G.I Joe: Cobra #18 Review


Following up from the climatic ending to the previous issue, there is a big shake-up in G.I Joe: Cobra #18. With the powerful introduction of the Oktober Guard, a Russian Elite unit (the equivalent of America’s G.I Joe), things are certainly starting to look interesting.

The official description from IDW:

OKTOBER IS COMING! Who are the OKTOBER GUARD? The deadliest group of elite killers and assassins ever faced by G.I. JOE or COBRA! The new G.I. JOE covert group is the only thing standing between the Oktober Guard and victory—but there’s going to be a high price to pay.

It’s the introduction of the Oktober Guard that really highlights this issue. The opening pages are well written, full of tension and surprise. The members of the Guard are introduced throughout this intense scene, yet the writing never feels forced. Each member is shown to be a unique individual. As for the commander of this new threat, the writing again offers some tense dialogue that cuts to the core of the enemy. After all, they need to feel distinct and separate from G.I Joe and Cobra. As a potential third player, Cobra #18 does a great job of showing their uniqueness; an answer to both Cobra and G.I Joe from another country.

Besides this intense opening, the rest of the issue mainly focuses on the after-effects. Introducing a third force into the original two-sided conflict definitely shakes things up, and this issue shows how this is received.  Obviously, its not taken very well; the writing manages to effectively show a G.I Joe group that is caught off guard.

However, the issue does take some time to explore the background of Ronin. She’s been a strong focus in previous issues. The decision to focus on this character here clearly suggests shes will be of some importance in future arcs, as well. At the very least, this will give readers a greater reason to have any interest in the character. The background highlights conflicting issues and views that really help define Ronin as a human being, making a continued interest much more possible.

In short, this is a great issue of Cobra, and one that does very well to introduce a new contender. Its not made clear whether they are specifically villains or potential allies, but Cobra #18 definitely knows how to make an introduction.

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