G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 [Comic Review]
Skybound
Let me open by saying I have no familiarity with G.I. Joe beyond watching G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins and some funny memes and videos. Skybound touts this issue as an entry point for new readers. Larry Hama and Chris Mooneyham’s relaunch issue of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is definitely not that.
After a two page intro lesson of G.I. Joe and Cobra Command 101, we’re dropped into the middle of a bombastic action sequence on a three minute countdown that lasts through the rest of the issue. The closest thing we have to a real entry point for new readers is characters calling each other by name within scenes in a “we need to make sure the reader knows what this guy’s name is” kind of way. There wasn’t any real effort to introduce me into the broader G.I. Joe universe or getting me to connect with and care about these characters.
The action has a feeling of a kid playing with all his G.I. Joe toys. I think this isn’t for audiences who don’t know G.I. Joe. This book is very much for fans with a deep love of the characters and a sense of nostalgia for them. It takes familiarity with G.I. Joe for granted, which is a mistake for a book meant to be an entry point because it leaves readers like me feeling like outsiders. I simply couldn’t bring myself to care about what was happening, and the art alone couldn’t carry this book because it didn’t make the action itself a draw. Most of the art is focused on too many characters in medium or close-up delivering the script. If the story is an extended action sequence, show me the action, not just people talking about it.
Skybound
Skybound
This book wasn’t for me. If you are well versed in all things G.I. Joe, perhaps this book is for you and you’ll see it more favorably than I did. I’m very interested in reading impressions from readers who are longtime G.I. Joe fans.
On the bright side, I learned that Dr. Mindbender is a rogue orthodontist, and that’s amazing.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 will be available at your local comic shop and online on November 14, 2023.
