GI Joe #2 Fights An Unwinnable War
by Tony Thornley
Fighting fascism is one of the most long-lasting and enduring battles we’ve seen in society for over a century. However, the length of the fight has made it a demoralizing and difficult battle, and GI Joe #2 tackles exactly that.
Paul Allor, Chris Evenhuis, Brittany Peer, and Neil Uyetake push the Joes into the future, as their mission changes.
In the aftermath of last issue’s disastrous mission and the United States’ surrender to Cobra, the squad takes some time for training. The majority of the squad moves through the base, learning skills such as defense, code-breaking and even basic anatomy and physiology. However, Tiger has one goal- to land a punch against Scarlett and prove to himself that he can pull his own weight.
Allor’s story is thoughtful but action-packed. Downtime stories are often used between arcs to decompress, but it’s a smart move here as it allows him to build up his characters, address the struggles they’re having- physically and emotionally- and help us sympathize with their plights. The Joes may have lost their initial battle, but the story makes it clear that the conflict isn’t over, and they are determined to make a difference.
Evenhuis and Peer’s work on the art compliments the script perfectly. When the focus is not on Tiger and Scarlett, Evenhuis’s line art is centered on the characters, and he helps them emote so we can feel what they’re feeling. For Tiger and Scarlett though, he places the camera in the same point of view, selling the futility of the fight through the repetition. Peer uses a lot of pastel colors, which creates a feeling of unease as the team copes with their shortcomings. It’s a great looking issue that’s worth picking up for the art alone.
The GI Joe team is in a position we’ve never seen them before, but that makes for a great read. I’m excited to see what’s next.
GI Joe #2 is available now from IDW Publishing.