GI Joe #11 – Review

By: Chuck Dixon (writer), Alex Cal (artist), J. Brown (colors), Robbie Robbins (letters), Carlos Guzman (assistant editor) & John Barber (editor)

The Story: As the Cobra Command crossover comes to a close, Cobra has just about cleared out the country of Nanzhao.

A Few Things: 

1. Entertaining ideas, but… – This has been an entertaining and creative storyline, but it’s just too damn long.  I really don’t understand this fixation that publishers/writers/editors have on making stories longer.  When Cobra Command finishes, it’ll be NINE issues long.  I don’t see any good reason this couldn’t be 6 issues and still have accomplished the same things.  Let’s move onto what is next!  I guess when it comes down to it, I like the ideas presented in this story (and issue), but the execution is lacking a little bit.  Lots of the scenes are too long by a few panels.  As an example, there surely there was some drama in Scarlet’s decision to shoot down a nuclear armed Cobra drone, but that decision shouldn’t take a full two pages.  Comics aren’t supposed to read like a novel.  Keep it snappy!

2. Cobra will be in an interesting place when this is over. – I’ve really enjoyed IDW’s view of Cobra as it emerges from the shadows.  When this arc ends, they’ll have basically destroyed a sovereign country just to remove a competitor in the global drug trade.  Scary huh?  When you get down to it, this was all a big battle between two rival drug gangs; just like Marlo versus the Barksdales in The Wire…except that Cobra has nuclear weapons.

Cobra #10 – Review

By: Mike Costa (writer), Alex Cal (breakdowns), Beni Lobel (finishes), J. Brown (colors), Neil Uyetake (letters), Carlos Guzman (assistant editor) & John Barber (editor)

The Story: As the new Cobra Commander takes over a SE Asian nation, his lieutenants begin to scheme against him.

A Few Things: 

1. The Cobra characters are so much more interesting. – Honestly, I’d rather this comic didn’t show what the Joes are doing… ever.  Let me summarize what the Joes are doing in case anyone wants to skip it: “We have to stop Cobra.”  We need a little pre-emptive strike action from the Joes, otherwise they’re just reactionary.  On the flip side, the Cobra main characters all ooze charisma.  Each is unique and has his/her own strengths, flaws and goals.  They’re so much more three-dimensional than the Joes.  Maybe villains are just more interesting than heroes?  Maybe Mike Costa is a better writer?  Am I the only one who sees this?

2. Scheming is good! – Well…you didn’t really think that all the main Cobra guys would just say, “Cool!  We have a new commander.  Let’s blindly follow him!”  So, it isn’t a huge surprise that everyone is scheming against Krake.  Here we’ve got all kinds of weird little alliances forming among the Cobra lieutenants and that’s cool because you know that those alliances won’t last a second longer than necessary.  Plus, the scheming gets Baroness into the action (in a towel no less) and that’s always positive.  And….it won’t surprise anyone if Krake has been a step ahead of his minions all along.

3. What’s in the briefcase? -I got a huge Pulp Fiction/briefcase vibe as we saw the Cobras geeking out over whatever image Major Bludd has on his iPad.  Tomax especially had a great look.  What could Krake have done on a hidden camera that is so horrible that he might lose his leadership position?  Is it an old YouTube video he made when he was 15 where he professed his deep love for Snake Eyes?

Snake Eyes #10 – Review

By: Chuck Dixon (writer), Alex Cal (breakdowns), Beni Lobel (finishes), J. Brown (colors), Neil Uyetake (letters), Carlos Guzman (assistant editor) and John Barber (editor)

The Story: As Cobra is taking over the small country, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are going to have some business together.

Review: I honestly wasn’t planning to review this issue.  Last week I reviewed GI Joe #10 and was a little hard on the art by Axel Cal.  I knew that he was also doing the art on this issue and since here at WCBR we “sign up” for comics to review early in the week, I didn’t want to review something that I knew probably would be negative on.  See…..I’m not a total creep. 🙂

But, you know what, this issue was a lot better and I felt that Alex deserved a bit of a pat on the back after I was hard on him last week.  There are some artistic changes on this issue….  Namely, Cal has an inker on this issue.  But, the effect is that suddenly this comic is perfectly fine from an art standpoint.  It isn’t a comic that I want to be buried with me (or anything like that), but this will do just fine.  I can see the action now!  That is such a huge thing in a comic like Snake Eyes… I want to be able to tell how characters get into the positions they are in and how they threw that punch or kick.

