G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Spotlight (Issue #296-300)
by
Larry Hama (writer), SL Gallant (artist), Maria Keane (inks), J. Brown (colours), Neil Uyetake (letters)
The revived series of G.I.Joe that has for many fans, been the heart and centre of the franchise since its inception as a simple toy-line and the series that not only guided but redefined and reshaped what was meant to be a simple kids entertainment franchise, begins its final arc under the IDW imprint – before moving to its new home over at Skybound.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #296
Following up from the recent events of the “High Stakes” story arc, wherein the Joes managed to somewhat successfully infiltrate the new Cobra island casino, we now enter the endgame here in the aptly titled arc: All In!
Part one of the arc sees the infiltration team of Scarlett, Helix, Jinx, Dawn and Sean trying to make a stand after the gunk hit the fans thanks to the third faction in all this – Revanche – whose android casino staff was secretly still controlled by them, unknown to Cobra. Our heroes are fighting for their survival in the bowels of the casino and some are holed up in part of Dr. Mindbenders lab where he has been secretly working to both create a new Serpentor that he believes will be superior, as well as a clone of the original Snake Eyes that he wants to programme to be the ultimate Cobra agent.
Can the teams hold out while their comrades scramble to find a way to provide backup without endangering the many civilians in the casino?
And of course, the high octane action that we’re already faced with gets ramped up even more when the new Serpentors personality stabilises and instead of a multitude of voices, this time only one is in charge and as he emerges from his giant test-tube, the new threat is none other than Genghis Khan – and who knows what fresh hell his presence will create!
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #297
This issue continues the balls-to-the-walls action that is going to invariably be all over this story arc as Larry Hama has clearly decided to make this run end on an adrenalin fueld note! Complementing his efforts very nicely, we have great work by the art team with very nice and crisp action sequences which have always been a Hama strength and is in top form here in both art and story + Griffith, Diaz and Brown really make everything feel very dynamic and intense!
The issue follows the Joes outside struggling to find a way in, the new Genghis Serpentor now showing he is the deadly Khan of old but with all the skills and knowledge to thrive in the modern world programmed into him as he takes charge and the Joe team inside struggling to hold on against the onslaught – the two young Snakes Eyes’ try to buy their team mates as much time as they can and the issue ends on an interesting cliffhanger that continues to tease the possible return of the one and only OG Snake Eyes.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #298
All In! barrels ahead full steam as the two young Snake Eyes’ bravely covered their friends retreat from the onslaught of their enemies under the command of the newly risen Genghis-Serpentor as he proves himself not just a dangerous foe but already perhaps a degree of dangerous that the Joe team has not faced and even the Cobra forces are in awe as he effortlessly takes control.
This story arc has definitely been very reminiscent of the heavily action-packed issues and stories from the original Marvel Comics run of this series and the creative team is in just as much fighting form as the characters on the page – the art continues to be on point and the action moves forward in a manner that seems almost effortlessly smooth.
The stakes keep rising and the escaped Joes lament their allies left behind and await the arrival of their backup forces and the team as a whole races to strategise a way to end this conflict as quickly as possible without collateral damage. Wild Bill struggles to find a way to land the reinforcements on the island while Duke and the leadership work out the pros and cons of the scenario unfolding before them – all the while, the tease of OG Snake Eyes and what role he may play continues!
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #299
We’re almost at the end and the non-stop blazing action continues as the forces of G.I.Joe and Cobra collide! A new Serpentor is leading the bad guys with a ruthless and effortless ease and out-thinking his opposition at seemingly every turn.
This issue we see Genghis Serpentor having stalemated his enemies as the new commander of Cobra and the Joes trying hard to make any headway – meanwhile, with his ninja brethren caught deep in the vipers’ nest, Storm Shadow decides to break away and take matters into his own capable hands.
And this issue… finally… after all the waiting and build, Hama brings things to a crescendo, as the dormant recreated Snake Eyes is finally put on the game board and for you as the reader it is simply to wonder what side his coin will fall and how that will effect the conflict.
The art continues to be stellar and works very well with both the high-action and high-emotion moment as this story arc approaches its final issue and for this reader, it felt like it was all coming to a close all too soon!
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #300
There is no other way to say it but that after all that we have been through, this is an absolutely bombastic conclusion to one hell of a series run here at IDW and one fantastic story arc!
After a run of 40 years from Issue #1, we see this legendary series close it’s second chapter with #300 and a boat load of action and thrilling moments, not least of which is the return of Snake Eyes, whose death was one of the most controversial moments of this run. We see him return and his loyalties remain up in the air until the sheer force of will that is his hallmark from day-one sees him break free and rejoin his friends to take the fight to Cobra!
Every player in the game is completely “All In!” at this stage and there is nothing left on the table. Personally I enjoyed the bulk of this issue as it had all the hallmarks of this series in near perfection: military mayhem, tiny dashes of humour, hints of feel-good and a healthy dose of sci-fi in the mix. All of this is told with a clear love for the material and the characters and the art has been exceptional and worthy of such an iconic final arc, culminating in this issue – but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that perhaps going for an oversized issue here or finding a way to reduce some of the issues before it or something was felt like a poorer choice because (a) this issue felt a bit rushed despite, or perhaps because of, the solid amount of content and (b) the finale was its own kind of too-open cliffhanger that left me a bit shocked – on the one hand I get why and as a fan I like that they felt optimistic at the time and wanted to leave things open for whatever future publisher would have picked up the series (which Skybound thankfully did!) but it was not just open, it was literally like a cliffhanger and given everything that came up to it, I think the reader and fan in me would have liked this to at least feel a little more like a concluding issue. Instead, it felt like another normal story arc concluding.
This story arc and in hindsight, all the arcs immediatly preceding it, have done nothing but been some of the best work that Larry Hama has done on this series – we see him rocking it as hard as he ever has as he has woven threads that have come together here to create a banger of a finale few issues!
Would I have liked some things to be different? Perhaps.
But all in all, it was a rock solid Larry Hama G.I.Joe story and issue and left me wanting more and looking forward to what comes next and to me that’s always been both one of the most irritating and best feelings at the end of any story.
One Happy Monk 
Leave a comment