From the back cover of the paperback book (blurb) -

Now the people know that the dragon minions of Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, have returned. But the races have long been divided by hatred and prejudice. It seems the battle has been lost before it begins.

The companions are separated, torn apart by war. A full season will pass before they meet again—if they meet again.

It is always a pleasant surprise to find out that book that you loved, got turned into a graphic novel. That said though, visiting a world that you know and love in graphic form, it has to live up to some healthy expectations for the reader. Devils Due and their team brought it to life, and everyone should be very pleased by their work. Dragons of Winter Night, has the dark feel one would think it should and it comes across in the artwork and layout.

I thought the artwork was beautiful, and where it really seemed to shine was in the outdoor scenes and the artwork of the dragons. The characters were also depicted well for my personal tastes, whether or not they live up to what you envisioned them to be is something you have to look at for yourself. My favorite representation though was Kitiara, you can feel the evil bubbling below the surface, in her facial expressions. I always thought she was a great anti-hero to the group, and I can feel that in the artwork. I also enjoyed the depiction of Fizban as well; the humor of the character still shines through in the drawings. Overall the artwork had pretty big shoes to fill, if you go by the covers of the books done by Larry Elmore, and I think for the medium (a graphic novel can not be of the level of a single piece of canvas) the team of Kurth, Ruffino, Narvasa, Bradley, Rauch and Crowley, did an excellent job. They put together the perfect graphical companion to Weis and Hickman’s novel.

The adaptation by Andrew Dabb stayed pretty faithful and the overall feel and storyline stayed where they needed to be due to the restraints of the graphic novel medium. I personally find the graphic novel to be a nice companion to the book, but it still needs to stand on its own if one has not read the book. It worked for me on both of these levels as I had read this sometime in the 1980’s I believe. It does not hold the same weight as the book, but I do not believe it is supposed to. There is no way they can include everything and I found it to be a fun visualization after reading the books. Even if you are not familiar with the books though it is still very enjoyable just not of the same level I believe as someone that has read the books.

DDP always brings us something new for the fantasy crowd looking to dip their toes in the graphic novel and comic market. I think once you feel the temperature you will want to dive right in. Dragons of Winter Night, the graphic novel, is a great piece to own; visually telling what I consider a classic story in the fantasy book market

The 28th issue of G.I.JOE: America’s Elite present an interesting opportunity for this reader as the opportunity to find out if somebody can miss an issue or two and still come back on and enjoy the storyline and also to see if avoid its tendency to inch even more toward the hyper-dramatic, team-Horatio pop television story via sequential art. At the beginning of every issue there is a file-card styled report that successful catches a reader up to the pertinent gist of recent events. That aside, and to something I noted in my first dip back into G.I.JOE with this series all preconceived worries are once again put to rest. The broken record spins, but if one flips through the Powers-helmed run what becomes evident is that this creative team knows how to introduce every single issue in a manner that invites at least momentary clarity. All thoughts are brushed to the side an instead Is it a Eel? Is it a Plague Trooper? Who is snuffin’ people from behind on nuclear submarines? The fun is not diminished even when you’re wrong. Powers is able to instill this due to credibility established in previous issues, surprising old and new fans alike with utilizing players never used before in a singular vision.

In many ways this creates an atmosphere that was similar to Valiant’s line in the early 90’s when any panel or any page could bring you to the next major player and I this case, with an established identity with deep roots in a generation, it is a reintroduction of one’s own memories to current continuity. It’s a balance between gimmick and craft but for now the title is given the benefit of the doubt as in this issue there are more old comrades introduced that make you tilt your Vodka, giving the devil his due in a page that needs to find a way on my wall.

This issue is the continuation of yet another event in the comic industry, part 4 of the 12 part World War III storyline continues and what seems to be a focus on Duke. To see what was for at least part of the time the character that was the figurehead of G.I.JOE delved into, to meet the father of the man, and to meet Connie is a part of the morphing of Joe from toy and cartoon line adaptation to comic book individuality. In truth these are the moments that make some otherwise bearable popcorn television shows into cringe-fests (Lana shut up, Bone’s quit talking about his son, H, I don’t care about your brother) but are the quiet moments needed on paper in the midst of a World War. Something tells me that perhaps there have been too many in the two issues I have missed - as its seems WWIII started just here in this issue but in this single issue it works.

The art that I have remarked that has grown on me and was at first questionable is now remarkably atmospheric. When you get your issue Put your hand over “Dawn” on the first page and tell me if you actually need it. Backdrops have a vibrant, poor man’s Guarnidoesque feel, it’s a vivid picture but as if viewed through a fog. Dark alleys, doctor offices, clandestine meetings in the middle east, a special operations war room - all carry the intensity and dangers one would associate with them.

