Writer: Aubrey Sitterson
Artist: Giannis Milonogiannis
Colors: Lovern Kindzierski
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99

Following the events of IDW’s Revolution storyline, which dealt with the invasion of dire wraiths impersonating people around the globe, the Joes are back to doing what they do best, and that’s saving the world. This issue of G.I. Joe starts off running, with the Joes being chased by cyber ninjas before heading back to their new home base. The setup in this issue gives us an update of the Joes post-Revolution, and also brings up some elements that happened in the G.I. Joe Revolution tie-in. The writing is solid, and makes you care about the characters. It’s interesting to see where the Joes are now, and how are they going to make a difference in & around the world, especially with a new mandate. I like the dialog, as you can feel the camaraderie among the team, as well as with their new ally, the Decepticon Skywarp. I honestly thought he was Starscream for a moment, until he said his name. The pacing is fine, and kept me enthralled throughout reading this title. I’m still wondering where the story is going to go next, but the ending does get me intrigued with the reintroduction of some old foes.

I have to say the artwork looks okay, but it can turn some people off. Some of the characters’ bodies look weird, and their faces aren’t fully detailed in some panels. The art seems rushed in a few panels, and it hurts the title. I do like the character designs of the Joes and the cyber ninjas that appear, though. The Decepticon Skywarp looks amazing, which leaves me wondering why the art isn’t this good throughout the issue. I did, however, find the colors to be superb, as they make the issue look that much better. The action is also well done and fast paced.

To recap: G.I. Joe #1 was a good first issue, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The story is solid, and makes you care about these characters. Showing the new status quo for the team was nice, and the ending has got me interested to see where the story goes next. The art is okay, but it’s not the strongest thing in the title.

4 Roadblocks out of 5