Written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Ben Templesmith
Covers by Ben Templesmith and Tom Feister

In case you couldn’t figure it out, this issue’s a look into the past of the leatherclad Baroness DeCobray. To be perfectly honest, there’s not a lot to say here. It’s an enjoyable issue, though it doesn’t necessarily tell us anything about the character’s past that we couldn’t have inferred from her present. In fact, the most important part of the issue may not truly have anything to do with Anastasia at all. We should start with the main character’s story, though.

Let’s see… she’s a Baroness, so there’s the prerequisite falling out with her wealthy family. She’s a female character, so of course her life is largely shaped by the man she falls in love with. And she’s a badass, so it’s none-too-surprising when anyone and everyone who ever might have meant anything to her dies as a part of her rebirth and enlistment into Cobra.

The important things to come away with here are the differences and similarities between IDW’s origin and the old Marvel origin of the character. For one, Baroness is no longer a founding member of Cobra. While the idea of Cobra enlisting the young woman as she rages against the machine is an interesting twist, the idea that Anastasia DeCobray falls in with a group that just happens to be called Cobra is a bit inane. There is, however, still the plot point of the death of Anastasia’s brother. Will this be erroneously attributed to Snake Eyes, as in the Marvel continuity? That remains to be seen.

What is of particular interest in this issues is the potential groundwork being laid down for a future reveal. I suspect that a page will be taken from the recent film, and Cobra Commander will in actuality be none other than the lost son of the DeCobray house, thereby making the whole Cobra name thing make at least a little bit of sense. To be honest, it would be just the right blend of elements from the Marvel run and the movie, with a distinctly IDW twist to it all.

Art chores for this stand alone fall to Ben Templesmith, whose work you may recognize from 30 Days of Night. It has a fantastic look to it, though I must admit, it feels oddly out of place here. While the stylized nautre certainly has an inrtiguing aesthetic appeal, it doesn’t immediately call out international terrorism to me.

All taken together, GI Joe Origins #12 gets 3.5 out of 5 wealthy lords and ladies receiving their collective comeuppance. Yo Joe!