My favorite part of the issue may have been instances of dialogue. Kicking down doors, ‘Wassup Snakes!’ - as strange as it sounds it maintained a real non-comedic, intense quality while also living as a source of a smile as I could almost hear the M60 totting cartoon character taking back his family’s Red Rocket restaurant. These are self-made moments to some extent by a reader but even the “Don’t you ever shut up” leveled at Falcon takes me back to the animated movie (a good and bad memory). No, this isn’t exactly your childhood’s G.I.JOE - and thankfully it isn’t your child’s G.I.JOE - but it continues to be more than a best of worlds through various incarnations and medium - it has become its own world, a crisis that found its way. There are pacing issues throughout the run, instances where you feel that the storyline is either rushed or prolonged in each issue but I attribute this with a smaller company always trying to maintain a schedule in terms of the story and issue numbers (the events are really not events they are more pre-announced mega-arcs) but these are stumbles not crashes.

A licensed out political intrigue, spy, war, and cloak and dagger book, America’s Elite may be targeting a specific audience groomed by the brand name, but is worthy of even more readership. G.I.JOE has the catch phrase and now you know attached to it, this series would be best suited with you better ask somebody.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhsiattva

Devil's Due is well known for their excellent comics including G.I. Joe, Hack/Slash, Voltron, Xombie, and others. They are one of the great smaller comic book publishers out there. This time they take their great creative energy and come up a new original series that is more than a simple comic bash, but a thought harvesting story in a world near annihilation.

Drafted's storyline follows a phenomenon happening across the world: emergency rooms are filling up with people that are having severe migraines. Then the story takes a leap in the direction of the War of the Worlds, while exploring cultural tensions and human rights. The story toys with the Israeli VS Palestinian conflict some and also hits home about how the US is relied on to come to the aid of the whole world. After the migraine phenomenon blows over another disaster hit: Earthquakes kill hundreds of thousands of people. If things couldn't be worse they are contacted by aliens who forecast impending doom.

The characters seem (at this point) very well thought out. Nasr & Ben are the odd couple; Nasr is Palestinian, while Ben is Jewish. Both are quarantined in Jerusalem following the migraine outbreak. President Walker and his staff are trying to manage the USA's response to the problem. Gabriel is the owner of a local corner store in New York, but we're not entirely sure what his role will be just yet. There are a bunch of characters that are spread all over the world, with no known role at this point. The cover gives us a hint that the people of earth might come into possession of some more futuristic weapons and equipment as well.

Drafted #1 does what only comic books can do: deliver a combination of current events blended with the exploration of the human condition. Throw in politics, cultural tension, aliens, and one hell of a cliffhanger and Devil's Due has a surefire thrilling read. Now I have to sit here hating the fact that I will have to wait for Drafted #2.

We are quickly put at ease that the last issue was merely a minor bump in the surprisingly triumphant return of G.I.JOE as a comic worthy of being paraded as near top of the stack material. In truth we are not even given the moment to consider continuing our trepidation as we are thrust right into the line of fire. In the first issue of the twelve-part Word War III storyline, we witness an alley knife fight, an assassination foiled, and some good old-fashioned executions.

The issue’s true worth is that it introduces and furthers a plot point that gives an organic reason to create new characters or bring to the forefront characters that have existed in other forms and have rarely used comic incarnations. The JOE team officially given the mandate to take out the known and suspected COBRA agents and past allies, and COBRA’s simultaneous recruiting to swell its own ranks in an arms race and to counter its own recent losses is a natural progression of the occurrences in the immediate past. Veteran enthusiasts can now view these additions a sensible growth instead of feeling force-fed, a move away from what is perhaps a comfort zone but into the excitement of a hot landing zone. We know that in earlier runs of this comic creative clashes occurred usually regarding the direction of its different commercial forms – indeed in terms of bottom line a nice problem to be burdened with to have a popular cartoon series, comic, toy line and even feature film - but now with years past since the prime of the franchise any element used seems like an old friend or a previously forgotten memory where even aspects we didn’t like we welcome being reminded of. It creates a stage that has almost limitless possibilities and as long we don’t extend that into la la territory.

I am hesitant to make absolute statements especially dealing with a name that has been given to so many different interpretations, but I feel it is now safe to say that this is Cobra Commander as he should be, as he only could be – the best he has ever been portrayed. There is an eccentric buffoonery that comes off even in the Marvel run (that is still much more preferable to the clown in the cartoon) that always grated on me. This is the most dangerous man alive and never has he felt and for the first time we believe it. He isn’t trying to defeat G.I.JOE as much as it they are trying to defeat him and they are just a passing mussing along the way to a greater plan. Certainly there is contempt for the team and in some cases a focused personal hatred as shown in the previous issue (as I mentioned in my review) as was berating Snake Eyes; but there is also a man with a goal that goes beyond the immediate conflict. Eccentric? Sure, but he is no longer a man that is the butt of jokes – he is the killing joke.

