G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #173
Written by Larry Hama
Art by Ron Wagner, Wil Rosado, S L Gallant
Inks by Brian Shearer
Colors by Priscilla Tramontano
Letters by Shawn Lee
Covers by Herb Trimpe, John Haynes, and Larry Hama
IDW Publishing
Release Date: December 21, 2011
Cover Price: $3.99

This book is amazing! Every month when I read G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero it makes me feel like I’m reading a back issue of Marvel‘s G.I. Joe that I hadn’t read before except without the occasional appearance of a Spider-Man parade balloon or a guy dressed up in a Hulk costume.

Author Larry Hama tells three seperate stories going on in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #173. One, I found REALLY interesting, the next entertaining, and the third, honestly, I didn’t care for very much. And unfortunately, the third story gets the most pages. But, the other two stories make up for it in spades.

Following the tragic events of last issue, we get only the briefest but by far most emotional touch on Cobra. We get a nice character piece on Flint and Lady Jaye and we get a sort on interesting team-up with some of the Joes and the former Oktober Guard. Hopefully the story focus changes next issue.

An interesting approach this month on the art duties. Ron Wagner, Wil Rosado, and S L Gallant each handle different stories and it actually works. In fact, it works great! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, what I love about this G.I. Joe book is that all the characters are immediately identifiable because they’re in their “toy” fatigues. It’s not a book where each character is in an olive drab army uniform and you have to look at each person and hope that they’re wearing a name tag. Or that someone says their name. A very nice looking book this month.

Not one of the more thrilling issues, but fun nonetheless. We learn some new information in what looks to be an upcoming enemy for both G.I. Joe AND Cobra and the promise of that is what kept me excited about this otherwise average issue of a normally great comic.