A new era for G.I. Joe starts here…but one Joe won’t survive THIS ISSUE! G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 continues one of the longest running series with a new publisher. Picking up from the momentous 300th issue, Skybound‘s era literally continues the story.

Written by Larry Hama, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 takes care of one of my biggest complaints about the 300th issue, it didn’t feel like a complete story or conclusion. Where that issue delivered a “to be continued,” this issue picks things up as Serpentor is trying to set off a “zombie bomb” as the Joes do what they can to get the hell away from it.

It’s just a race against time as we get to see it tick down and wonder if the bomb will go off, and who might be caught in it. Hama keeps things exciting and leaves readers guessing as to what might happen. Who will get caught in the explosion, if anyone, that’s the gist of the issue. Plus, what happens when it goes off?

There’s a solid tense set of actions as the race against time ticks down. You can feel the excitement and the vibe oozes off the page as the Joes attempt to get to safety. Part of that is due to the art of Chris Mooneyham.

Mooneyham is joined by colorist Francesco Segala and lettering by Pat Brosseau. I tensed up as Wild Bill struggled to fly the plane. I felt the excitement as the Joes raced off on the water trying to get as far away as possible. It’s all done in a more gritty style than the previous run and with that delivers a slightly more “adult” vibe about it all. The comic absolutely feels different than what came before and in my opinion a next step in the series’ style.

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.

Story: Larry Hama Art: Chris Mooneyham
Color: Francesco Segala Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Skybound provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle