IDW Publishing Forums

[shanecdavis]

Really???? I figured that is why DDP and Resolute and Renegades and now IDW keep trying to pit them against each other. Storm Shadow can be cool as a bad guy who is the antagonist to Snake Eyes, but NOTHING compares to the Thomas S. Arashikage character that Mr. Hama created. I am hoping that in the future Mr. Hama gives us more stories of Tommy that are reminiscent of the Storm Shadow title, particularly one where he ends up at odds with the Joes.

[Torpedo]

[shanecdavis]

Wow, that is really shocking!

[orpakki]

#28 and #29 weren't quite on par with the best issues of this era, but still enjoyable reads. This was the point where I got really invested in the old stories being published in the Finnish version (the previous issue had featured #22). The new stories had gotten quite poor by this time, but the action was only heating up in the vintage section. By this time I had long since bought all the back issues, so I had 16 issues worth of classic stories still awaiting me. I knew some of the happenings from reading the dossiers, and I knew it was going to be a great ride with more and more classic coming in and getting valuable face time.

I wasn't a big fan of the proto-BATs and remote control tanks, and the cops weren't funny, but I loved the battle between the Rattlers, MOBAT and one of my personal favorites, the WHALE. At last, Wild Weasel got to do some flying in a real fighting machine! For some reason I remembered him destroying the MOBAT, but it was actually just the squad car. I liked my recollection better, since the Joes have to abandon it anyway. Destro is still very much invested in Cobra and actually battling the Joes. The later gold-head Destro would have settled for waving at them from afar.

Destro continues his badassery in #29, beating the crud out of Cutter and trying to take out the Joes in a classic cover. Holograms and foil, who needs 'em? BTW, I wouldn't hold so much respect for a guy who tried to do that to me. Always liked Destro's respect for the Joes, but don't really see why it would go both ways. Destro and Firefly also make a lot of big words towards Cobra Commander, but never really act on it. Oh well, even terrorists like to complain about their bosses.

The Crimson Guard was an amazing concept, and probably my favorite Cobra troops. I always considered them to be the only Cobra troopers who were on par with the Joes man to man. Wish they could have gotten more development and face-time, and were treated with more respect. Sean Collins makes the most inconspicous debut of probably any character in the books.

Loved the scene with Wild-Bill and Duke and the Dragonfly crashing. In moments like this you can tell who the real badasses in the Joe team are (not you, Trip-Wire). You can tell Bill's done this before like a couple of dozen times. He was always cool under the preassure almost to the point of seeming like a maniac. Nothing bothers this guy.

[orpakki]

#30 is another issue that doesn't really reach the heights of others from this era, or the heights it could have, IMO. This is another one of those issues Hasbro made commercials out of (I think. More on that later), and it kinda feels Larry's heart or mind isn't in it. I think the battle at the airport should have been a huge deal, with maybe more than one issue devoted to it. I think it was already mentioned that Cobra thinks they've found Joe HQ, and they decide to attack with two HISSes and two "SNAPs"? And to boot they put the tank drivers to pilot the helicopters? I think they were supposed to be CGs. Springer never did get it right.
Also, McGuire is right next to Fort Wadsworth, which Fred is already spying on it, yet Cobra can't put one and one together and realise this is the same base they've already attacked once before? I'll have to assume after this issue CC quickly realised where The Pit is, but also realised it wouldn't be worth it to try to make a major offensive. In #52 he doesn't even react to the news that Buzzer knows the Pit's location, and it takes Serpentor to make the decision of the attack, so I think my theory holds water?

Anyway, this issue would have been a great moment to bring in some of the '84 vehicles, which we wouldn't see for several more issues, such as the Slugger, VAMP MK 2, the Stinger, ASPs and maybe even the Bridge-Layer which I hear was already in stores in late '84. Now that would have been a battle!

Surprised to see so little love for the Dreadnoks. Don't get me wrong, I hate 'em, but I've always been under the impression that I was in the vast minority. Maybe we all are? Since they kept being featured prominently in every medium and Hasbro kept dishing out more and more useless Dreadnoks every year, they must have been popular. They were good for some laughs now and then, and I'm glad they were not posed as a bigger threat, because I don't think a biker gang could really hold up against the Joes (No, I haven't seen SoA ). Overall I think they were the first really lame characters and figures in the Joe-verse. But oh well, I can handle them. At least they weren't furry pseudo-Ewoks, which I think was the original pitch.

Oh, I just scouted Wiki, and just now found out Fort Wadsworth was an actual place, where Larry Hama had served (according to Wiki, at least). This is really cool, and news to me.