Judging by the excellent Duke #1 and Cobra Commander #1, It’s pretty fair to say we’re in good hands with writer Joshua Williamson kicking off the G.I. Joe side of the Energon Universe. Both series are spinning out of the knowledge of Transformers existing, which would shake anyone living in our reality. Talking robots that are five stories tall? Freaky stuff, and it’s what’s spurring a race to acquire an edge in a new world order.
Duke #2 opens with Duke on the run and badly hurt. Williamson and Tom Reilly have established that Duke is the best of us on the good-guy side, but now he needs to form a team. Enter Clutch, a G.I. Joe known for his motor vehicle skills who we learn goes way back with Duke as best buds.
The characterization is strong and helps flesh out both characters. Clutch may forget the name of a girl in his bed, but the fact that he remembers eventually shows he’s actually pretty considerate. There are nice small character tinges that help make these characters come alive.
This issue revolves around the two catching each other up and then racing to not be killed by a few familiar G.I. Joe characters. Longtime fans will love seeing some favorite characters pop up with some hits where Cobra is involved. One can see the mechanization of the plot moving forward and how this puzzle of recontextualizing G.I. Joe is coming more into focus. That’s exciting from a story perspective, whether you’re familiar with these characters or not.
That handshake looks familiar.
Credit: SKybound
The plot progression does leave something to be desired. By the end of the issue, this felt more like an opening scene than an entire issue. There’s enough here for character work, but it’s clear this first story arc is going to take things a little slow as Duke finds his footing as the head of G.I. Joe.
Reilly and color artist Jordie Bellaire continue to deliver a strong visual style not unlike 80s pulp comics. The bright oranges kick the action up a notch while really blasting us with cool full-page splashes of gun-toting baddies. Fans of movies like The Fugitive will enjoy the thriller aspects visualized well here. The chase is particularly well rendered, with Clutch’s vehicle looking like it could be a best seller in Toys R Us.
Duke #2 continues to show a deft hand at recrafting the G.I. Joe franchise as we know it. There’s strong character work and plenty for longtime fans to dig into, as the story is clearly on a path to new beginnings.
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