Bottalk Reviews

Creators : Dan Watters (Writer), Andrei Bressan (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer). Story : Tomax and Xamot are showing Cobra Commander around their newly acquired M.A.R.S. Corporation and what they can do with it when they come across Destro and a fight breaks out.  Outside, Scrap-Iron, Chameleon and Mercer take on the Crimson Guard.  During their fight, Destro and the Twins talk about the future, all the while Cobra Commander looks on.  Finally, the Overkill system is activated but Destro keeps it from killing the Twins.  He proposes they work together, under Cobra, because of the changes the world is going to see.  They agree.  Later, Destro and Astoria Carlton-Ritz are eating dinner while Destro launches a missile to take out the Overkill system. Later, Destro and distant cousin Darklon are at their ancestral tomb and Darklon apologizes for selling M.A.R.S. but Destro says the Evader Driver needs to wear a family mask, like the first Destro did and gives him

Creators : Kelly Thomas (Writer), Marco Ferrari (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : Scarlett, Jinx, and Storm Shadow have possession of the sword and Storm Shadow uses it to defeat a foe but then they see Cobra arrive and take cover. They ponder how to escape (with only two parachutes)  but Cobra Commander can detect the Energon the sword gives off and they get fired upon.  Scarlett gets injured and pushes Jinx out of the building (with the parachute) and jumps after her. The three split up to rendezvous later and Scarlett is able to touch base with Snow Job.  She decides to stay in to help Jinx.  Back at the Arashikage stronghold, Storm Shadow presents the sword to the Hard Master who gives it back and Storm Shadow raises it while the clan cheers on, surprising both Jinx and Scarlett.  Writing : Another good solid issue.  We start out with some good action and getting the trio to engage Cobra a bit was fun.  It was also good to see Snow Job and that Scar

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Tony Kordos (inks), Francesco Segala (colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (flatter), Pat Brosseau (letterer) Story : The Battle for Springfield continues, and we realize Cobra is leading Serpentor Khan's forces into a trap.  Cobra Commander realizes that the Dreadnoks and the Baroness are there and sends his stand-in in the battle armor to get them.  Dawn decides to save the police officer that helped kill her family.  On Cobra Island, Serpentor Khan decides to lead the next wave against Cobra as the Joe recon team escapes but is gunned down in the ocean (though they survive and float on the unit containing a clone of the original Serpentor).  In Springfield, the Crimson Guard in Cobra Commander's battle armor engages the Dreadnoks and is able to seriously wound the Baroness.  The Joe Ninja Team is taking heavy fire as well (with the police officer almost killing Dawn but dying by enemy fire) when they meet up with the Dreadn

Creators : Dan Watters (writer), Andrei Bressan (artist), Adriano Lucas (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Tomax and Xamot are meeting with Artyom Darklon, willing to buy MARS since Destro hasn't been seen in 8 days.  However, they are disappointed to discover that the Battle Android Troopers aren't able to live up to their expectations.  Meanwhile, Destro has been reading over many confidential U.S. government files and is making his next move.  Destro makes an appearance at a party hosted by Astoria Carlton-Ritz (The Girl Who Loved Powerglide), who tries to run from Destro but he and Scrap-Iron are able to stop her.  It ends up, Astoria is much more shrewd than she appears and tells Destro about Project Overkill, an AI system meant to defend the world.  It was Overkill that attacked the arms show (though it was Astoria who tried to kill Destro).  Back at M.A.R.S. Industries, Tomax and Xamot welcome Cobra Commander.  Writing :  This issue really takes what we thought w

Creators : Kelly Thompson (Writer), Marco Ferrari (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : During the corporate raid, Jinx and Scarlett exchange some code phrases.  Storm Shadow leads the rest of the clan to another floor looking for their weapon while Jinx and Scarlett are able to finally catch up as they make their way to a different floor.  Jinx believes that maybe the Arashikage could be an ally against the new threat: Cobra.  They eventually find the treasure and some Cobra troops.  Shadow joins in and he is able to retrieve the sword.   Writing :  We get a good "catch up" issue here.  Scarlett and Jinx finally get their moments to tell each other what's going on.  The main meta-plot going on right now doesn't move too much though, some hints are put throughout these issues along with leaving on a good cliffhanger. Art : This issue does have many cool fight scenes but we also get a page or two of Jinx and Scarlett just standing around a

