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.