G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #303 - Image Comics

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO No. 303, March 2024

This particular twenty-page periodical probably landed rather well with any one already aboard “the G.I. Joe hype train”, or who simply enjoys the more covert aspects of military operations. For whilst a fair portion of the comic does focus upon the different competing forces consolidating what up-to-date intelligence they have upon one another, a considerable amount of sheet space is also dedicated to assassination runs and supposedly secret scouting missions; “So far, they don’t know the extent of the Pit defensive perimeter. Let’s keep it that way.” 

Of particular interest has to be Revanche and Serpentor Khan’s attempt to kill both Snake-Eyes and Scarlett in the doting couple's isolated forest retreat using the latest in heavily-augmented cyborg shadow warriors. This adrenalin-fuelled fight-fest is absolutely riveting, and despite Shana O'Hara’s assurances to young Timber, should genuinely have many a bibliophile worried that the pair might actually be about to meet their match. Indeed, the evident contrast between the protagonist’s ‘old-school’ weaponry and the laser-powered armaments of their attackers seemingly imbues the mechanical would-be murderers with a distinct, visual advantage.

Delightfully though, there’s actually plenty of enthralling fun to be found within this book’s more sedentary sections as well, courtesy of an extremely intriguing conversation between “the resurrected being of Genghis Khan” and Alpha-001. On the face of it a man dressed as a giant snake talking to a large robotic caterpillar could appear extremely farcical at best. However, the well-penned dialogue is so good that any reader should easily be able to suspend their sense of disbelief at its absurdities, and simply go along with one of Serpentor’s cannibal-zombie stooges volunteering to be genetically emboldened inside the cocoon of a surgical bot.

Somehow also adding an aura of authenticity to this publication’s proceedings is Chris Mooneyham. The Kubert School graduate does a superb job of making the hive entity Revanche appear both believable and sinisterly threatening simultaneously. Whilst his layouts for the aforementioned assault upon Snake-Eyes’ log cabin are tremendously well-sketched, and contain plenty of the pulse-pounding speed an audience would expect to see when witnessing “one of the most prominent characters in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise” standing toe-to-toe against an “enhanced blue ninja dedicated kill squad.”

The regular cover art of "G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO" #303 by Andy Kubert & Brad Anderson