REVIEW: G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #303

Christopher R. Ford

11 months ago

America’s favorite patriots are back in action in G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #303. Can the Joe’s fight off a deadly new alliance that is solely bent on their destruction?

Serpentor Khan is back and he’s brought some “friends” with him. Teaming up with the evil alien AI’s The Revanche creating an enemy-of-my-enemy is my enemy situation for the Joes. The Revanche are offering Serpentor upgrades to his army and this issue is a test run to see if their tech is as good (in a bad way) as advertised. Their targets, Snake Eyes and Scarlett. Duke and the rest of the Joes observe from The Pit while Serpentor Khan and the Revanche do the same from Cobra Island as a fight takes place at Snake Eye’s cabin. Multiple cuts keep the action and intrigue moving at a rapid pace. Throw in some fun tech jargon with a couple of jokes to balance out the melodrama and the issue is complete. This is classic G.I. Joe-style storytelling by writer Larry Hama.

Speaking of classic G.I. Joe style, the art in this current run is an excellent modern take on the 1980s version of the G.I. Joe universe. Even if you’re just dropping into this series for the first time, if you’re a Joe fan, you’ll immediately recognize the main players, minus a mask-less (and talking!) Snake Eyes. Special props go out to the mutant-fied version of Serpentor Khan. A character of notorious design is a mix of cool, intimidating, and hokey here. A very difficult feat to pull off. But one comes to a Joe comic for action more than anything and it looks as cool as one would hope in this issue. The Scarlett and Snake Eyes vs the upgraded Cobra Vipers is a visual treat with the two Joes pulling off some really amazing stunts. Chris Mooneyham (art) and Francesco Segala (colors) understood the assignment.

Being such a long-running series, and one based on an even longer running IP, it’s easy for things to become stale. Add the fact that the series is coming off a major event (a mutant bombing of Cobras Island) and a loss of momentum would seem almost natural. Fortunately, that is not the case for G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #303. It’s weird, it’s fun, it’s action-packed. It’s what you want in a G.I. Joe title.

Writing – 3.5 Stars
Art – 4.5 Stars
Coloring – 4 Stars

Overall
4 Stars

Written by; Larry Hama
Art by; Chris Mooneyham
Colors by; Francesco Segala
Letters by; Pat Brosseau
Published by; Image Comics

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.