The very first page is the most unlikely of iconic nods to fans and is a perfect example of the above. It is most likely most have never seen a page with him on it, but no diehard JOE fan didn’t instantly recognize COBRA Mortal as soon as they opened the cover. The original COBRA Mortal figure has long been one of the 3 3/4 collector’s grails, and although I’m a proud owner of one, no doubt any who has or sought one had long resigned to the likelihood that the adventures of the elusive Mortal would be limited to hunts on EBAY and those born of imagination and dios, and to see the COBRA sniper grace the pages of G.I.JOE: America’s Elite is what has become that calculated, requisite, and most importantly correct bone to throw to the existing fan base. Powers and the jugglers at Devil’s Due have their pulse on the JOE comic reading nation, they do so because they were first on the scene to revive what has been a DOA franchise for better than decade. Names like Vypra, Ghost Bear, and Night Creeper interacting with classics like a sleeveless Gung Ho in the snow and Wild Bill flexing like Hickok in a panel. The past meets the future and we find out that it’s all good.

I would be remiss not to mention the cover, a piece that serves as a roll call and a celebration – Front and Center – where G.I.JOE should be and once again is.


Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

What would you do if you found yourself among the legion of the damned and undead? Would you walk lackadaisically and munch on someone's pink thinking machine like it was popcorn or would you chill out to Mozart in your secret lair while simultaneously protecting humans from your kind? Personally I'm rather particular to brains, but that's just me; now Dirge on the other hand, well, protecting humans and listening to Mozart happen to be two of his favorite things to do!

Dirge is the brain child of writer James Farr, this being the first work of Farr's I have read I was pleasantly surprised at the ease with which he demonstrates Dirge's wicked tongue. As the above quote demonstrates, Dirge finds the time to not only hack off a zombie gorilla's arm but to also toss out a quip at the same time! The downside to that same wit though is the transparency of it all. Dirge as a character is 2-D and nothing more, he only works on a single level as a sarcastic overprotective older brother of sorts. I can get a kick out of his quick one liners and enjoy the casual mean spiritedness with which he converses with others but he doesn't stray far from those two facets of thinking, feeling, or speaking.

Having said all that, on the flip side of things is that Xombie Reanimated #3 is a quickly paced issue that shoots straight out of the gates throwing exposition to the winds for the most part, making this book an easily read stand alone issue. Going along with that however, issue three also feels a bit like a point A to point B issue to me. There is not much said about what has happened in the previous issues and not much expressed about the future in this issue until the last two pages, which is good and bad as mentioned before.

The pace of the issue is really all thanks to Nate Lovett's crafty penciling. Lovett's style of pencils can be quickly brushed aside as cartoonish or simple but it is that simplicity that makes his technique so sleek. His inks are clean and crisp and work well to demonstrate the feelings of each individual character. For any fan of the first six issues of Image's The Walking Dead and Tony Moore's art therein you may appreciate Nate Lovett's artistry.

Having weighed and measured all sides of the equation the product of my thoughts on Xombie Reanimated #3 are thus: Dirge is a pretty funny character and some of the people he interacts with are interesting, nonetheless this issue is more aimed towards entertainment than any serious storytelling. Ultimately I found these things not to detract enough to make me stop enjoying reading it the entire time I sat there, which is enough to make me want to read the next issue.

~Jason Fahey

The last half dozen to eight issues of Devil’s Dues G.I.JOE: America’s Elite has represented the first worthy successors to the early Marvel line of the 1980’s. The final installment of the Sins of the Mother quartet continues the developments I noted in my previous review – and sports a what is perhaps nice slight homage to the classic Kirby cover of Fantastic Four#8. The majority of content in this issue takes place in a single room; as in our own world in a single room multiple decisions are made that will have personal and global ramification. What many would consider the true original triumvirate of COBRA is reduced to and thus advanced by the ascension of the idea that Cobra Commander is what he always should have been – one of the most canny men alive – and now is perhaps the most powerful. It is done not by minimizing Destro or the Baroness; we witness the determination and are humbled by sacrifice of the former and the deadly proficiency of the latter – these are still among the most dangerous people in the world but are simply outmaneuvered by a man whose view extend beyond the immediate, beyond the mundane passions that drive and diminish his cohorts and most people in general.

The JOE fan will appreciate the familiarity that exudes between the characters. The relationship of and the fact that a history exists between Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander would register to all but the most daft reader and gives the story a very human undercurrent. Even in the process of and midst of his greatest triumph, Cobra Commander cannot help but to take the opportunity to verbally abuse the JOE commando. This is personal and you get the feeling he relishes these jibes as much as he does the certainty of his more global victory.

