BotTalk Reviews

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer), Andrea Milana (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Risk and Crystal Ball continue their fight and we discover Crystal Ball's background and a bit more on Risk.  Destro and Baroness work together to free Stalker and Chameleon, which allows Risk to win the fight.  Both Joes and Cobra are able to return with some valuable prizes.  Cobra Commander plans to use the D.I.R.E. (Dread-Inducing Responsive Energy) tech while the Baroness witnesses something she shouldn't have. Writing : Williamson keeps the action flowing in the first half of this issue.  Crystal Ball gets a pretty decent background while keeping some of his original ("7th son of the 7th son).  The last half wraps up a few other plot points (Scarlett's return, Duke's mission with Clutch) and sets us up nicely for the next issue.  I do wonder if Williamson will "rewind the clock" a bit so we get some more details of what happened el...

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Paul Pelletier (penciler), Tony Kordos (inker), Francesco Segala (colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (flatterer), Pat Brosseau (letterer) Story : The Joe teams have to deal with three of its members (Snake-Eyes, Dawn, and Sean) having an "easter egg" leftover by Dr. Venom in the original Snake-Eyes' memory as they attack any Joes near them.  The crew at the Pitt (Duke, Stalker, Dial-Tone and Mainframe) are able to contain Dawn in the Pitt and inform Helix and Beach Head what's going on but can't reach Scarlett as Snake-Eyes attacks her.  Scarlett is able to hold him off and head outside but encounters a bear.  In Darklonia, Beach Head and Helix are able to trick Sean in taking out the blue ninjas and finally Snake-Eyes is able to overcome the programming.  Meanwhile, at Destro's castle, a certain raider of tombs discovers something. Writing : Again, I think it's pretty cool that Hama is pulling the Dr. Venom card after decades of...

Creators : Dan Watters (writer), Pye Parr (artist), Pierluigi Casolino (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Miles Mayhem tries to retrieve an alien object but it turns on and he loses it.  Matt Trakker reaches out to Bruce Sato and Gloria Baker to help him out.  They discover the artifact opened a wormhole and try to stop it while fending off attacks from V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem).   Writing : Second issue in and we're looking at potential world-ending threats and MASK is on the case.  Watters wastes no time in introducing two classic MASK characters into the mix.  When or how Trakker recruited them is unknown but maybe we'll get into that in future issues.  Watters keeps the action and story moving and it never feels like there is any downtime.  We have a threat, we get a team together and they tackle the threat.  While we're not told how long they have been agents, Sato seems a bit surprised that the Shark can transform so...

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer), Andrea Milana (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Picking up where last issue left off, Risk is fighting the ghosts of his pasts as Crystal Ball (the Cobra hypnotist and paranormal scientist) tries to torture him but he fights them off.  Crystal Ball then ups the ante.  Meanwhile, after a brief skirmish, Destro and Baroness decided to a temporary alliance in order to get out.  Risk encounters more ghosts of his past and ends up in a fist fight with Mercer.  The two come to terms and also decide to work together.  Destro and Baroness find more energon and Stalker and Chameleon hooked up to some machines.  Mercer is then taken out and Crystal Ball decides to face Risk himself.  Writing : Williamson keeps this story moving, rarely with any downtime. The Baroness and Risk get a bit more of their backgrounds explained and we start to see a classic Baroness/Destro relationship emerge (thou...

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Tony Kordos (inker), Francesco Segala (colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (flatterer), Pat Brosseau (letterer) Story : Doctor Mindbender and Alpha-001 start exploring the digital memories Dr. Venom downloaded from Snake-Eyes.  Dawn has returned to the Pit and suspects there is something hidden in the memories of Snake-Eyes (that were implanted in her mind by Dr. Venom) and Duke, Stalker and Mainframe all worry what might happen as Sean and the original Snake-Eyes also have those memories.  In Darklonia, Helix, Sean and Beachhead infiltrate the countryside to take down a Terror Drome.  In Colorado, Scarlett and Snake-Eyes are enjoying time away.  Then, Mindbender activates something and all three start attacking whoever is nearest.   Writing : I enjoyed the 4 separate but interconnected stories.  I also enjoy that a minor character from the original G.I. Joe run from 40 years ago still has an impact on the...

Creators :  Dan Watters, Pye Parr, Pierluigi Casolino Story :  Matt Trakker, trying to escape from the US military, is captured and brought in to see General Flagg.  Meanwhile, Vanessa Warfield and Sly Rax both interrogate individuals in their own way.  Trakker lets loose on Flagg what Miles Mayhem is up to and how unstable he is and how Mayhem framed Trakker and stole his Mobile Armored Strike Kommand technology. In Alaska, Mayhem finds the third person who had interacted with an alien device he wants.  Trakker says he wanted to be captured because he knows Mayhem has an agent nearby, who is the Private in the room.  Both he and Trakker activate their masks and duke it out, with General Flagg and Trakker taking down the Vicious Evil Network Of Mayhem (V.E.N.O.M.) agent.  While Flagg offers Trakker a position within G.I. Joe, he declines and escapes with his flying car, the Thunderhawk.  Mayem, Rax, and Warfield do find an alien device. Writing : ...