It’s also worth mentioning that GI Joe comics are hard to draw.  For one thing, you’ve got to get all of the equipment correct.  Not only does that mean drawing accurate firearms which most comic artists barely bother with, but you also have to get all the GI Joe toys correct and make them look real.    That’s not easy.  Even the characters look like a pain in the butt to draw: Snake Eyes has that funky visor with six lines (and fanboys will complain if there are 5 lines), and pouches and kneepads.  These characters are harder to draw than typical superheroes which are mostly nudes with costumes colored onto them.

GI Joe #10 – Review

By: Chuck Dixon (writer), Alex Cal (artist), J. Brown (colors), Shawn Lee (letters), Carlos Guzman (assistant editor) & John Barber (editor)

The Story: Cobra has taken over a sovereign country and is driving the civilians out!  The Joe’s have to stop them.

Five Things: 

1. Cobra is a pretty compelling enemy. – The best thing about the GI Joe relaunch at IDW (which is a couple of years old now) is how they have and are handling Cobra.  They’re not some out-in-the-open enemy and have been more of a rumor until very recently.  The Joes have a hard time even convincing people that Cobra is real.  In some ways, Cobra is kinda like a pre-September 11th Osama bin Laden; certainly a lot of folks knew who he was, but there was disagreement about whether he was a serious threat to the US or just an annoyance spouting venom in Afghanistan.  Combine this mystery with the fact that the main Cobras are all really interesting and you almost find yourself rooting for them over the very vanilla Joes.

2. Overall thrust of the story remains good. – Going with my first comment above, this is a good overall story: Murky criminal/terrorist organization, no one believes they’re a threat and the first thing they do after going public is to overthrow a sovereign country!  Wow!  That really steps up the treat level for Cobra!  You could understand how with their cool technology that Cobra could be a major nuisance, but this story is showing that they have a magnitude to them as well.  And, since any story is only as good as its antagonist, this Cobra Command story arc is opening a lot of possibilities.

3. Can’t really get behind this art anymore. – Unfortunately, Alex Cal’s art has gone from “competent” a few issues ago to “problematic”.  He seems to be drawing 2 or the 3 Joe books right now (this and Snake-Eyes) and while I presume that IDW started him working on these ahead of time, this art looks more rushed than his first issue.  Why IDW would dump such heavy art chores on a fairly new artist is beyond me.  Cal does draw some characters fairly well and sticks to a realistic style that will be pleasing to most GI Joe fans, but his action scenes leave a lot to be desired (i.e. you can’t tell what is happening) and his characters lack any sense of energy (i.e. they look posed).  Also, lots of depth problems in these panels between the characters and their backgrounds.  And, I’d stop doing splash pages.  Cal’s art would be better if it was smaller and allowed fewer opportunities for error.  Note to editor: Caption boxes telling us who the characters are would be appreciated.

Cobra #9 – Review

By: Mike Costa (writer), Alex Cal (artist), J. Brown (colors), Neil Uyetake (letters), Carlos Guzman (assistant editor) & John Barber (editor)

The Story: Cobra has taken over a SE Asian country.  The Joes want to stop them and the new Cobra Commander’s lieutenants are fighting amongst themselves.

Three Things:

1. The story is really kinda rocking. – There’s a LOT to enjoy about the “story” aspect of this comic and the overall Cobra Command story-arc.  For one thing, we readers don’t know what to expect at all.  That is so rare in comics.  Not only is IDW’s GI Joe universe pretty new (~40 issues) since they completely rebooted it a few years ago, but to say that the naming of a new Cobra Commander ushered in a new status quo would be a huge understatement.  In comics, “classic” villains become less frightful the better we get to know them.  Sure, some writers are still able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and make Joker scary, but having a villain who is still 90% unknown is WAY more effective.  I love that we have no real idea what the new Cobra Commander is up to; he clearly has a plan, but he isn’t sharing it with us yet.  And, all the other classic Cobras like Baroness, Destro, Major Bludd, etc. are new enough that we don’t really know what to expect from them either.

