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The Eighties are back with a vengeance. From the Mid 80’s to early 90’s, GI-Joe was the hottest toy, cartoon and comic book-and I reveled in it all. And now like the Teenage Mutant Turtles, GI Joe has made its 
return thanks in part to Joshua Blaylock and Image Comics just when America needs a hero!
Many years have gone by since GI-Joe won the war over Cobra. A lot has changed. Many Joes have gotten on with their lives, but so has Cobra Commander. Using contacts throughout the Middle East and abroad, the Commander has assembled more power and is ready to re-enter the quest of taking over the world. He has invited Dr. Mindbender, Baroness, Major Bludd, Tomax and Xamot and even Destro, to meet at Zartan’s lair. Zartan has amassed a great fortune and the Dreadnoks have become a world-renowned power in business and in the businesses of the underworld. However, Zartan has a rare skin disease caused by his many years of shapeshfiting. Joining Cobra could be the only way to bring his face back to where it once was.
The GI-Joe team is needed more than ever. Flint, Roadblock, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Shipwreck and Duke are called forward by Hawk, now known as General Tomahawk to reassemble the Joe team. Also recalled for duty were Dusty, Mainframe, Spirit, Jinx, Gung-Ho, Stalker, Lady-Jaye and even Bazooka, who has put on a tad bit too much weight. Together with a group of new soldiers, the Joes are briefed and immediately mobilized to strike fast before Cobra can take over the world with their Nanomite technology.
This GI-Joe series has taken on an edgier tone, while still maintaining the sense of humor of the older series. Flint is now married to Lady-Jaye, Stalker is now married to someone that looks strikingly familiar to a character from the GI-Joe Special Missions comic, and Scarlett was supposed to marry Snake-Eyes, but judging from the slap she gives him, I think they didn’t. The artwork in this book is awesome! Everyone with the exception of Flint looked cooler than before. There is a sleeker look to the characters and much more detail was put into them. Cobra Commander walking into the room is powerfully depicted, reminiscent of Darth Vader’s first appearance.
The story is equally riveting as we discover that Destro may not be who he claims to be and we discover that Hawk now frowns upon the Ninja Force suggesting the missing Storm Shadow could have been a turncoat. We are even left guessing who is really in control of Cobra when Destro goes head to head with the Commander. There is just so much excitement, action and intrigue and the series is only on issue two!
It just feels good to have the original Joes back; the new look, attitude and story line only have enhanced this phenomenon. At a time when America is recovering from terrorist attacks, a Real American Hero is needed and GI-Joe is there to make us feel good, relive our past and constantly remind us how good it feels to be an American. Until Snake-Eyes sings a love song to Scarlett, Go Joe rules!!!
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