REVIEW: GI Joe # 212

Adam Riches (cover) ”¢ Larry Hama (writer) ”¢ S L Gallant (artist)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: 04/01/2015

A few years back, I took my son to see the first GI Joe movie andÂ it was ok. It was a bog standard action film, complete with crazy villains and of course Snake Eyes. A couple of years later and I managed to con my girlfriend to see the second GI Joe film on the basis that Channing Tatum was in it. Â SPOILERS, he dies! Despite this and the fact I bought her the first movie on DVD, she is still my girlfriend. Go figure.

Now as a Brit, I don’t have the history or love of GI Joe that some of you will have. We had Action Man (with eagle eyes and “real” gripping hands). Action Man however never had a long running comic book series. Â So there must be something about this GI Joe that I have missed?

Well, apparently not. Comic book veteran and long time GI JOE writer Larry Hama is on hand to lead us through the bus stops with S. L. Gallant along for the scenery. Â The Joe’s are in a bit of a pickle, with other Joe’s on the way to help. Â And that is pretty much it. Â No big bombshell. No big fallout. Just an action book, by the numbers. Oh yes, there is a big robot if that helps.

A book based on a toy line isn’t really going to shake the ground. After all, they can’t really kill a character until the buck has been made in toy sales. Â This then causes a bit of a creative void. Yes I know, most of the big name characters are practically a brand and as such changes to the status quo rarely take hold. Â If, when something new is tried, at least the issues before the system reset can be fun. Â Where would Scott Snyder be with out Black Mirror, featuring Dick Grayson as The Batman?

With the toy line to think of however, it’s pretty clear this book isn’t aimed at me, regardless of my GI noob status. The problem for me, is that this could be a kids first comic book. Can you remember your first comic book? Whatever it was, I bet it was a better book than this and that it was that book that got you into comics. I am sorry to say, I can’t see this book being a child’s epiphany.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network