Advance Review: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #305
This week’s issue is pure, unadulterated action comics bliss. Larry Hama crafts a narrative that is a thrilling ride from the very first page. There's not a moment to waste as we dive deep into three storylines where characters are embroiled in high-stakes situations: the Joes dealing with a recon team trying to infiltrate the Pit, the various activities happening in Springfield, & Serpentor Khan and Dr. Mindbender trying to enact world domination from afar.
The one downside to so many storylines packed into one comic & Hama’s breakneck pace is that each storyline could potentially be fleshed out even further. The stories are so rich with potential and characters, each plot thread could easily be divided into its own ongoing series without sacrificing for quality. To his credit, Hama does a masterful job of juggling all these moving pieces, keeping the story clear and the action flowing but I’d selfishly love to spend more time with one of them.
What really makes this issue land for me is how Hama makes me care about our heroes. Even with just a few pages for each of them, characters like Dawn, Stalker, and Lady Jaye get great moments to shine. There is so much work being done between Hama’s dialogue & the artists’ creative decisions to bring depth and personality. There is one scene where Lady Jaye appears to be struggling and I do wish there wasn’t such an overt “women aren’t as strong as men” connotations to it, but she was still shown to be an effective part of the Joe’s story.
But where G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #305 truly shines is in its visuals. The creative team brings this each of these stories to life with stunning detail. Action sequences are dynamic, with a brilliant translation of motion from script to panel. Chris Mooneyham’s character designs are some of my favorite parts of the issue, with distinct and complex visuals for both the Joes and their villainous counterparts. Toss in Francesco Segala’s colors and you have a visual feast for the eyes on every page.
As someone who is relatively new to the Joe’s universe, this book has me completely hooked. The creative team has done an exceptional job of making this world accessible to new readers, while still offering what I think is plenty for established fans to enjoy. This issue is really setting the stakes high and I’m eagerly anticipating seeing the eventual fallout unfold.
Rating: 9/10
