IDW Publishing 2020
Script & Dialogue by Chad Bowers
Story & Illustrated by Rob Liefeld
Ink Assists by Adelso Corona
Coloured by Federico Blee
Lettered by Andworld Design
Rob Liefeld takes on G.I. Joe in this brand-new mini-series! Snake Eyes has long been the most mysterious member of the Joes, but how long can he keep his past classified when he’s forced to play his hand? Will he get a lucky roll? Or will the deadgame finally catch up to him?
I don’t know about you but I have been waiting for this for what feels like forever now and I am not disappointed in any way shape or form. There is something to this mythology we see in this that acknowledges Joe's past and present in some beautiful ways while also at the same time it expands their world as well. Then of course there is this overall sense of fun to this book that is simply too good to deny. Granted any mini-series could fit into the Joe universe this one does it and it feels so seamless and natural.
I am a fan of the way that this is being told. How we see the story & plot development moving forward through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is done exceptionally well. The character development we see here is pretty on point as well. Seeing how the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances placed before them helps us see them better and understand them a tad more clearly. Now the narration that goes along with Snake Eyes here is interesting because it’s an off-screen person giving us the thoughts that Snake Eyes has and it is a tad poignant to boot. The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way we see not only how well the book is structured as well as how everything works together to create the books ebb & flow.
I really do like this book and for more reasons than I had originally I expected I would. Aside from the fact that it feels so completely and utterly G.I. Joe in all it’s glory the story itself is highly interesting and it really is nice to see how the Joe’s react and backup one of their own. Everything about this issue excites the fan of the franchise in me and that’s what this should do and to exceed my expectations well that’s just damn good storytelling.
I am totally digging the interiors here too. Rob’s linework is laid down exceptionally well and it’s got that strength and vulnerability side by side with his utilisation of the varying weights and techniques that wesee. My biggest complaint is that we don’t see enough backgrounds being utilised, that and why doesn’t Colton look worse from being captive. Otherwise how we see the characters, their body proportions, faces and facial expressions all are just beautifully rendered and further the characterisation. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masters eye for storytelling. I am impressed with the colour work we see here as well. I shouldn’t be because Blee is extremely talented and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exemplary work. I think this might be my favourite work from Rob to date as well as Blee’s and the creativity and imagination that we see is superb to say the least.
This is why the Joe franchise has so many avid fans and followers. It is why we see them cosplayed at conventions and why it’s been around and seen as much as say Scooby-Doo is. The love for these characters and the joy they bring emanate from the creators to the reader spectacularly well and it just makes us want to see more.