G.I Joe: A Real American Hero #208 Review

G.I Joe: A Real American Hero #208 is currently taking place in Dublin, but in the end it’s all robots, ninjas and guns, isn’t it? I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but a long running title like this needs to mix it up once in a little while.

The official description from IDW:

G.I. JOE’s operation in Dublin continues, with the team blazing forward with a mind to avenge their fallen comrade. But when they discover the truth of what PALE PEONY and JINX have been investigating, G.I. JOE will have to make some tough calls and take tougher actions to stop the malevolent Revanche Corporation.

With plenty of action and an epilogue afterwards, this feels like one of the better issues of G.I Joe. That said, it does focus on some more obscure areas of the story that we’re just not used to. The giant eye is a main example, as it kinda came out of nowhere and, even now, feels like a weird thing to centre around.

As far as the writing is concerned, Larry Hama turns in an unbalanced script this week. The action sequences near the start are fine, even if it takes a little while to deliver any real satisfaction. Yet, at the same time, the second half of the issue wraps up various consequences and results. I appreciate the attention to detail, but it raises the many threads spinning out of control. Any direction here is almost irrelevant; we’re given characters such as Fred 191 to worry about, when they’ve barely been involved.

Visually, there’s nothing new either. When you have robots, ninjas and guns, A Real American Hero has a very specific style and S L Gallant doesn’t dare to venture from this. The artwork is good, fine even, but there is very little that pops out and makes any sort of impact. In terms of colour, J Brown does a fine job but, similarly, it’s all moody blues and other dark hues.

All in all, I’m sure fans will love this but, for a series 208 issues in, I’m not sure how far ahead it’s actually looking.