Sublime And Ridiculous: ‘G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero’ #302 Is A Great, Fun And Thrilling Comic
by Olly MacNamee
Summary
Larry Hama delivers a sizzling script for ‘G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero’ #302 that is one part sombre and serious, as the Joes bury their fallen comrade, with the other part being a rather black-humoured story of horror and revenge as Serpentor Khan gets used to his new life as a walking mutant-zombie. A hugely entertaining issue.
Overall
10/10As well as balancing the solemnity of the funeral of a fallen friend in a scene full of pathetic fallacy and sombre silence, we get a sharply contrasting main plot that’s wonderfully bombastic and verging on black-comedy in tone. A plot that saw Serpentor Khan and his army mutated/zombified into insatiable hordes. Hordes that are keen to plow ahead with a deliciously crackpot plan of “making the rest of the world (their) larder.”
Meanwhile, Cobra Commander has his hands full fielding questions from the distraught family members of his henchmen and women. No-one ever thinks about them. It’s hard to believe in a comic that has, at times in the past, been so jingoistic is being written with so much tongue in cheek. And I love it.
It a way over-the-top storyline and written by G.I. Joe legend, Larry Hama, with gusto, and who puts the “comic” into “comic book” with this run. A veteran writer who knows when best to tone down the bizarre and bonkers with more serious scenes. As well as the funeral we get a special spotlight on Snake Eyes running through this sophomore issue, who is living a solitary life in the Sierras with fellow G.I. Joe, Scarlett.
All-in-all, it’s a sterling issue that balances the sublime with the ridiculous perfectly. The Joes are a team suffering a great loss – with these scenes suitably more serious in tone – while Cobra Command and Serpentor Khan fight amongst themselves. All illustrated by Chris Mooneyham who’s gritty and highly detailed artwork continues to capture the grungier realities of a military life exceptionally well, with Francesco Segal’s colours helping set the right mood for each different scene we witness. The jungle environment of Cobra Island is earthy in hue, with the aforementioned funeral soaked in moody blues and greys.
G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #302 is a highly entertaining and successful second issue that establishing an interesting dynamic into the mix with the mutation of Serpentor Khan and his team.
G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #302 is out now from Skybound