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer), Andrea Milana (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Cobra Commander admires his latest achievement and sends Destro on a mission (despite his arguing otherwise).  We get a bit more background on Risk as he, Baroness and Stalker land in Badhikistan for a mission.  The reports say it is abandoned and that the people left it because it is haunted.  They start to see strange signs but eventually run into Destro, Astoria, and Mercer, who claim to have seen things also (both sides blame each other).  After a brief tussle, all but Risk are captured by various things.  Meanwhile. Crystal Ball looks on, having captured everyone with his tech.  Writing : An interesting story and right away Williamson has made Crystal Ball a bit more interesting.  Crystal Ball was never a fan-favourite character (or toy) so it will be fun to see what he ends up doing here.  We get some classic Cobra Commande...

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Andrew Krahnke (artist), Francesco Segala (colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (flatter), Pat Brosseau (letterer) Story : In Sierra Gordo, the Joe team of Jinx, Dawn, Cover Girl, and Sherlock finish taking down a Terror Drome.  However, an explosion knocks Dawn around, revealing more memories from Snake-Eyes and Dr. Venom using his Brainwave Scanner on Snake-Eyes way back in issue 10.  On Cobra Island. Dr. Mindbender gets notified about these memories as well.   Writing : Hama easily wraps up the Terror Drome story while introducing a new problem for Snake-Eyes.  Hama introduced the world to Dr. Venom, Cobra's original mad scientist back in the early days of the comic's run in the 1980's and has continued to use the dead character and his brainwave scanner again and again.  He's a favorite villain that, while dead, just keeps coming back!   Art : It's nice to see Dawn without her mask on all the time in this issue.  Sometimes ...

Creators : Jorge Fornés, Dave Stewart Story : Firefly infiltrates a Soviet Union military base in the Sayan Mountains and while searching their computers for POWs, is almost captured by the Oktober Guard but is able to get away.  Later, he comes across an Afghan woman in a prison. Writing : This issue, another "Sssilent" issue, does a great job showcasing how dangerous Firefly has always been in the comics.  He has physical skills on par with the ninjas, is able to take down, silently, many of the soldiers in the base, plant explosives, and access computer systems.  The nice thing about this issue is we're not too sure who Firefly is actually working for in this issue.  Art : Some great art here.  First off, the Cobra Ice Snake (a high-speed, arctic attack vehicle with jaw snapping roll cage) makes an appearance, which is pretty cool when these vehicles from the end of the original ARAH toy run show up.  We also get some "video game" side-scrolling views as...

Creators :  Howard Porter, Romulo Fajardo Jr. Story :  After retrieving something from some G.I. Joe divers in the ocean for Cobra, Copperhead heads to a penthouse and looks depressed eyeballing a picture of simpler times.  He joins in a street dirt bike race and that leads him to the bayou and a poker game with the Dreadnok pirate, Zanzibar.  They fight over the game and this leads to an airboat race.  Copperhead is brutal during the race and eventually wins.  However, his victory is short-lived as he has another job from Cobra. Writing :  Part of the "Sssilent" issues this month, Copperhead focuses on the driver of the Cobra Water Moccasin toy, though we actually never see it in the issue.  Honestly, it is a bit tough to figure out what's going on in the issue.  Is Copperhead doing this for revenge?  To prove he's the best?  Is the penthouse his home or is he just raiding it?  Does he have a conflict with Zanzibar or are they...

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer), Tom Reilly (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Cover Girl, Snow Job and Frostbite are set to retrieve Scarlett from her undercover mission at the Arashikage (from her own limited series).  While there, Cobra attacks and Scarlett, Jinx, and Storm Shadow do their best to fight off the Cobra troops but heavy causalities are taken and Cobra leaves the place destroyed.  Scarlett gets extracted.   Writing :  In homage to the original issue #21 of G.I. Joe, this is mostly a silent issue.  There is just a bit of mission journal at the beginning and end of it, but the rest is free of words.  This is a good follow-up from the Scarlett miniseries though it does give enough background so those who missed it won't be too lost.  We get to see just how ruthless Cobra can be as well.   Art : This issue, being a silent issue, hinges a lot on its art.  The art is really good.  We get a ...

Creators : Patrick Olliffe, Tom DeFalco, John Kalisz Story :  Zartan is spying on the Joes,  who are watching a new weapon, while he is being spied upon by Major Bludd.  Zartan infiltrates the Joes and is able to steal the weapon. However, he is then captured by Bludd and some Cobra forces.  Heading to ship, Zartan uses his guile and skills to escape before Cobra Commander shows up, followed by a contingent of Joes. Writing :  The third Cobra "Sssilent" issue this month, this one follows fan-favorite Zartan.  This story can easily fit into most Joe continuities.  We get to see a lot of Zartan's skills - his disguises, his fighting skills and, most importantly, his intelligence as he outmaneuvers everyone.   Art :  The art is pretty good in this one.  There are focuses on things you might not think are important but they come back to later.  And I enjoyed seeing a few late-series toys pop up - like the Shark 9000 (which the Joe team ...

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Andrew Krahnke (artist), Francesco Segala (colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (flatterer), Pat Brosseau (letterer) Story :  A Joe team comprised of Snake Eyes (Dawn Moreno), Cover Girl, Jinx, Down Range and Sherlock is on a mission in Sierra Gordo to check out a joint Cobra/Revanche operation.  While almost captured, they escape and infiltrate the pyramid, where control (Duke, Mainframe and Stalker are monitoring them) lose them due to inference.  They discover a Terror Drome built into an ancient pyramid and debate blowing it up as troops close in around them.  Writing :  We've circled back to teams of Joe's tracking down Terror Dromes in various environments.  This one is more of an infiltration issue.  The past couple of issues took a little break from this overarching story.  One thing that was done here was include an all-female cast for the main story.  Art :  Art is pretty good here though not quite up t...