G.I. Joe Volume 3 TPB [Paperback]

This is the third trade collecting Larry Hama's continuation of his original series and contains issues #166-170, first published as individual comics by IDW in May-September 2011. (If you're looking for issues #1-155 that were first published in 1982-1994, they are available in the "Classic G.I. Joe" trades.)

Storylines included in this collection are:

*An epic sea battle - Cutter, Shipwreck, Deep-Six and Top-Side in the WHALE (hovercraft) and SHARC (flying submarine) up against three Cobra Hydrofoils and Destro's submarine!

*Brilliant Arctic action - Blizzard, Frostbite, Iceberg and Cold-Front battle against Snow-Serpents, Ice-Vipers and Cobra snow vehicles - the WOLFs!

*Destro and the Baroness break free from Cobra and return to Scotland, reactivating the Iron Grenadiers!

*Firefly and Crystal Ball team up to attack the Joe's secret weapon in Manhattan - they are repelled by Joe Colton, Jane and Mainframe. (This is the only story in the collection that is a little weak - everything else is stellar)

*Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow and Billy(Cobra Commander's son)investigate a mysterious Russian dojo in Brooklyn that is displaying the Arashikage hexagram in their window. (Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes were believed to have been the last survivors of the Arashikage clan.) This starts us off on an adventure in which we learn more about Storm Shadow's family!

*A "flashback" of Sneak-Peek working undercover in the country of Darklonia, in which he attempts to uncover some shady activity!

*Wild Bill and Lift-Ticket (piloting the Tomahawk helicopter) transport Flint, Lady Jaye, Roadblock and Recondo to Darklonia, on a mission to capture an enemy once thought to be dead!

We only get the beginnings of the Arashikage, Sneak-Peek and Darklonia adventures in this trade - more to come for these storylines in the next volume! I buy the individual issues as they come out, and I can tell you that the upcoming continuations to these stories are amazing - don't miss out!

In addition to Hama's fantastic scripting, we also get incredible art in this collection by SL Gallant and Ron Wagner.

Again, there's a cover gallery in the back with full-page reproductions of all the cover variants for issues #166-170, including the rare Hama sketch covers. In the last volume IDW neglected to reprint the sketch covers - it's exciting to have them back this time around!

I highly recommend this to any Joe fan, even if you haven't been following the series. The first issue in this collection, #166, is a great jumping-on point, with a major storyline having come to an end in #165.

Better than volumes 1 and 2, THIS is the Hama continuation we've been waiting for!

I collected the G.I. Joe series in the late 80s and early 90s. I always wanted those earlier issue that I was too young to be interested in when they first came out. These books gave me that oppurtunity and it also cleared up some mysteries about where certain G.I. joe characters came from. It is a must have for any G.I. Joe collector.

With this 3rd book in Larry Hama's return to the classic 80s GI Joe series he hits his stride. It feels more like the classic GI Joe run than the first two books.

It opens with a sea battle off the Jersey Shore between the GI Joe hovercraft the Whale and Cobra hydrafoils. The art by classic GI Joe artist Ron Wagner really brings it all back. Later issues include Arctic battles and call backs to old story lines.

Of course that can be a drawback, new readers might be turned off by references to SDI lasers in the Chrysler Building, Soviet sound wave experiments in the Arctic and obscure Joes like Sneak Peak taking center stage. So adjust your expectations accordingly.

As for me, I have fond memories of all of these, and admire how Hama can bring such semi-sill concepts to life. I'm looking forward to book 4!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  5.0 out of 5 stars