Review: G.I.Joe Castle Fall

G.I.Joe Castle Fall is a rich, interesting action jolt that perfectly encapsulates all the ways in which the Joe team and Scarlett in particular get things done. That being said it can’t help but feel rushed as the Cobra dominance of Chicago topples.

Writer Paul Allor and artist Chris Evenhuis do a great job balancing classic Joe characters with very different looks and new characters. The greatest part of this book are the incredibly original colors by Brittany Peer which makes this book different than anything else on the stands. The best parts of this book are seeing the classic characters portrayed in very different ways but still feeling like themselves. Lady Jaye, Dr Mindbender, Scarlett and Major Bludd get some major character development among the twists and turns and double and triple crosses. Some of the newer characters still feel a bit lightweight but with so many characters in the mix some will always get less focus.

Roadblock and the Joes take down a contingent of B.A.T. Troopers before using Lady Jaye’s intelligence to track Mindbender’s transport. Unfortunately Major Bludd has switched things up and captures Lady Jaye before taking her to Scarlett and offering to work with them to double cross Cobra Commander. Scarlett clearly not ready to trust him or forgive his murdering Duke shoots him on the spot.

Mindbender uses Major Bludd’s intelligence to mistakenly direct Cobra into a trap before bringing Bludd back from death. As the people of Chicago rebel against the Cobra rule, G.I. Joe defeats them and Bludd finishes his betrayal by killing Mindbender. The twists are well done but move way too fast. The action scenes are interspersed with Scarlet sparring with Tiger in an entirely unneeded set of sequences which would have been better used on the unfolding shift in power. G.I. Joe goes from a clear underdog position to a clear victory only by the grace of Major Bludd and Cobra’s own oversight more than clear military strategy or battle skills.

This is a very different G.I. Joe run and it does show how a modern depiction could work on page and screen even while Hama carries on the classic run. There is room enough for many different incarnations of G.I.Joe and with a bit more character work and more focus on tactical strategy this book could be the seeds of a new type of G.I.Joe.

Writing: 3.2 of 5 stars
Art: 3.0 of 5 stars
Colors: 4.5 of 5 stars

Overall: 3.6 of 5 stars

Writer: Paul Allor
Art: Chris Evenhuis
Colors: Brittany Peer
Publisher: IDW Publishing

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.