G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301

The return of the long-running fandom doesn't miss staking its claim as a must-read series. With Hama's legendary writing backed by Mooneyham's superb visuals, the saga of G.I. Joe strikes back to win over fans new and old alike. Don't leave the comic shops without this in your possession! Read Full Review

It was going to be tough for this issue to disappoint. Hama remains sharp with the dialogue and wild new scenarios. With his new collaborators, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is in stellar hands as this new era gets underway. Read Full Review

An action packed entrance of the G.I. Joe story into Skybound comics. I was able to follow the action without having to read the IDW run. However, I did grow up with the original Marvel Comics run of G.I. Joe. Read Full Review

With introductions out of the way, it's easy to get swept up in the atmosphere and dramatics of the story even if the specifics may be unclear to newcomers. Read Full Review

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 is good in that it continues the storyline that's been going on for so long and delivers the conclusion to the celebration that was the previous issue. It wraps things up in some ways and sets the series off into the next arc with a new look but same classic storytelling. While this is a bit of an oddity in that it doesn't feel like it's part of Skybound's new “Energon Universe” and might create confusion, it is a hell of a start that's full of action. Basically, it's not the best place to start for new readers but fans of the run that were reading will want to return and see where it all goes from here. Read Full Review

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #301 is a welcome return to form for Larry Hama and the Joes with an explosive finale that sets up a new era for the American heroes and their enemies. The action, both in writing and art, is fierce, but it helps if you have some background knowledge of the characters before diving in. Read Full Review

While the tale felt wrapped up, there were plenty of loose ends left dangling and Larry Hama gets a change to continue expanding this world. Our heroes make it out, although not without casualties and loosing Cobra Commander who manages to make his escape. The larger question is what becomes of the mutated core characters of Cobra at ground zero in the explosion of the Mutant Virus Bomb? At how do events play into the long teased plans of Revanche? Read Full Review

bprice

Dec 03, 2023

Not since Marvel has a GI Joe book look this good. I've been reading this book off/on since the 80s. Larry Hama's writing is consistent across all the publishers but the art struggled especially at IDW. Mooneyham nails it. The characters are easily recognizable, the action is dynamic. Don't worry about the character changes Hama has made over the decades. Just imagine that it's you in your backyard with your favorite Joes doing what they do best.

Chris Y

Jan 08, 2025

As a newcomer to the G.I. Joe franchise, I’m not quite sure how this series connects with the other current G.I. Joe title - I think they are just two different versions? I’m not quite sure if this is a good approach - personally, I find it confusing. Anyway, I read this book because I really love the Energon version. This one looks completely different. Mooneyham’s artwork reminds me of the late eighties/early nineties, with hints of Jim Lee and Andy Kubert. it’s not my favorite style, especially compared to Tom Reilly’s, but it’s solid and very dynamic, and it made me feel a bit nostalgic, especially paired with Larry Hama’s writing. Although the story being hard to follow at times and the characters coming off as les s human and more pinup-y than in the Energon title, there was enough good stuff in this action-packed issue to make me want to come back for the next. more

maljoss

Nov 20, 2023

Well... now I know. This was a disappointment. I was never a G.I. Joe reader, but I picked this up on the strength of the other Energonverse books (Void Rivals / Transformers). It was not, as advertised, a fist issue, but the continuation of a story arc from a previous series. I had no idea what was going on, who most of the characters were, or what stakes were involved. I imagine any first time Joe reader would feel the same. I am not likley to pick up the next issue, which is a shame. Larry Hamma is a very good writer, and the art was decent (Ranger, in particular, looked great)... ...but that's only half the battle. And while we'er here, WTF is up with everyone being Snake-Eyes adjacent? What is this, a Bat book?

fzanca

Nov 17, 2023

I was so looking forward to this. I am a big GI Joe fan and I found this so disappointing. I have not read the IDW run and to see so many characters connected to Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow being a Joe? What is going on? Destro and Baroness aren't Cobra anymore and Serpentor and Mindbender turn themselves into flesh-eating zombies? Really? That's we are going with this? Soooo disappointing. My Comic Book Review Channel - https://youtu.be/a1ocDMwluts

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• maljoss

maljoss - Nov 20, 2023

I'm with you, what IS up with everyone being Snake-eyes adjacent? Really weird. I was looking forward to this too, and it was a let down.

fzanca - Nov 20, 2023

I just reread the issue 1 from the 80s. What a difference in writing from the same guy. Is it possible to get worse at your job as you get older?