe continues. It's still a cool enough idea, but to tell you the truth, I'm starting to get a little bored with the story. I'm more interested in finding out what happens to Scarlett, while she's recovering in Cobra Headquarters, and what our hero Snake Eyes, the mute ninja, does next. They tease us with these sub-plots a bit, but I rather they would just finish it up. Excellent writing and art still by the team of Larry Hama and Chris Batista.