GI Joe: Origins #16

Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Alex Cal

Transformers: Ironhide #2

Written by Mike Costa
Art by Casey Coller
Cover by Marcelo Matere

GI Joe: Origins has been a real mixed bag for me. When the series started, it seemed like a refreshing new direction for the Joe team with Hama at the helm. It quickly became a mess in my eyes. Then they switched to a rotating creative team and a focus on individual characters. More hit than miss, but still, the very nature of rotating teams is the fact that the end result will always be a crap shoot. Well, this issue starts an arc by Chuck Dixon, who wrote my single favorite issue of GI Joe, focusing on a character driven story about a pair of Joes. This time? He’s tackling Zartan, one of the most convoluted characters in the history of GI Joe. Let’s take a look back at Zartan’s previous origin(s), shall we?

According to Marvel’s continuity, Zartan was hired by Cobra Commander to assassinate Snake Eyes, but found peace with the Arashikage and studied with their master swordsmith.  When Cobra Commander threatened to expose him, Zartan attempted to carry out his contract, looking to set Storm Shadow up to take the fall. He accidentally killed Storm Shadow’s uncle, instead - an act which solidified the rift which had formed between Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. Devil’s Due then added an actual origin for the character, too convoluted to go into here. Suffice it to say, it explains his mastery of false identities through a fascination with role-playing games, his chameleonic abilities through a stint as a lab rat for the French military, and the Australian Dreadnoks being a Floridian biker gang through his usurpation of the gang’s command from their former leader. Bear in mind, this is the simplified version.

Enter IDW and a Zartan who, like his previous counterpart, is a master infiltrator and assassin in the employ of Cobra. Absent, however, are the apparent psychoses and super powers. For now at least. The end of this issue sets up an interesting next chapter for the once and future leader of the Dreadnoks, and dove tails perfectly with Dixon’s first issue of the main title from over a year ago. Was this always the scribe’s plan? I don’t know. But damn… it’s pretty fantastic, and I’m extremely curious to see where it goes. And this is coming from someone who didn’t exactly love that issue when it first dropped.

Alex Cal’s art here is quite enjoyable. His figures are impressively distinct from one another, and each well-rendered on its own. His visual narrative is strong, and the action sequences have a kinetic energy missing from many bigger name artists. And the special effects? Well, see for yourself. I think radtastic sums it up best.

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Meanwhile, back on Cybertron, Ironhide’s taking a walk down memory lane. In the hands of a lesser writer, this story would make me nervous. Mike Costa is playing with flashbacks and - flash sideways? - in such a way to keep readers, and his star, off balance. Is any of this actually happening, or has Ironhide become little more than a ghost in the machine? You’ll find no answers here, just a few more interesting glimpses of the bad-bot’s past, and a few moments of what may be his present.

Whatever’s transpiring, Coller’s bring it to two-dimensional life in fine form. His rendition of the Swarm drones attacking our hero is down right chilling, especially juxtaposed to the gleaming visions of Cybertron’s brighter days.

Again… a different creative team would have me extremely skeptical in regards to what they’re trying to pull off here, but Costa and Coller? I’m thinking they’ve got it on lockdown. I just look forward to finding out what’s actually going on. Next issue looks to have some answers, though, so hopefully things will start to fall into place.

GI Joe: Origins #16 gets 5 out of 5 false faces for making the best of a very bad situation; we’ll see where it goes. Transformers: Ironhide #2 will have to settle for 4 out of 5 Frankensteinian robo-bugs; this issue didn’t do much to move the narrative forward, but I’m hoping it was laying some crucial groundwork that’ll bear fruit in the coming months.