Shana “Scarlett” O’Hara is about to take on the most dangerous black ops mission of her career: infiltrating the mysterious rising power in Japan known as Clan Arashikage. Her one lead is her former partner—Jinx—turned Arashikage enforcer. Now, Scarlett must use her very particular set of skills to survive undercover…and discover a shocking weapon that could change the balance of power on Earth. Scarlett #1 kicks off the next chapter in the lead up to the formation of G.I. JOE.

Skybound has been slowly building its Energon Universe that brings together Transformers, G.I. JOE, and more. They’ve brought a logic to each piece of the puzzle and how they fit together, making it all logical and organic. In this new take, G.I. JOE doesn’t yet exist, but a proto-version is there in the background. G.I. JOE’s part of the story primarily started in Duke, and now shifts to Scarlett, moving the spotlight to the beloved character.

Written by Kelly Thompson, Scarlett #1 gives us an interesting insight into the character as she’s sent on a mission and then completely ignores her orders and the mission parameters. We not only get to see her insubordination but also the logic behind it, giving us a character who’s in the right and will do what she thinks is right. But, Thompson takes it further, mixing in Jinx, and intertwining the two’s history and giving us a friendship. The comic creates a very interesting base concept as Scarlett is sent on a mission to bring Jinx. It gives us action, excitement, and shows us how much of a badass Scarlett is.

The art by Marco Ferrari is solid. With color by Lee Loughridge and lettering by Rus Wooton, the visuals of the comic pops. There’s solid action and small details that creates tension throughout the comic. It feels like something is going to snap at any moment. It captures the energy of the comic much like Duke‘s art matched that series’ paranoia.

Scarlett #1 is another great addition to the G.I. JOE side of the Energon Universe, giving us more insight into the world and the key characters. It also gives us a Scarlett that feels both familiar and new. She’s a badass we want to see kick ass and it’ll be great to see this version interact with a team once it all comes together.

Story: Kelly Thompson Art: Marco Ferrari
Color: Lee Loughridge Letterer: Rus Wooton
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Skybound provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle