G.I. Joe: Sierra Muerte #1 - IDW Publishing
Story & Art by Michel Fiffe
There are few things that remind me of my childhood more than G.I. Joe. The animated series from the 80s was a staple of my childhood, as were the toys. There are so many great new G.I. Joe comics from Hasbro and IDW that feel really current and modern. Sometimes though, I still long for that nostalgia. Let's see if Michel Fiffe has just what the doctor ordered in G.I. Joe: Sierra Muerte #1.
Things start out very familiar, Cobra is trying to acquire a stockpile of weapons when the Joes show up to try and stop them. What's interesting about the story is how the G.I. Joe team found out what Cobra was doing in the first place. There appears to be a snitch in the Cobra ranks, and yes, we do get to find out who it is pretty quickly. Little did Cobra know at the time, that would be the least of their problems. Something is going on with Cobra Commander and will likely be a huge part of what's happening in the next couple of issues. As if that were not enough to deal with, another G.I. Joe team is also dealing with another very familiar group who they seem to be constantly hunting down. It seems like a bit of a detour, but it's always great when you can get Roadblock, Rock & Roll and Gung Ho on a mission together, I'll take it. There is a third mission involved in this book as well, which involves Scarlett trying to keep an asset save and in Joe custody. How do you think that goes? It does seem like a lot to process, but we are still left feeling that Cobra Commander will be at the center stage of this story after a reveal on the final page.
One thing I really loved about this book was that nostalgic feel. Michel Fiffe's art really takes me back. Chad Bowers also gives you a little bit of that campy dialogue that you love if you're a fan of the cartoon series like I am. It's a nice change of pace from the ongoing series, for sure. At the same time, things are a bit all over the place. We get pulled in three different directions, involving three different groups at the same time. I wasn't necessarily looking for these stories to connect, but I did feel like I was being pulled away from the Cobra story that I was the most interested in. I'm not saying that I didn't have fun with Roadblock and his crew, but I could have read a separate story with just that crew instead of them encroaching on the other story. If this all comes together in a future issue, I'll understand it, but until then I have to wonder why all of these slices are part of the same pie. There is certainly enough here to make me want a bit more, and the tease at the end definitely hooked me. I have faith that Fiffe and Bowers know what they're doing, as I have enjoyed their work in the past. So, let's see where this goes.
RATING: PICK UP