Creators : Dan Watters (Writer), Andrea Milana (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : At Destro's ancestral shrine, he is attacked by the assassin sent to kill him and his arrogance quickly diminishes as his assailant proves to be resourceful.  She is able to disable his weapons and comms and call in drones that end up shooting down his Despoiler craft.  Back at M.A.R.S. HQ, Mercer and Scrap-Iron discuss how advanced the weapons they retrieved from the attack are and how Tomax and Xamot probably don't have the technology to produce something that advanced, hinting at a third party.  We get a flashback to the first Destro to wear a mask, during the reign of Oliver Cromwell (as this Destro provided weapons to all parties involved).  Meanwhile, Destro survives his crash and makes his way to a U.S. Air Force base in Scotland where he ends up speaking with General Flagg.  Writing : While the overall story didn't move too far along, with the bulk of the

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Tony Kordos (inks), Francesco Segala (colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (Flatter), Pat Brosseau (letterer). Story : Serpentor's mutated, cyborg forces are attacking Cobra forces in Springfield, with Cobra Commander in his battle armor taking the lead and doing very well, inspiring his troops.  The G.I. Joe Ninja team (Snake Eyes, Dawn, Storm Shadow, Jinx, and Scarlett) encounter a police officer who is injured but was involved with the death of Dawn's parents.  The Baroness, along with Zartan and his Dreadnoks, fight off Cobra troops as well with the Thunder Machine.  Back at Cobra Island, the Infiltration team escapes with Dr. Mindbender as their captive and his frozen specimen to their zodiac craft.  Serpentor is not happy with how things are going in Springfield and when the stealth bombers return, he joins the fray.  In Springfield, it ends up Cobra Commander is not in his battle armor, it's just a Crimson Guardsman

Creators : Kelly Thompson (Writer), Marco Ferrari (Artist), Lee  Loughridge (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : Scarlett continues her infiltration mission into Sato II: The Tiger while the rest of the Clan fight in Sato III: Sakura.  While Scarlett is able to bypass some security, she does have to take some out, both lethally and non-lethally.  Though injured in her encounters with tower security, Scarlett continues down to take out a power source so the rest of the ninjas can steal a weapon.  Scarlett is successful in her mission and is able to rejoin her allies in the other tower, where she has a few, hushed, words with Jinx.  However, the buyer for the weapon they stole arrives in a helicopter with a familiar red logo.  Writing : Most of this issue just focuses on Scarlett completing her mission and doesn't move the overall plot forward too much.  We do get more insight into Scarlett through this and see that if she cannot kill everyone, she'll take that route.  It wa

Creators : Dan Watters (Writer), Andrei Bressan (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : Both Destro and Tomax with Xamot go over the events at the end of the last issue (separately) to their respective troops, each blaming the other and planning on how to take the other out.  We get a quick background on Tomax and Xamot as we see their troops training and then get attacked by some Iron Grenadiers. Some Siegies then attack a M.A.R.S. facility but are repelled by some Battle Android Troopers (as it is a storage facility for Energon as well).  The Iron Grenadiers attack another Extensive Enterprises facility but face backlash from some Assault System Pods.  Both sides then meet up at a neutral island but still blame each other for the attack in Darklonia.  While threats are made, both decide it would be best to duel to the death and the winners absorbing the others company.  Destro heads to his hidden sanctuary in Scotland, confident, no one knows where it is but

Creators : Larry Hama (Writer), Paul Pelletier (Pencils), Tony Kordos (Inks), Francesco Segala (Colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (Flatter), Pat Brosseau (Letterer) Story : On Cobra Island, the G.I. Joe infiltration team is captured and put in a cell while the mutated, cyborg troops are loaded into the stealth bombers for an attack on Springfield. At the Pit, Duke informs the Ninja Team that they will be doing a recon of Springfield. Back on Cobra Island, the infiltration team escapes and heads to Dr. Mindbender's lab while out on a highway, the Baroness and the (real) Zartan head towards Springfield in a tractor trailer, with the other Dreadnoks and the Thunder Machine in the back. In a bit of serendipity, the Ninja Team is driving a van next to them (unknowingly) and we get the hint Storm Shadow isn't wild about Scralett's plan.  In Dr. Mindbender's lab, the infiltration team gather lots of information and capture Dr. Mindbender and discover a frozen body in a secret comp

Creators : Kelly Thompson (Writer), Marco Ferrari (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : Scarlett is now a prisoner of the Arashikage clan, reviewing her objectives (gain access to the stronghold, establish contact with Jinx, secure a possible weapon) and is planning her escape, having fully prepped (including keeping a razor in her abdomen).  She is caught and fights off more ninjas before Storm Shadow stops it and takes her to a room (including a flashback scene of Scarlett training with Jinx) and inquires about what she is trying to do.  She says she wants to find meaning again, feeling her skills aren't being used fully.  The Hard Master arrives and says Scarlett can't join because while she has skills, she lacks loyalty, honour and sacrifice.  They give Scarlett a mission to infiltrate a Yakuza controlled tower to steal back an Arashikage weapon of "unusual" origins to prove herself. Scarlett parachutes on top of the tower, sneaks in a