GIJoe

[Sleazer]

Duke is the greatest part of the GI Joe franchise, I love that guy !!!!!

[anarky]

I thought you'd say that about Rocky.

It looks like Devil's Due has lost the license. I imagine it has something to do with going so far out into left field that all but a few people dropped it. Even I dropped it some time ago.

No word on whether it's going to Marvel or IDW. I'm hoping for IDW. They're more likely to relaunch an updated version with Hama in charge, like they did with the new Transformers series under Simon Furman.

[jjreason]

I'm still seeing the books hit the shelves - aren't Devil's Due in the midst of a 12 issue limited series or something right now? Is that the last hurrah?

[anarky]

Yup, that's it. World War III. I'm not reading, but based on the info I'm seeing, it may be impossible for another company to pick up where it leaves off. Cobra now runs like 2/3 of the planet, including most major American cities.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I can sum up the entire America's Elite book like so "I'm waiting for something to happen." It seems like every issue was a lead in to something that was going to be SHOCKING the next issue, but by the time the next issued showed up, I had completely forgotten what had happened for the previous 32 issues.

With the exception of the Cobra people posing as a new American Strike Force led by Colonel Rey. That was cool. But otherwise, this book has limped along in unthrilling-ville for several years.

[anarky]

I was thinking today that, since Hasbro owns the rights to the Joe comics, they should do something kick-ass by putting them all on a CD-ROM. All the Marvel, Devil's Due, and the new Hasbro comics by Hama. Anything in the original RAH universe. And give the option of reading them in order by publication date or chronologically. That would fucking rock. And incorporate "Silent Interlude" and "Silence Between Borders" into one story so the reader doesn't have to flip back and forth: a sort of "#21 Special Edition."

[anarky]

I'm the only one here, eh?

I just placed two orders at two companies, one including the GIJoe Declassified TPB (a Devil's Due miniseries by Hama that takes place prior to the original GIJoe #1), the other including the two missing issues of Storm Shadow and the issue I've been missing for a few years of Snake Eyes Declassified (the only non-Hama Devil's Due series I give a shit about anymore).

For everyone who cares (read: Rollo), I'll post thoughts once I read them.

[Ran]

For everyone who cares (read: Rollo), I'll post thoughts once I read them.

Ok, I admit it. I like reading the summaries you guys write for the comics. You almost have me convinced to read the Stormshadow book. I'm just not sure where to get it or if I'll really understand the story since I havne't seen a GI Joe comic since the first 5 issues of the Marvel run. That reminds me, when I go see my parents later this month, I'm going to snag my small comic collection from my brother's closet (which includes 3 of the first 5 Joe comics).

[anarky]

Obviously I've not read the last two issues, but the first five issues of Storm Shadow (the paperback) are excellent. It stands alone pretty well.

The basic premise/backstory is:

In the Marvel run, Storm Shadow had left Cobra when he learned Zartan killed the Hard Master (his uncle), and eventually joined GIJoe. Zartan also eventually repented for his past actions, and, toward the end, most of the great "elite" Cobras had gone straight. In the final issues, Cobra Commander brainwashed Billy, Storm Shadow, Destro, and Baroness to turn them back to Cobra, and the series was prematurely cancelled before this was dealt with.

Devil's Due series starts a few years later. Apparently Storm Shadow and Billy had shaken off the brainwashing (likely due to their ninja training), but Destro and Baroness had not. Cobra Commander re-forms Cobra, with Zartan as one of his closest allies. Storm Shadow resurfaces, hiding from Cobra Commander the fact that he's not brainwashed, and serves as his bodyguard to get close to Zartan again. After defecting again (this time after Zartan really goes straight, or at least away from terrorism again), he joins the new Joe team for a while, though no one trusts him except Snake Eyes.

Finally, for reasons I'm not sure of, he leaves the team to start a life completely separate from both Joe and Cobra.

It's too bad this didn't last. DD had cited "business reasons" when they cancelled it, which was around the same time as the massive World War III storyline started. I think they had an idea that they'd be losing the license this summer. They've kept very little in print (paperbacks are unavailable less than a year after printing, and go for several times what the individual issues do, which is rather unusual), and I'm betting Hasbro didn't like that.

I really think WWIII is their way of fucking up the story so bad that IDW can't just continue it.

[Rollo Tomassi]

My Stormshadow collection is really spotty. I think I'm missing 3 or 4 of the last issues. I KNOW I never saw #6 and #7 in the store, either because they didnt order enough or they didnt order ANY.

You may think Hama didn't write the SE Declassified book, but literally every other page is lifted directly from the original Marvel series, and it's not that hard to infer what happened "in between panels" leading to the stuff that he didn't write. So I would say Hama gets a 49% writing credit on that series.

I am ready for a slam bang reboot of GIJoe. If they can keep the major character beats like the relationship between Snake-Eyes and Stormshadow, etc but update that series for modern times ( but not like the underwhelming Reloaded series) I would be down with that.

[anarky]

The only really new part of SE:Declassified was the issue I'm missing (#2), where Cobra Commander (between the death of his brother and the founding of Cobra) tries to corrupt Snake Eyes.

[anarky]

They came in the mail today. I already read SE:Declassified #2. Quite a good story, and (like I said) the only one that doesn't come directly from flashbacks in the Marvel series.

My copy of GIJoe: Declassified arrived as well. Haven't read it, or the two issues of Storm Shadow.

I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that I consider GIJoe "canon" to be the entire Marvel series (including spinoffs--unfortunately including the Transformers crossovers, which both kinda stunk but were important in future continuities of both, but not including the cameo appearances in Transformers Generation 2), the current Hasbro comics, anything published by Devil's Due and written by Larry Hama (essentially Storm Shadow, Declassified, and "The Mission that Never Was"), a few scattered issues of Frontline, and the first story arc or two of the ongoing Joe book from Devil's Due. Once Serpentor comes into play, it all becomes a big "what if?" I'll just pretend there's a big untold story between Storm Shadow being seen under Cobra Commander's control back in #155 and his short-lived ongoing series.

[Rollo Tomassi]

UGH...The latest issue killed off a beloved character. I am just kinda bored with this series. I'll stick it out for three more issues, but I'm glad Devil's Due is finished with this book.

[anarky]

Spoil me. Ever since Lady Jaye was killed like a dumb bitch (which she ain't) by a plot device that didn't last more than three issues, I've not cared for most of Devil's Due's shit.

I wonder if IDW (or Marvel) will be able to salvage the mess they're leaving. Maybe Hama can use the pitch he made for a new series in 1997.

[anarky]

Spoil me one other thing: I read at yojoe.com that Dr Biggles-Jones was confirmed dead in #31. She's hardly "beloved," but, uh, it also says she was a Cobra. Not an undercover agent.

And what the fuck is she still doing around? DD did right earlier on when they mentioned Mindbender was a clone and left it at that. A scientist who got halfway to Cybertron is a bit different.