2. Shame about the art. – I’ve been mostly complementary about the job that Alex Cal has done of the last few GI Joe issues he’s drawn, but this was a big step back.  Large chunks of the comic are still solidly “competent”, but there are a few other places where the sequential storytelling just falls apart.  Basically, if the panel consists of a head or a person talking, the art is fine.  But if there is action, there are problems.  One arises during a big Snake Eyes and Agent Helix fight where I couldn’t tell what the hell happened because a few panels were unclear.  IDW has been putting some inexperienced artists on these Joe titles and I think they’d be better served by going back to a 8-panel grid as the basic storytelling tool.  Gotta walk before you can run!

Snake Eyes #9 – Review

By: Chuck Dixon (writer), Alex Cal (artist), J. Brown (colors), Neil Uyetake (letters), Carlos Guzman (assistant editor) & John Barber (editor)

The Story: Cobra has taken command of a piss-ant country.  Snake Eyes & his team go in to cause them trouble.

Four Things: 

1. Pretty simple & linear story. – This is kind of a weird issue.  The main thrust is about Snake Eyes taking out a bunch of Cobras.  His team is there with him, but he does the killing himself.  And, there’s nothing wrong with that.  The action scenes have some imagination to them and are pretty well-drawn, so if you like watching a cool ninja dude who is equally adept with guns as he is with swords, then you’ll have fun with this.  But, there isn’t a lot of meat on the bone.

2. Just barely tied into Cobra Command crossover. – This Snake Eyes series is so close to being a stand-alone.  Ya know, read GI Joe and Cobra for the “main” story, but the real Joe fanatics will want to read Snake Eyes too just to see him killing things on the periphery of the “main” story.  But, there are just enough little niblets of the “main” story in here that you’d be ill-served to miss this issue and just read the other two GI Joe series.  That’s really a mixed bag for me because most people will get sick of seeing Snake Eyes stabbing stuff and it’d be nice for that to be optional.  But, if IDW is going to include this as a numbered part of the Cobra Command Crossover (it is Part 2), then it better tie into the main story (and it does).  OR give Snake Eyes a more important mission than killing random Cobras!

GI Joe #9 – Review

By: Chuck Dixon (writer), Alex Cal (artist), J. Brown (colors), Shawn Lee (letters), Carlos Guzman (assistant editor) & John Barber (editor)

The Story: The Joes must react to the first big act of the new Cobra Commander.

Four things: [SPOILER WARNING]

1. Beginning of a new crossover story. – Coming out of the Cobra Civil War where a new Cobra Commander was selected (the winner was whoever killed the most Joes), we had to wonder: What will the bad guys do next?  Well…..they’re taking over a damn country!  Not a big country like the United States or Germany, but a little country that no one cares about.  There are….of course….real world parallels.  Should the Joes be given unlimited resources to fight bad guys in a country that nobody cares about?  IN real life, should we care about bad guys in Somalia and Afghanistan?  It’s always nice to see comics tickle current events.  I also give IDW huge props for numbering this Cobra Command crossover.  If they’re going to cross over, I want a sequential reading order and not just a bunch of titles happening under a banner.

2. Love the vibe of secret Cobra. – I LOVE that in this GI Joe universe that Cobra is a secret organization.  They’re not outward and overt, but kinda behind the scenes and emerging.  That makes it much more difficult for the Joes to fight them (or even get the resources to fight them) because people question how real and dangerous this Cobra organization is.  Again, there are real world parallels and regardless of how you personally come down on current (real world) events, it’s fun to see a comic that is relatable.

North Wind #3 – Review

By David DiGilio (writer), Alex Cal (artist), Renato Faccini (colors)

Yikes, I hate it when Daniel’s right! When we were running around WonderCon a few weeks back he and I stopped by the Boom! Studios booth where they had North Wind #3 for sale weeks before its ship date. Daniel told me to stop while he thumbed through the issue, and sure enough, just like his review of issue #2 predicted, Pak’s childhood girlfriend, Schuyler is still alive and well! Little did I know how much more of his predictions would be true.

