G.I. Joe is a solid - and sometimes thrilling - comic, but continues to suffer pacing issues. Read Full Review

Overall, it's an odd dialemma. I want to enjoy G.I Joe #5 and, for the most part, I do. On second readings, however, the developments appear small and the actual pay-off is continually promised over the horizon. Read Full Review

The worst part about G.I. Joe is how much potential itsquanders. I went into this series wanting to like it, actually excited to see someone do a serious and adult take on G.I. Joe akin to Larry Hama's work with the franchise. Everything about the comic had been sold as a deep and interesting take on the franchise. Right down to those amazing covers working so hard to subvert the idea these are just plastic action men smacking against each other. Now here we arefiveissues in, instead of depth and substance, it's all just so much ponderous noise without of anything to say. Read Full Review

I don't even know what this is, I just know that I wanted to take a nap when I was done. Read Full Review

Majority of complaints I hear or read on this title have been about its lack of action and it being too realistic. Majority of complaints I hear or read about Larry Hama's "A Real American Hero" title is its cheesiness and it being too unrealistic. Same with the two movies.

I am an adult who grew up with the 80s GI JOE. I collected the comic books & watched the cartoons. I enjoyed Larry Hama's run. There were plenty of explosions, colorful soldiers & villains & vehicles, etc. I still have my comic collection today, but I hardly read any of it. If I want to read an old (or not so old) GI JOE comic book, I pick up IDDP's America's Elite or IDW's GI JOE: Cobra.

IDW's GI JOE Volume 4 is more realistic than GI JOE: Cobra, and I don't mind at all. It's nice to see the characters in their civvies most of the time. Karen Traviss says in one of her tweets to me: "If you're waiting for big battles, it's not that kind of story. It's espionage/ black ops - assassinations, bombs, etc."

I was hoping she would say that. Alas, the book's artist gets more praise than Traviss. Personally, IDW can hire just about any artist for this title and I wouldn't care less as long as Traviss is writing it.

Anyway, there's action on issue #5, but only a couple of pages (no complain here). And the Baroness shoots a civilian. The story is getting more complex. I really love this book.


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