The backgrounds of four characters are delved into in G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA: MOVIE PREQUEL, a trade paperback collection of IDW Publishing's comic-book one-shots. These aren't really origin tales, but stories taking place sometime before the events of the film.
First up is Conrad “Duke” Hauser, on a routine mission — if explosion-laden counts as routine — with the Army Rangers in the jungles of Papua. Wallace "Ripcord" Weems is along for the ride, as well. This is followed by a glimpse on the evil side, with corporate slime McCullen flashing back to his youth, learning about his Destro family lineage.
Neither of these stories are all that special, but the back half of the book comes alive, starting with Baroness Anastasia DeCobray, the leggy brunette baddie who here pulls off a heist of sorts in the mansion of an Arab sheik. Finally, the ninja Snake Eyes infiltrates a terrorist takeover of a new Russian dam, and it's the coolest of the bunch, because ... well, he's a ninja.
All the contents are written by Chuck Dixon, who's been busy penning other comics with these characters, so he has an obvious familiarity with them. S.L. Gallant handles the art duties, and he's solid from start to finish, lending the proceedings a grit, rather than the garish gloss that Casey Maloney brings to the official comics adaptation. —Rod Lott
Buy it at Amazon.
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF G.I. JOE:
• G.I. JOE: ABOVE & BEYOND by Max Allan Collins
• G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA by Max Allan Collins
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF CHUCK DIXON:
• DEAN KOONTZ’S FRANKENSTEIN: PRODIGAL SON — VOLUME ONE by Chuck Dixon and Brett Booth
• A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: BOOK ONE by Chuck Dixon and Kevin West
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF S.L. GALLANT:
• MONSTERS VS. ALIENS: THE OFFICIAL MOVIE ADAPTATION by Andy Lanning, S.L. Gallant and Alex Dalton
• TORCHWOOD: RIFT WAR by Simon Furman, Paul Grist, Ian Edginton, Brian Williamson, D’Israeli and S.L. Gallant
Related posts:
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
- Monsters vs. Aliens: The Official Movie Adaptation
- The Mummy: The Rise and Fall of Xango’s Ax
- FRAMES O’ REFERENCE >> Better than the Movie: Part 1
- G.I. Joe: Above & Beyond
