G.I. JOE #16 (IMAGE COMICS/SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT)
What a mess Duke has walked into.
While taking time away from G.I. Joe, he stumbles on an assassination attempt on Cobra Commander. The culprit: his own enforcer Ripper! There is plenty of bad blood between the Commander and Ripper’s crew, The Dreadnoks. Duke made a choice to save the Cobra leader because it’ the right thing to do. No good deed ever goes unpunished.
The “Energon Odd Couple” has been captured by the Dreadnoks & their newest member Road Pig. Now instead of one victim, it appears they will have two.
G.I. Joe #16 by Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire & Rus Wooten hit readers with the pen-ultimate installment of the Dreadnok War!
Let’s not waste another second and dive into the breakdown.
G.I. Joe #16 by Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire & Rus Wooten( IMAGE Comics/Skybound)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Williamson puts Duke’s values into the spotlight as the driver for this chapter. In being captured, the situation is bleak. The only thing in his favor is how careless his captors are about finishing the job. Never did I think Grape Soda would be that much of a motivator, but the punchline works to break up the mood. The writing shows this over-confidence provides Duke a chance to defend his stance. It is a power play that lets the Joe leader take advantage of the situation. He is not the only one play chess against his opposition.
General Hawk’s meeting with Destro leans into the dark side of espionage. Their dialogue proves how tense this world is. It also indicates how Destro might be in over his head. Readers watch as the meeting takes a surprising turn. The moment allows a small breather before ramping back up for Duke’s plot. Once here, the situation takes another spin. Readers will be very pleased at what’s here. One character has been very quiet in this chapter thus far. Williamson times this out perfectly to let him take center stage heading into the finale. Get ready for what’s coming!
Reilly is continuously raising the bar when it comes to action sequences. An incredible two page set-up shows the danger Duke has gotten himself in. Watching the Dreadnoks surround him and the Commander makes an immediate impact. Duke’s defiance is clearly written on his face. It doesn’t take long before Buzzer tries taking out Duke. Their fight is quick and brutal. It’s in stark contrast to the other power play happening in the issue.
Readers watch as the back and forth between Hawk and Destro goes south quickly. The action shots amplify an already tense conversation. Reilly’s attention to detail on Destro’s smoking mask is extremely important to selling this moment to the audience. Stakes are high in this struggle for intelligence. Once the story shifts back to Duke, a two page image of the calvary coming in skyrockets the chapter to close. There is no shortage of frantic combat between these panels. When the smoke clears, one figure stands poised to strike. The final full pahe image caps off an excellent visual experience heading into the story’s combustable ending.
FINAL GRADE: 8.8
Time is running out on Duke to save the Commander from his untimely demise in this explosive chapter. Williamson’s writing puts Duke’s unbreakable will against the odds. Reilly and Bellaire gift readers with some incredible action images that will blow them away. This series has everything you could want as a reader. It’s a must-have whenever it drops.
Let us know your thoughts on G.I. Joe #16 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
