REVIEW: G.I. Joe #278

Rating if the Book Were a Movie: PG

Writer: Larry Hama 
Artist: Dan Schoening 
Colors: Luis Antonio Delgado 
Letters: Neil Uyetake
Cover: Jamie Sullivan 
Editor: Megan Brown 
Senior Editor: Tom Waltz 
Publisher: IDW Publishing 

Starting a couple issues ago ”G. I. Joe: A Real American Hero” has had a new story arc called “Untold Tales”. These are the behind the scenes stories from some of the adventures we are familiar with.

Issue #277 focuses on Low Light, Blizzard, Snow Job, Cover Girl, Frostbite and Iceberg. The story begins in the icy tundra of Frusenland where our heroes are outside of a Cobra Terror Drome after the Joes have done a fair amount of damage to most of it. 

There are still some snow serpents and other Cobra agents left standing from the initial battle. They’re still eager The Terror Drome may have taken some hits; but it can still launch a Firebat. 

The challenge is getting a Firebat repaired quickly enough to get it into the fight with the squad of Joes. At this point it’s a battle of attrition. Which team will have enough operational equipment and upright soldiers to win the day?

Artwork: .75 Stars 

I absolutely love this homage to New Mutants #87 cover. The detail on Low Light is incredible. The artwork on the interior pages is not quite as vivid, but it’s still fantastic. I really liked how the snow serpents were portrayed.

Story: .75 Stars 

It was a nice change of pace to have a story that doesn’t focus on Storm Shadow and/or Snake Eyes. I liked that some of the lesser known characters are getting some love. 

Dialogue: .75 Stars 

I enjoyed seeing the interaction between the snow serpents and the techno vipers. It was interesting to see things from Cobra’s perspective when it’s the lower-level soldiers instead of Cobra Commander, Destro, or Serpentor.

Editing: .75 Stars 

The lettering in this issue is spot on. The letters are crisp and in a font size that’s easy to read. I would have liked some more editor’s notes regarding where this story takes place on the timeline.

Mechanics: .5 Stars 

The story reads like the final book in a multiple book arc. That would be terrific if we had the beginning of the story or a reference point to go back to. I spent several pages trying to understand what had taken place prior to the start of this issue.

Once I got past that sticking point the story is very fast paced. You get the feeling that in this battle either side can easily win just a little bit of luck on their side.

It isn’t necessary to be a subject matter expert on all things G.I. Joe to appreciate this story. In my opinion, this book is worth the price of admission.