That said, I do not hesitate to anoint the latest issue, #24, the weakest from a storytelling point of view. There is a contrivance in the sequence of events that perhaps caused it to be necessary to be rather overly dramatic within a too-confined allotted space. The issue felt like it needed more room for a more natural path to the conclusion to truly develop. The ultimatum given to the JOE agents seemed hollow, the terrorist you essentially exist -as an elite military unit - to take down, threatens you with knowledge of your family and you just walk? Snake Eyes, Flint and Spirit would pull his card, push his hood back, and then simply call in what has to be already established safety protocols protecting their families - especially since they were fully aware Cobra Commander has access to this information. There is also an oddness to the Baroness talking to herself at the beginning flashback, but it could be written off as the workings of the mind of a mother who had just escaped isolation and interrogation looking and desperately looking for her cub. The eventual outcome is effective, both as an end to an arc and as an ideal platform for future stories, but there is a sense of being in the room as well - betrayed like the rest – and left wondering if my copy is missing a couple of pages. For some reason the title that I always remember from the original series is Snap Decisions (issue#52, people – a classic) and the title would seem so apt here.

If this is the valley, I’ll gladly march in it; a slight stumble due to a longer stride at the end of the race, but all in all a book still worthy to be on any pull list. The end crowneth the work indeed – I’ll be here until the coronation.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

I never thought I’d say this but G.I.JOE is back – and not just in the musings of the twentyish eyeing thirty; a mid-life guilty pleasure masked as fashionably retro. The truth is that this comic – a continuation from a line that raised young men of my generation – has been a valued part of my pull list issue#18, when suddenly a legitimately uneventful title of hudlin-like proportions recaptured hamaesque magic.

Issue twenty-three of G.I.JOE: America’s Elite, the third in a four part arc titled Sins of the Mother begins as all comics should: With some quality bondage. A downright Diana princely splash of one Anastasia – better known to casuals as the Baroness – sets the tone of the issue and recent run. It’s a trimmer team but a broader playing field; still an elite anti-terrorist unit, the same world, but with the added dimensions that comes with the world for the reader a generation removed from knowing is half the battle. The Baroness, a new mother, had been captured and fruitlessly interrogated by G.I.JOE before breaking out during a government sanction assault on the JOE compound by Cobra agents and since has been on a warpath that includes (apparently) previously killing Wraith, a newish, much over hyped, poor-man’s Boba Fett of the Joeverse – someone who truly had no point but just showed up with a fan club because of a cool costume. Yes – people die in today’s Joeverse.

In the Middle East a Joe force including, Snake Eyes, Scarlet, Spirit, Roadblock, Stalker, and led by Duke pursue Major Blood on the trail of the Baroness, a path that will eventually lead to yet more bondage and to Destro’s seat.

Remember Lady Jaye? Well forget about her because she’s dead – that’s the advice Flint needs. In Vietnam, Flint is spying on the Red Shadows when he finds himself observing a meeting with the Baroness. It would not be an overstatement to say that Flint is becoming one of the most interesting characters on my pull list – the death of his wife makes his journey to the long time fan a dynamic one. My most recent Cup of Joe notes the debut of Flint in the Marvel series, a brash, arrogant, but competent new addition to the team and to see the transition of a solider who lost his soul, to a melancholic, brooding warrior displays to me that interests based in nostalgia can evolve and do so without blasphemous results.

The new look, the art to the series is at first unnerving, I found myself naturally rejecting it until I started viewing it as a departure in the way to view G.I.JOE. The art style is more mundane, when grouped together the JOE’s look like a military unit, no longer a poster or image on a toy box. Snake Eyes looks like a commando, not a power ranger in the trenches. This is not a knock on the iconic appearances of these characters – the version II Snake Eyes figure is classic – it is however an art choice that works for the reader of today, including those from yesterday.

All the threads have a sense of immediacy to them, an urgent tension underneath the panel. The woman scorned and the hollowed widower offer a feeling of ever present calamity with the perpetual threat of, in the middle of a comic that successfully takes the elements that makes for worthwhile high adrenaline action/drama experience and wraps it into embarrassingly gushing moments by tugging the fan boy strings by offering a mere glimpse of the Phantom with Ghost Rider ready to take our favorite Native American tracker and ass kicking, masked commando in a thread that took me back to reading a Hama Special Mission within the comic itself. Each story has players on the edge, hinging on decisions that retain a true unpredictability that comes with showing in earlier issues that there will be casualties, there is loss, and with that what remains behind grows.

I dare say G.I.JOE is cool again. It’s unfortunate it was ever otherwise.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva