G.I. Joe #1
Written by Karen Traviss
Art by Steve Kurth
Colors by Kito Young
Letters by Tom B Long
Editor: John Barber
Special Thanks to Max Brooks
Covers by Jeffrey Veregee, Cliff Chiang, David Williams, Dave Dorman & Robert Atkins
IDW Publishing
Release Date: September 24, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

G.I. Joe #1 ushers in a new era of awesomeness for the Joe team. It’s G.I. Joe against Cobra, the…..peacekeepers. Yes. You read that right. Peacekeepers. As in people who keep the peace. Let’s see how that works out for them.

For the first time in history, G.I. Joe has a woman at the helm. Literally. Writer Karen Traviss makes the jump from military fiction novels to comics, and the one burning question that I have is, why didn’t she do it sooner?

This issue is complex, compelling, interesting, and overall awesome. Without giving too much away, the Joes are in danger of being dismantled, Cobra has abandoned trying to take over the world in favor of becoming a broker for peace, and several key members of the team are nowhere to be seen. All that, and a very interesting twist on the inner workings of Cobra combine together to make one SUPER interesting comic book. This is more real world spy novel than it is Larry Hama, but that’s something that we’ve never seen before. The real world problems and situations that the Joe team face are a whole new level of threat that hasn’t appeared in the series before. Some great, great stuff here.

Artist Steve Kurth amazes me how he can change his style on a dime. He’s FAR removed from the Steve Kurth that started the G.I. Joe comeback for Devil’s Due in 2001, and he’s just as far removed from the last series of G.I. Joe, which he also drew. It’s almost a painted style, but is definitely penciled art. His drawings are detailed, but not hyper detailed, and have just the right amount of realism to them. A great choice of style that meshes up perfectly with this title.

If I had one complaint, it’s that there’s a pretty big lack of battle action in this issue. But, I’m sure that will change over time. If you’re a long-time Joe fan like I am, this is a nice change of pace without losing the spirit of the property. If you’ve never read Joe books before, this was written especially for you! I really can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s got a little bit of everything, and there’s something in it for everyone. Pick it up!!!