GI Joe #5

There's something to be said for a nice rock-smashing. I was disappointed to see Beach Head taken out so fast in this issue (and with a broken leg, he might be out for awhile), but having Duke just smash the last spy-bot to pieces was a great move. I almost wish Chuck Dixon would have refrained from having Destro's underlings mention the irony, but I suppose he had to be sure everyone got the technological clash. Flint finally shows up (along with Leatherneck, Recondo, Stalker, and the regulars like Scarlett, Duke, and Hawk) but only Duke gets a lot to do on that list. I was amused that Snake Eyes makes such a huge impact on this issue yet he's not on the cover. I can't figure out what Snake's plan is, but I do like the use of him as a mystery character, it works for him.

Another fun aspect of the book is the competence of all the players. Destro's team may have failed in their main mission, but they do have a lot of info to work with and they are portrayed as smart enough to noodle out even more. It was also neat to see how quickly Scarlett tied the 'bots to Destro and from there to Cobra. These are all smart people and it is a lot of fun watching them work.

Robert Atkins is still bringing the classic Joe look with some nice tweaks. Recondo's mustache is modernized nicely and even I have to admit that Snake Eyes hopping on that jet-ski was pretty cool. I love the cameos too. We got Junkyard and Mutt patroling the Pitt in this one. With so many Joes to feature, I hope this series is a long-running one.

Good