G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 Review
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 Review
WRITER: LARRY HAMA
ARTIST: CHRIS MOONEYHAM
COLORIST: FRANCESCO SEGALA
LETTERER: PAT BROSSEAU
EDITOR: ALEX ANTONE
PUBLICATION DESIGN: JILLIAN CRAB
CREATIVE CONSULTANT: DIANA DAVIS
PUBLISHER: Skybound/Image Comics
From Superman vs Lex Luthor to Captain America vs Red Skull, there has always been the classic hero vs villain comic book. America’s golden boys fight to protect the good ol’ USofA! But one testosterone-fueled series has always graced the comic and toy shelves, saving us from the terrorist organization known as COBRA, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
You might know that G.I. Joe has been with IDW since 2010 and continued until 2022. After 300 cheeseburger-fueled issues, the series laid dormant for a year. Still, COBRA has come out of hibernation once again to sell us some weapons of mass destruction. The G.I. Joes are back to defending our country in a continuation produced by Image Comics/Skybound Comics. Let’s look at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301. Note: This is the same storyline that was published with Marvel comics and later picked up by IDW (Devil’s Due Run is not canon).
Larry Hama, who’s been writing the series for 40 years, is back, keeping the G.I. Joes and COBRA battle going strong, which makes me wonder how much Red Bull the G.I. Joes have consumed over the years!
In this exciting issue, we have Serpentor Khan hitting the big red button that’ll launch a “Mutant Virus Bomb” on the world, turning everyone, and when I mean everyone, I even mean his creator, Dr. Mindbender, his men, and Cobra Commander, into cannibalistic monsters, all because he wants to avoid the humiliation of being captured by the G.I. Joes. Yes, that is the only reason why he launched that bomb…I respect Serpentor Khan for his level of pettiness.
Chris Mooneyham, artist and co-creator of Five Ghosts, and Francesco Segala team up to give some beautifully illustrated pieces that’ll leave you wanting to see more from this duo going forward on the G.I. Joe title and hopefully more projects. It’s an overall great-looking book, and Chris and Francesco could make a legendary team if they stick together!
You have to respect and appreciate Larry Hama for keeping the war against COBRA in the hands of long-time and new fans; the story is simple and incredibly easy to follow, which feels like it has been a staple for this series from the get-go, and that is not a bad trait to have at all, with that being said the issue itself is a fast read and once finished it didn’t leave me feeling excited about the next issue.
I didn’t have much to think about; the dialogue feels as if you’re stuck in a 1960s comic, with characters explaining things to the reader rather than showing us, but when it does show us, it does not hold back. However, on the plus side, the reason behind Serpentor Khan’s evil antics is so hilarious and memorable that I will bring it up every chance I get when I talk about ridiculousness in comics…
I approve of it 100%; it makes me want to see a mini-series of that guy coming up with insane plots to dominate the world, with Dr. Mindbender trying to tell him to stop trying to kill everyone, including themselves.
G.I Joe: A Real American Hero #301 is exactly what you came for, nothing more and nothing less. You will love this book if you’re a long-time G.I. Joe fan. If you’re a new fan of the series, this is your time to get into the comic book action of the Joes! While enjoyable from start to finish, I cannot look forward to the next issue of the G.I. Joe’s protecting America from people dressed in cosplay. But welcome back Joes’!
Chad Perkins
Chad is the writer of the horror/crime mini-series Blu Lullaby, published through Markosia Enterprises, and is currently working on other titles, so stay tuned! Chad has been dabbling in comics since 2011 and acquired a small library of various genres from various publishers, from the big two to the small press. His goal in the comics world is to shed light on comics’ weird and wacky side! When he’s not working with comics, he enjoys fishing and getting into fights with his fellow reviewer, Sabrina.
