Nathan P. Mahney
Jul 5, 2004, 12:37 pm
<a href="http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/images/content/GIJoe_31.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/images/content/GIJoe_31.jpg" align=left alt="G.I. Joe: Master & Apprentice #2"></a>Reviewer: Nathan P. Mahney, npmahney@yahoo.com.au
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: "Players & Pawns" Four of Five
Take THAT decompression!
Story: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley and Talent Caldwell
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Corey Hamscher and Jason Gorder
Coloring: Brett R. Smith and Christina Strain
Lettering: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
After what seems like an eternity of comics that barely progress the plot, and stories padded out to fit into trade paperbacks, it's great to read a comic like G.I. Joe #31. I may not like everything that's in it, but I can't complain that I didn't get my money's worth.
Dissension in the Joe ranks, and a tussle between two long-serving members. The return of the S.A.W. Viper (or Overkill, if you must...). A Joe team vs. Cobra in Badhikstan. The trial of Destro. Developments within the Cobra hierarchy, including Zartan and Dr. Mindbender. Some hints of just what Cobra Commander's next big plan is. And a back-up story that introduces a major new character. That's how you write a monthly comic.
Destro's trial is the major focus of this issue, and unfortunately it plays out much as I had thought it would. There is a quite amusing rationale for allowing Destro to retain his helmet while in custody, though. And aside from this aspect of the plot, it's also opened the way for a lot of interesting tension in the Joe ranks regarding Duke's actions last issue. There's a lot of potential for interesting stories here, but I only wish that it had been built up a bit more, because Duke hasn't seemed any different to me than he's always been.
The other focus of the main story is on the Joes investigating Coil activities in the country of Badhikstan (for those who forget, the Coil are what is left of Serpentor's forces). This plotline progresses in standard fashion, made remarkable only because it seems to be where the characters are all converging for the big showdown next issue, and for the re-design of the S.A.W. Viper (for personal reasons I refuse to call him Overkill). The S.A.W. Viper was a Cobra trooper with a great big gun who killed a whole lot of Joes in the Marvel series. His redesign has completely lost sight of everything that made him great in my eyes. He doesn't need a special identity, and he certainly doesn't need his arm replaced with a gun. This might be a fanboy rant, but hell, I'm a fanboy. With a tendency to rant. Bring back the S.A.W. Viper!
The majority of the hype for this issue has centered around the new character, Wraith, introduced in the back-up story. For all the hype, it's a non-event so far. He's a guy in a stealth-suit, and that's about all we learn. It seems as though he'll be getting a major push in the months to come, so hopefully there's more to him than a cool design (it is a very cool design, though...).
Tim Seeley turns in another solid pencilling job, though I'm still ambivalent about his work. It's good for the most part, but there is one panel when a certain Joe confronts Duke, and it should be one of the most dramatic in Joe history. Instead it looks like he's telling a bad joke. Talent Caldwell handles the art duties on the Wraith back-up, and does a passable imitation of Marc Silvestri. Again it's solid, but it looks like an ill fit for G.I. Joe.
Reading back on this, it seems as though I have nothing good to say for this issue, and I really didn't mean to give that impression. Perhaps I just had a bad weekend. But I really did enjoy the issue. It's absolutely chock-full of intrigue, and I can't wait for the final part. Death to decompression!
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gihalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gihalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-WORLD and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1099&cat=GI+JOE+%28DEVILS+DUE%29)
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: "Players & Pawns" Four of Five
Take THAT decompression!
Story: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley and Talent Caldwell
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Corey Hamscher and Jason Gorder
Coloring: Brett R. Smith and Christina Strain
Lettering: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
After what seems like an eternity of comics that barely progress the plot, and stories padded out to fit into trade paperbacks, it's great to read a comic like G.I. Joe #31. I may not like everything that's in it, but I can't complain that I didn't get my money's worth.
Dissension in the Joe ranks, and a tussle between two long-serving members. The return of the S.A.W. Viper (or Overkill, if you must...). A Joe team vs. Cobra in Badhikstan. The trial of Destro. Developments within the Cobra hierarchy, including Zartan and Dr. Mindbender. Some hints of just what Cobra Commander's next big plan is. And a back-up story that introduces a major new character. That's how you write a monthly comic.
Destro's trial is the major focus of this issue, and unfortunately it plays out much as I had thought it would. There is a quite amusing rationale for allowing Destro to retain his helmet while in custody, though. And aside from this aspect of the plot, it's also opened the way for a lot of interesting tension in the Joe ranks regarding Duke's actions last issue. There's a lot of potential for interesting stories here, but I only wish that it had been built up a bit more, because Duke hasn't seemed any different to me than he's always been.
The other focus of the main story is on the Joes investigating Coil activities in the country of Badhikstan (for those who forget, the Coil are what is left of Serpentor's forces). This plotline progresses in standard fashion, made remarkable only because it seems to be where the characters are all converging for the big showdown next issue, and for the re-design of the S.A.W. Viper (for personal reasons I refuse to call him Overkill). The S.A.W. Viper was a Cobra trooper with a great big gun who killed a whole lot of Joes in the Marvel series. His redesign has completely lost sight of everything that made him great in my eyes. He doesn't need a special identity, and he certainly doesn't need his arm replaced with a gun. This might be a fanboy rant, but hell, I'm a fanboy. With a tendency to rant. Bring back the S.A.W. Viper!
The majority of the hype for this issue has centered around the new character, Wraith, introduced in the back-up story. For all the hype, it's a non-event so far. He's a guy in a stealth-suit, and that's about all we learn. It seems as though he'll be getting a major push in the months to come, so hopefully there's more to him than a cool design (it is a very cool design, though...).
Tim Seeley turns in another solid pencilling job, though I'm still ambivalent about his work. It's good for the most part, but there is one panel when a certain Joe confronts Duke, and it should be one of the most dramatic in Joe history. Instead it looks like he's telling a bad joke. Talent Caldwell handles the art duties on the Wraith back-up, and does a passable imitation of Marc Silvestri. Again it's solid, but it looks like an ill fit for G.I. Joe.
Reading back on this, it seems as though I have nothing good to say for this issue, and I really didn't mean to give that impression. Perhaps I just had a bad weekend. But I really did enjoy the issue. It's absolutely chock-full of intrigue, and I can't wait for the final part. Death to decompression!
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gihalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/gihalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ginone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-WORLD and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1099&cat=GI+JOE+%28DEVILS+DUE%29)