G.I Joe: Special Missions #13 Review

The last issue left on a bit of a cliffhanger, so G.I Joe: Special Missions #13 has some expectations to live up to. The question is, did the creative team manage to pull it off?

The official description from IDW:

DESTRO MUST DIE part four! G.I. JOE brings the fight to DESTRO. Teaming up with an unexpected ally and assaulting DESTRO’s Russian hideout, SCARLETT and the Special Missions team hunt down the nefarious arms-dealer… but can they find him before COPPERBACK gets her revenge?

I want to like Special Missions #13, I really do. All the elements are here, action, explosions, more action and a neat little resolution. That said, all the separate elements aren’t as strong as they should be, which makes the whole product feel a little off. Destro could be more menacing and, well, the big fight promised last issue more or less comes to naught. It is one of those aspects where the plot wears thin or you simply lose your suspension of disbelief.

Part of this is perhaps in Chuck Dixon’s writing. He can definitely pen a script, but he isn’t pushing any boundaries here. This issue, like virtually any other issue, has plenty of Cobra Commander being upset/annoyed/angry/generally emotional at Destro but quickly forgiving him, only for him to screw up and repeat the process. That stuff might work on Saturday morning cartoons but, now, there needs to be something a little more development in this relationship. The commander is hardly intimidating and Destro feels more and more like a Scottish stereotype.

Visually, Paul Gullacy’s pencils at least make the action look pretty, supported by the vibrant colors of Aburtov, Graphikslava and Joanna Lafuente. Aside from a few wonky faces, there’s little to knock in terms of how the issue looks. Special Missions #13 flows through the large panels when it needs to. It feels natural and draws attention.

All in all, it’s not a bad issue but it’s a little lackluster for a concluding issue. While it does leave a few back doors for the next few issues, it won’t be one of the most well remembered in Special Missions run.