Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #0 – Guest Review
The first comic book I ever put my hard earned, adolescent cash down for was G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #14. To this day, I know where I purchased that book: United Dairy Farmers, the corner market, in my home town. Back then, the United Dairy Farmers would give you 10 cents for each glass cola bottle you brought in. I had collected seven, thus covering my 60 cent cover price and a little extra for tax. I still have that first page indelibly inscribed in my psyche. Three legendary characters: Snake-Eyes, Dr Venom, and Kwinn, the Eskimo mercenary. From that point on, G.I. Joe was the book I collected. Larry Hama was the God of all things Joe. It was not until three years later that I was given my first superhero book (X-Factor #7) and I fell hard for collecting everything I could get my hands on.
Shortly after I discovered G.I. Joe, I discovered Transformers #1 at the same corner market. It is worth remembering, that this was the 1980s, and there were no larger powerhouses of comic, cartoon, and toy lines aimed at kids, than these two behemoths. G.I. Joe and Transformers defined my childhood and taught me the value of storytelling which remains with me to this day. Both were must-read comics (the true canon) and must-see cartoons (as filler between months waiting for the next published panel).
G.I. Joe and Transformers have had a multitude of adaptations over the decades. Within the comic book genre alone, both have been bastardized by commercialism, suffered 90s angst and been made extreme, and also wandered down the dark road that turned them morbid and gritty. At times, both licenses have thrived and suffered from these interpretations.
In the 1980s, and wonderfully re-introduced over the last few years, Larry Hama was the voice of the true G.I. Joe. It was under his watchful eye that the Joes went adventures, suffered loss, and found more emotion than a child’s toy line ever deserved. Now, in 2014, G.I. Joe has been imagined again, alongside the Transformers, in the all new IDW series Transformers vs. G.I. Joe (helmed by Tom Scioli and John Barber). From the opening page of the zero issue (a Free Comic Book Day exclusive), you know you are in for a thrill ride, and an adventure into a universe that, while somewhat familiar, was going to be far different from anything that has come before.
The title of the zero issue was “The Doomsday Seed,” a fitting tribute, harkening back to Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Real American Hero series (“Operation: Lady Doomsday”). Right out of the gate, you are struck by the quirky, stylistic art of Tom Scioli. These are the classic characters whose details are a mixture of the familiar Generation One of comics/cartoon/toys brought into perfect combination under nib of an exceptional artist. Your eyes flow over the page as your mind drinks in each character, each detail, each subtle nuance that has found its way onto the page. As your mind is adjusting to what your eyes have seen, you are thrust headlong into the Scioli & Barber story. It all begins as a mission in progress that has the foresight to understand that you likely know these characters while still providing a little backstory for the neophyte reader. It is within the these first pages that what you think you know about Transformers and G.I. Joe is soon rendered null and void as you spiral into this new universe.
You might be wondering, what’s so new about this interpretation of these classic figures? What could possibly be done that we have not seen before? Is it Duke being the rookie? Maybe a little. How about Joes dropping like flies? Well, the comics, unlike the cartoons, always showed death. Was it Starscream winning a fight, decapitating Goldbug? That was a nice turn. How about Snake-Eyes talking? What? Did I mention they showed his face within the first four pages? What, again? How about Dr. Venom alive? One of the most classic under-utilized characters of Hama’s run. Did you say throw in Major Bludd pre eye patch and robotic arm? It’s in here. How about Starscream not being a goat, but an actually competent, merciless warrior? What universe is this? And, oh yeah, allegedly Cobra Commander killed in issue #0? Allow me to repeat that, all this took place in issue #0. The real story has not even started yet.
Within this singular issue, you come to realize that this is not the universe with which you may be familiar. This is a dynamic new envisioning that pays proper homage to the brilliance of Hama’s era while going all out and blowing the lid off both licenses. This is original storytelling in a universe that is wide open for new defining moments that will create a canon all its own. The unbridled variety that exists within both licenses makes the possibilities truly endless. Without being locked into the past, this rendition of these classic characters has a potential longevity that could rival anything that has come before.
While this may seem like high praise for a licensed property that has seen various reboots in the past, one truly has to experience Transformers vs. G.I. Joe to understand why this praise is deserved. Scioli & Barber have already captured the complexity of these characters and not made them stereotypes of themselves. They have redesigned origins for a new era. This re-imagining invests us in the future of these heroes. This is an investment and sincere concern that we, as fans, have lacked for a very long time.
Overall, Transformers vs. G.I. Joe is a hit and the story resumes at the end of July 2014. For those new to this universe, as we all truly are, you will need the zero issue if you expect to get a comprehensive picture of what is going on. If you skip that issue, your mind may start filling in the blanks with things you think you know, but do not truly understand about his new interpretation. This is not the same old story of “everything old is new again.” Rather, this is the story of “everything awesome is amazing again.” Yo Joe! and Roll Out!
