G.I. JOE #8 – SOMETIMES, YOU JUST NEED TO GETAWAY

The toll that COBRA is taking on G.I. Joe is massive. After their initial Energon Universe encounter, there were losses. None greater than Rock N’ Roll. This has caused Duke to ramp up training for a team that clearly wasn’t ready. That mindset isn’t bought in by the whole team. The one leading this charge: The Baroness!

G.I. JOE #8 by Joshua Williamson, Andrea Milana, Lee Loughridge and Rus Wooton (Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics) continues the fallout from the explosive first arc.

Tom C. (“Play 4 Keeps”/N.I. Bullpen/”Turn A Page”) and yours truly (Ken – ODPH Podcast/NI editor In Chief) are teaming up again! Let’s not wait any longer! Let’s take a closer look at what is happening now!

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

LET’S TALK STORY!

KEN: No rest for the weary. Williamson opens up with a simple training exercise. The mood is instantly tense. It will give readers a double take before revealing its’ true nature. Duke’s message is very blunt and direct. He’s not taking the encounter with Cobra lightly.

The dialogue remains with this same energy as he meets with Clutch. With recent events, their conversation is covering up quite a few things. It doesn’t take long before the spotlight swings to the Baroness.

READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW!

At first glance, she just wants time away. Knowing how high tensions are, a break makes perfect sense. Williamson conveys the problems tied into the break. Even when she arrives at her destination, it isn’t without strings.

Readers watch as the real reason comes into focus. The moment is bittersweet as events transpire. It wouldn’t be G.I. Joe without some action. The closing moments bring forth a new challenge that is a lock for fireworks.

Tom: While going through training maneuvers, Duke is constantly pushing the team. The Baroness still feels out of place while the rest of the commissioned Joes get to go off base. The consigned Baroness sees The Pit as her prison with Duke and Hawk as her dual wardens. 

She’s granted some R&R with a chaperone, so let’s make it a GIRLS TRIP!!! WOOO! Heading off to Paris, over coffee, The Baroness and Cover Girl have a moment about how their lives were not their own until something gets in the way of their café au lait.

On the flipside of the challenge coin, Cobra Commander is giving Destro the breadcrumbs of what his glorious scheme will be, albeit slightly redacted, because keep your friends close and your frenemies closer!

Better yet, Major Bludd is out for blood with his own machinations that are so sharp they will tear through you like a Raptors claw.

HOW ABOUT ART & LETTERING?

Ken: Milana and Loughridge kick things off with a feverish pace. The full page image of Baroness in the rafters kickstarts the intense drill. There is a small touch of fun thrown in the serious business at hand. The mood changes completely as Duke enters the scene. Readers watch as his driven persona jumps off panel. It complements the Cobra segway. Both sides have similar yet different stances. In the end, this is all about the Baroness defying orders.

Her conversation with Duke transitions into a new look for the character (& her companion). The art flourishes when the setting becomes Paris. Baroness’s attempts for a peaceful break speaks of a deeper meaning. Her revelation to her wanting a break connects with the readers. The panels give way to the terrifying close. Wooton’s lettering leads the charge into another debut. The full page image of a classic character sets events in motion to a showdown in waiting. It’s another day at the office for one of comic’s best series.

Tom: I can’t say enough about how much I’ve enjoyed the new art direction, coming out of the first story arc. Yes, the action scenes are perfectly fine, utilizing a sparse color palette to convey a sense of action and urgency. But with the story progressing, I think that because things aren’t as Black or White (RED OR BLUE) as they could be, the depth and range of not just the characters but the story are reflected in the art style.

OVERALL GRADE: 8.4

KEN: 8.6. You can take the Joe out of action, but never the action out of the Joe. Williamson shows a new side of the Baroness with the writing. Milana, Loughridge & Wooton take readers on a captivating journey via the art. There’s never a question on the high level quality you get with this series.

Tom: 8.2 Giving Baroness the spotlight in this issue is a perfect example of pacing. Since going back before issue #1, it’s been constant go gO GO JOE! But this issue isn’t a laid-back read either, but rather a quick breath for air.

Now, the whole Clutch and Kup thing… since issue 6… did I miss something? Why in the name of Primus would Clutch bring an alien being BACK to the Pit? Just seems like they are shoehorning it in now to drive the plot to connect everything since they mic-dropped Megatron in #6.

But what keeps the structure of this issue is the Baroness’ and Cover Girl’s back stories. Beauty is only skin deep, but to see that they are more than just femme fatales adds to the richness of the G.I. Joe tapestry.

As long as Anastasia’s story isn’t a web of lies…

Let us know in the comments below your thoughts on G.I. Joe #8. Thanks for reading!