I'm a HUGE fan of Hasbro stuff (meaning Transformers and GI Joe) so I generally try to read and collect all the material out there.I finally got around to reading the first issue of European Missions, the American re-print of Marvel UK's Action Force. Each issue has two or three shorts from the Action Force books (which also included US reprints). This issue has Flint, Lady J, Sci-Fi, Footloose, and Leatherneck taking on the Crimson Twins and some BATS in a fairly generic story. There's lots of good shooting, but the story is too short to get any great characterization. I like seeing the characters in print, but I think focusing on Lady J or Footloose for the whole story might have made this a tad better.
The next story features Shipwreck in a few pages as he deals with some Cobra treasure hunters. This was so short it is hard to even grade. I think I read a similar story in GI Joe Special Missions.
I'll keep reading, because I love seeing the recognizable names who worked on this stuff; Dan Abnett wrote the lead story here. The art isn't fantastic, but again, I'm reading these because I love any exposure for the Joes, and hopefully some of my faves show up in the later issues.
(For the record, Dusty, Beach Head, Flint, Lady J, Ripcord, Alpine, and Snow Job are prolly tops for me. I like a lot more, those are just the ones I make sure to follow.)
Good
1 comment:
Hi Timbo,
Great blog, I enjoy your reviews.
However, a quick correction to this entry - "GI Joe European Missions" was a straight page-for-page reprint of "Action Force Monthly" published simultaneously and retitled for the US market (basically, they put a different cover on it with the US logo). The title ran entirely NEW UK stories. The only reprint material therein was the back-up which I think was a five-page Joes/Transformers crossover from a couple of years before that had also been created by the UK team - so you basically got 22 new pages plus a little reprint.
Action Force WEEKLY which preceded AF Monthly/GI Joe European Missions was primarily US reprint material with just five or six pages of UK originated stuff, and is probably the title you're thinking of in your second paragraph intro.
AF Monthly #3 featured a story by Grant Morrison starring Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, I think, but the rest of the run is largely lacklustre and featured uninspired art. A real shame as the UK-originated strips in the weekly were always brilliant and are well worth tracking down... among other things, Bryan Hitch made his first appearance there, I think!
Enjoy!
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