Customer Reviews

Classic G.I. Joe Vol. 2 (v. 2)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Volume 2 is a collection of the Marvel comic issues 11-20 from May 1983 - February 1984. This volume is very beautiful with great, bold colors on each page.
These 10 comics introduce the following characters: Airborne, Doc, Gung-Ho, Snow Job, Wild Bill, Destro, Ace, Major Bludd, Cover Girl, and Tripwire (yes, there could be others I missed). Kwinn is a major character in these comics starting with issue 11 but he was introduced in the 2nd issue in Volume 1. (A small tidbit about Kwinn; he was released as an action figure in 2004, some 22 years after his first appearance in the comic series in 1982) Several love interests are hinted at as well - Scarlett/Snake Eyes Baroness/Destro. Larry Hamma was the scripter on issues 11-19 in this Volume.
Overall I see no errors or missing pages. If you grew up in the 80s like me and want to reconnect with the comics, then check out this volume. I have the original comics and so this is a great way to read them without messing up the originals.
Keep in mind to those that may think these collect newer comics; they are not. These comics are 26 years old and this volume brings them back to life beautifully.

I'm not sure why the description lists this volume as introducing Duke, Roadblock, Zartan, and Storm Shadow, all of whom first appear in Volume 3, but that hardly makes this any less worth reading. GIJoe shifts here from being a series of more or less stand-alone missions to an ongoing narrative, with a great deal of intrigue going on behind the scenes within Cobra High Command (especially with the introduction of Destro, Major Bludd, and Scarface). Some details are a bit dated, but, overall, the stories in this volume have held up remarkably well in the almost thirty years since they were first published.

This full-color IDW 240-page trade paperback reprints the second ten issues of the 1980s Marvel Comics "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" series with original cover dates of May 1983 to February 1984. Most issues were written by Larry Hama with penciling by Mike Vosberg and inks by Jon Agostino. G.I. Joe is an elite US counterterrorism strike force that are secretly headquartered beneath an army chaplain's motor pool and locked in a struggle against the stateless terrorist organization Cobra.
Several new Joes appear in #11, including Airborne, Doc, Gung Ho, Snow Job and Wild Bill. Ace and Cover Girl also join the team in this run. Destro makes his first full appearance in #14: he is both right-hand-man and rival to Cobra Commander and love interest of the Baroness. Dr. Venom, Major Bludd and Scarface also feature heavily in this run. The Joe team battles Cobra plots from the Alaskan tundra to the fictional banana republic of Sierra Gordo to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Kwinn returns and forms a vengeful alliance with Snake Eyes in pursuit of the ruthless Dr. Venom. The action climaxes with a Cobra attack on G.I. Joe headquarters and several key deaths at the end of #19. #20 is a fill-in issue showing Clutch on a furlough.
All ten covers are included, and IDW did not remove all "Marvel Comics" references as they had for Volume 1. The TPB credits indicate that IDW has recolored the original artwork. This series ultimately lasted for 155 issues, and IDW will release further reprint collections in 2009, as well as a new G.I. Joe comic book series that disregards the previous continuity.

This collects issues 11-20 of the G.I. JOE comics from the Eighties. This is also where the series really takes off. Destro is introduced and you learn of his relationship with Baroness and his animosity with Comba Commander. New JOES are introduced as is Major Bludd and Cobra plots world demise. Vol 2 is extremely well written and engaging. After reading it was obvious why this franchise became so popular in the eighties. Ill be the first to admit that the artwork is dated. But believe me you wont be reading these for the art, its the stories that suck you in here. As good as vol 1 was, this one is better. Very highly recommended.

With this volume things for Larry Hama's incredible 12 year run on GI Joe start to fall in place. Working on a licensed comic designed to sell toys, Hama had to create plots that might involve a snow mobile and a hang glider one month, a wind surfer and an F-14 the next. But he manages to weave in Hasbro's latest releases with a 10-issue arc that features international action, betrayal and blazing combat in Coney Island!

This volume introduces most of the second wave of GI Joe characters and also showcases many of Hama's original creations like Kwinn the Eskimo, Scarface and Dr. Venom. Destro, Major Blood, Gung-Ho, Wild Bill and major Joe characters also appear for the first time. Themes like the rivalry between Cobra Commander and Destro create new stories for years.

As with other volumes the main weakness here is the art. Mike Vosberg does most of it and it's generally competent but nothing exceptional. And sometimes the conflicting need to tell a story and showcase toys yield hilarious results. For example when the GI Joe SEAL Torpedo has to guard a building (on dry land) he carries a spear gun and wears his wetsuit and flippers! Just like the action figure!

It's a fun read but GI Joe's peak was still ahead.

A lot of fun, especially for someone who only followed the TV series. Great and interesting, despite little quirks here and there...don't get bent out of shape over the small stuff. Just enjoy it!