G.I. Joe #8 (2017) –
IDW Publishing
Written by Aubrey Sitterson
Art by Giannis Milonogiannis & David Lafuente
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
Letters by Tom B. Long & Gilberto Lazcano
Cover by Aaron Conley
We are less than a week removed from one of the most hyped fights in history. There was so much talk about Mayweather/McGregor that, even if you weren’t interested, you couldn’t help but hear about it. Sometimes there is nothing like a good brawl, and this week, G.I. Joe gives us one. Aubrey Sitterson promised us a fight in Issue 8 at SDCC, and I couldn’t wait to dive in.
If you read Issue 7, you know there is some heat between Quick Kick and Snake Eyes. If you’re a fan, you know that tension has been brewing for much longer. So when Scarlett tires to stop Snake Eyes and his companion from going AWOL again, it was time to throw down. I’m not going to spoil the fight itself, but I will say this, much to my delight it wasn’t a short one. It is layered throughout the story, and it was well worth the wait. Also at play here is Rock ‘n Roll’s mission where he could make the ultimate sacrifice and Duke deciding that he wants to personally escort Baroness to stand trial. Even though those were important aspects of the story, my mind was just so ready to get back to the fight and how it would ultimately conclude. What I didn’t expect, is how the issue ends. Something happens to one of the Joes that, while isn’t not completely clear, could have a significant impact on the team going forward.
Every chance he gets, Aubrey tells the world that G.I. Joe is the “crown jewel of the Hasbro Universe.” He even got it put on the cover! We’ve had him on the show, you’ve heard his passion, so you know that he puts maximum effort into every issue. I could feel that excitement in that Snake Eyes/Quick Kick showdown. Lost in all of that is the humanizing of Rock ‘n Roll, and how Aubrey has really given the reader a chance to love that character over time, then bring him to a moment like we saw in this issue. I want to spoil this issue, shout it from the rooftops, but I can’t do that to my fellow G.I. Joe fans. The run of emotions I had in this issue was something that typically takes several issue to experience. Then the excitement of remembering that Aubrey said we would be getting a new Cobra Commander in Issue 9 at the First Strike panel at SDCC this year. Late September can’t happen soon enough!
RATING: PULL / BUY
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