Creators: Gabriel Hardman, Matt Hollingsworth
Story: Cobra Commander is inducting two new troops into the Crimson Guard when the Joes attack with a massive force. The Crimson Guardsmen fight through the Joes and out of the base into the swamp, continuously being chased by the Joes and the hazards of the swamp. They finally are able to make it another base and attempt to escape.
Writing: Another issue in the Cobra "Sssilent Missions" series this month, paying homage to Larry Hama's famous "Silent Issue" way back in Marvel's original run. Though without dialog, there is a lot going on in this issue, with the troopers trying to get away and them being relentlessly pursued by the Joe team. It's also hard to tell if this is supposed to set in the standard Joe-verse or its own thing; some individuals are hinted at either being seriously injured or possibly killed. But the story is fun and it's just non-stop action, along with a few "oh yeah, I can see that happening" moments.
Art: I do enjoy the art on this issue. It has a very gritty look to it. It is darker in most of its colors to not only represent the time it takes place (night), but also this is a big battle with lots of explosions, gun fire, jets overhead and our characters just trying to get away. One of the Crimson Guards has his faceplate partially broken and we get some good looks at his expressions through that bit broken off.
Overall: A good issue in this series, it was nice to see a random Cobra trooper get some time. I wish we would get that more in the on-going series (as when we get a random Cobra trooper to follow around for an issue or two, big things tend to happen!). A nice twist is set up in the story as well early on but it doesn't make this any less of a fun, entertaining issue.
