Nathan P. Mahney
Aug 21, 2004, 09:28 am
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/ind/dd/0804/JOE_33At.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/ind/dd/0804/JOE_33At.jpg" align=left alt="G.I. Joe #33"></a>Reviewer: Nathan P. Mahney, npmahney@yahoo.com.au
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: "The Road Less Traveled"
Hawk lies on death's door!
Story: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley and Talent Caldwell
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Corey Hamscher and Jason Gorder
Coloring: Jeremy Roberts and Christina Strain
Lettering: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
I feel ripped off.
Last issue, Hawk got shot in the back, and all signs pointed to "extremely dead". I was teased with a status quo shake-up the likes of which this franchise has never seen. But of course, this being a franchise, good ol' Hawk was just pinin' for the fjords. "Just kidding," cry Devil's Due and Hasbro! "We couldn't possibly kill Hawk! He might sell more toys one day!"
I suppose that I only have myself to blame, for reading what is at its heart a 32-page toy advertisement. The thing is, it's also a story. When I read a story, I want to feel as though the characters can change and grow. For one month, I felt like that with G.I. Joe. Hawk was dead, anything could happen. But of course, he's not dead, he's just paralysed. Not only that, the bullet can be removed by specialists, hooray! Hooraaaay!!!!! Isn't that great kids, Hawk can come back one day, as good as new and twice as shiny!
Hoo-bloody-ray.
Now that I've got that little bugbear off my chest, I suppose it's time to tell you whether this issue is any good. Thankfully, it is.
Most of the issue is Hawk hallucinating as he has a near-death experience, and there is a lot of good material in here. It's a deeper look into the mind of a Joe character than we've ever gotten before. They may not have had the guts to kill Hawk, but they've at least made him more interesting. I especially liked the scene where he confronts an imprisoned Cobra Commander, which gives us some insight into how Hawk views his life with the Joes. There's quite a bit more here than is apparent on the first reading. The only problem that I have with the dream sequence is that it tips its hand a bit too early. As soon as Lady Jaye starts listing the entirety of Cobra's high command as confirmed kills, it's a pretty safe bet that we're in Hawk's happy place.
Don't expect any progression on the regular plots, though. The ongoing story has been put off for a month so that we can get to know Hawk a bit better. It's not a bad move after the hectic pace of the last five months.
Once again we're treated to a Wraith back-up story, and finally we get to learn something about this new character. Some of his background is revealed, but entirely too much of the story is devoted to explaining how his stealth-suit works. It's all gibberish to me - I'm quite happy with the explanation "it makes him invisible, and has big guns on." When the writer starts banging on about nano-scopic fiber-optics and next gen holography, I snooze. He turns invisible, get on with it! Who is he? What's he like? Why does he do what he does? So far, we have the vaguest of clues, and those aren't intriguing enough for a new major character.
I'm grumpy this month, but don't think that means that this is a bad issue. It just does things that get on my goat. The character study of Hawk is pretty good, though, and not something you'll find all that often in a G.I. Joe story. I still wish they'd killed him, though...
ART:
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STORY:
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OVERALL:
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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: "The Road Less Traveled"
Hawk lies on death's door!
Story: Brandon Jerwa
Pencils: Tim Seeley and Talent Caldwell
Backgrounds: Jason Millet
Inks: Corey Hamscher and Jason Gorder
Coloring: Jeremy Roberts and Christina Strain
Lettering: Dreamer Design
Editor: Mark Powers
I feel ripped off.
Last issue, Hawk got shot in the back, and all signs pointed to "extremely dead". I was teased with a status quo shake-up the likes of which this franchise has never seen. But of course, this being a franchise, good ol' Hawk was just pinin' for the fjords. "Just kidding," cry Devil's Due and Hasbro! "We couldn't possibly kill Hawk! He might sell more toys one day!"
I suppose that I only have myself to blame, for reading what is at its heart a 32-page toy advertisement. The thing is, it's also a story. When I read a story, I want to feel as though the characters can change and grow. For one month, I felt like that with G.I. Joe. Hawk was dead, anything could happen. But of course, he's not dead, he's just paralysed. Not only that, the bullet can be removed by specialists, hooray! Hooraaaay!!!!! Isn't that great kids, Hawk can come back one day, as good as new and twice as shiny!
Hoo-bloody-ray.
Now that I've got that little bugbear off my chest, I suppose it's time to tell you whether this issue is any good. Thankfully, it is.
Most of the issue is Hawk hallucinating as he has a near-death experience, and there is a lot of good material in here. It's a deeper look into the mind of a Joe character than we've ever gotten before. They may not have had the guts to kill Hawk, but they've at least made him more interesting. I especially liked the scene where he confronts an imprisoned Cobra Commander, which gives us some insight into how Hawk views his life with the Joes. There's quite a bit more here than is apparent on the first reading. The only problem that I have with the dream sequence is that it tips its hand a bit too early. As soon as Lady Jaye starts listing the entirety of Cobra's high command as confirmed kills, it's a pretty safe bet that we're in Hawk's happy place.
Don't expect any progression on the regular plots, though. The ongoing story has been put off for a month so that we can get to know Hawk a bit better. It's not a bad move after the hectic pace of the last five months.
Once again we're treated to a Wraith back-up story, and finally we get to learn something about this new character. Some of his background is revealed, but entirely too much of the story is devoted to explaining how his stealth-suit works. It's all gibberish to me - I'm quite happy with the explanation "it makes him invisible, and has big guns on." When the writer starts banging on about nano-scopic fiber-optics and next gen holography, I snooze. He turns invisible, get on with it! Who is he? What's he like? Why does he do what he does? So far, we have the vaguest of clues, and those aren't intriguing enough for a new major character.
I'm grumpy this month, but don't think that means that this is a bad issue. It just does things that get on my goat. The character study of Hawk is pretty good, though, and not something you'll find all that often in a G.I. Joe story. I still wish they'd killed him, though...
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/ginone.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/ginone.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)