GI JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO #275, available from IDW Publishing on November 18th, concludes the Snake Hunt arc by staging a non-stop, action-fueled escape for Snake Eyes and the team. Written by Larry Hama, the story wraps up the 10-issue arc in classic Joe fashion with a ton of eye candy and not much else.
Cover Art
The Robert Atkins covers in this run have been a true treat of nostalgic fan service. The colors are bold. Snake Eyes assumes a classic hero action pose, and the overall composition looks like it was ripped straight from an action figure box. If you love the original cartoons and toys, this cover is pure joy.
Writing
Hama’s story concludes with an unrelenting escape from the hospital by Snake Eyes, and the Joe team sent in to rescue him. (Check out our review of GI Joe #274 to see how we got here.) This review’s title is not at all misleading as there’s not a single word in this entire issue. No dialog. No captions. No narration of any kind. It’s an entire issue of guns blazing and grenades exploding during a daring escape.
Of course, the Joes escape to fight another day. If you’re into stories where you flip through the pages and soak it all in, this one’s for you.
Pencils/Inks
This entire issue is exactly 30 panels. That’s it, and that’s all. 30 panels. Every page is a single splash page that’s good enough to pull double duty as a cover or a poster; for GI Joe fans or comics fans that like action in general, this issue is one continuous battle from start to finish.
What’s exceptional about this novelty type of comic is how well the art team (Robert Atkins, Netho Diaz, Brian Atkins, and Maria Keane) successfully tell a story simply through the motion and art on the page. To be fair, there’s not much story to tell, but action lovers won’t mind it one bit.
Coloring
J. Brown’s coloring work is one of the stars of this issue. The color captures the bold, eye-popping feel of an action cartoon without devolving into cartoonish tackiness. The explosions bloom brightly, and ordnance lights up every page—great work here by Brown.
Conclusion
GI JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO #275, available from IDW Publishing on November 18th, takes the “tell the story through art” model to an extreme with great success. The artwork is spot on for the material, and it wraps up the arc in a neat little bow. I highly recommend this series for GI Joe enthusiasts.