First of all, Pak does return to Lost Angeles to seek vengeance. He also meets up with an old acquaintance from his childhood who let’s him know Schuyler still lives. We’re treated to a bit of Pak’s new skills as he makes short work of a couple of slave drivers. The story then cuts to the inner city and how it has changed (or not changed) over the past 10-15 years. Immediately, Pak goes on a search for Schuyler.

It doesn’t take him long, either. Apparently, she’s a big wig in town being the “daughter” of Slaughterhouse Joe. At this festival held at a local arena, she announces that she’ll have the energy crisis solved by the end of the year (damn you for being right Daniel), to which she’s hit with rousing applause. Her father then takes the mic and opens the festivities: A gladiator fight against a polar bar – the winner having “a night” with Schuyler. Of course, Pak can’t help but enter the contest.

Alex Cal does some really good layouts this issue, but when it gets to the whole gladiator-esque scene, the actions becomes difficult to keep track of. In fact, I almost just skipped the pages because the action was completely incoherent. My other problem is Pak, himself. He’s this seasoned, Skinrunner. Yet why is he so such a pretty boy with a nice short haircut? Isn’t it cold outside? Shouldn’t he look weathered? Lastly, what’s the deal with Schuyler looking like a teenager – and an ugly one at that? Aside from the expensive garb she wears, I can’t see why men would put their lives on the line to spend one night with her.

It’s a bit jarring to have a series that has so much potential, only to fall into the trap of being completely predictable. But even when being predictable, there are ways of making the story interesting and the characters compelling. North Wind, so far, does both very half-heartedly. If Dave DiGilio can get out of the trap of being so formulaic, this book could completely live up to its potential. Until then, it’s on the cusp of being mediocre. And I don’t want it to be mediocre! (Grade: C)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

It’s a good thing I didn’t have to pay for this issue. Indeed the story is predictable. I’m glad I didn’t spend a dime, but I lost 10 minutes of my life and I’ll never get it back! (Grade: D)

-Daniel Yanez

North Wind #2 – Review

By Dave DiGilio (writer), Alex Cal (art), Renato Faccino (colors)

North Wind #2 picks up exactly where the first issue left off. Pak is about to be eaten by dogs, when a bunch of near-rioting townspeople come to Joe (the tyrannous leader of Lost Angeles), and demand he turn the heat back on. Joe is convinced that Outcast Village is hiding energy, hording it for themselves. He doesn’t turn the heat back on, but he does let Pak and his mother go only to relentlessly pursue them later.

Using intimidation, Joe separates Pak from his mother and continues his run towards Outcast Village. Pak is found by the Skinrunner who keeps him protected. Pak soon discovers his village is destroyed. His mother dead. It’s just him and the Skinrunner now.

This story echos the hero’s journey seen in Star Wars and Mouse Guard, while its dystopian future is reminiscent of movies like Mad Max. What I don’t like is after Pak discovers his mother’s death he’s given little time to grieve (at least that’s what we’re shown). Instead, we get a montage of him training in the ways of the Skinrunner. The story, I feel advances much too quickly. Suddenly, the boy is a man, and sorry for the comparisons, but it’s like watching the opening of Conan the Barbarian. Soon enough, the Skinrunner dies and only Pak remains.

It would have been nice to have had more time with Pak as a child so that we could understand his connection to his mother and the village, but we don’t see that. We also don’t see how the trama affects him. Instead, he’s now just a grown man (who’s a bad ass) with a chip on his shoulder. Even as he’s dying, the Skinrunner knows Pak will eventually descend on a mission of vengeance. So, if this kid is lying and you know he will go against everything you taught him, why bother taking him in and raising him?

There’s a lot of potential for North Wind. The first issue was engaging, but this second issue stumbles a bit. (Grade: C)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

This book is full of clichés. It’s the textbook definition of the hero’s journey – no doubt about it. Next issue, Pak will probably meet the woman who was a little girl from issue #1. Fourth issue he’ll find out the solution to the fuel problem and by the fifth, he will avenge his tribe. Sometimes this type of story is well done, not this time – it’s too transparent for intelligent readers. But you be the judge reading #1 and #2 available for free. (Grade: D)

-Daniel Yanez