G.I Joe #18 Review

Another ‘building things up’ issue, G.I Joe #18 carries on with its latest developments. The Joe’s don’t do much in this issue, but that isn’t to say nothing happens.

First, the official description from IDW:

TARGET: SNAKE EYES starts here! Maybe SNAKE EYES should have stayed dead! G.I. JOE has mobilized to hunt down their most dangerous quarry ever: one of their own. Has the silent commando gone over to the other side? Is he playing his own game? Only Snake Eyes knows the answer.

This issue focuses on the recent events regarding Snake Eyes and the Arashikage Ninja. The set-up here is certainly interesting. Whilst the Arashikage have gone against Cobra, the Joe’s are distrustful of Snake Eyes apparent betrayal. As the dialogue and tension shows, sometimes the enemy of your enemy is not your friend.

It might not be as tense as the last issue, primarily due to the action that happens around the Joes. With Snake Eyes and the Ninja making their attacks felt, the tension and suspense from the previous issues is lessened. Whilst the Joes haven’t done anything themselves, the writing does a good job building things up and implying that something will happen. Some might be looking for an obvious cliched story, but the storytelling is none the less keeping things secret as best as possible.

The Soft Master makes an appearance here, bringing this title even closer to Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow. On this note, the final page does mention that the story is continued in Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow #18. I’m in two minds about this. On one hand, it helps that the footnote directs people to the next issue, to make the chronology easier. On the other hand, less hardcore Joe fans might not like feeling pressured into buying the sister-title.

Until now, its been easy enough to read one title without out an intimate knowledge of the other. Yet the recent focus on Snake Eyes, which only seems to be focused on more with this new arc, suggests that the two may become more blurred very soon.