If you’re excited about new G.I. Joe comics, you’ve probably been reading Cobra Commander. So far, the series has explored where he came from and how tenacious he is at getting what he wants. The title character is on the hunt for Energon to keep the Cobra-La people happy, but he’s faced some tricky enemies like the Dreadnoks. As Cobra Commander #3 showed, however, Nemesis is way too powerful for a bunch of backwater morons with a bunch of sharp weapons.
Cobra Commander #4 is an entertaining issue with plenty of action, vicious gore, and an ability to show where this is all going. We’ve seen Cobra Commander hold his own, but after the Dreadnoks tortured him for hours, he’s ready to take his prize and move on. This issue opens with him finally getting to the Energon, but inside he discovers a lab with new secrets and advancements he couldn’t have anticipated.
Meanwhile, Nemesis is tearing up the Dreadnoks with ease. Artist Andrea Milana and colorist Annalisa Leoni show the bloodpath in his wake. He’s also fast, super strong, and way overpowered. Considering the advancements Energon gives to tech, maybe the Dreadnoks could have a fighting chance with better weaponry and the use of the energy, but not today. The use of sound efects and dramatic lighting add a lot to the outdoor Nemesis battle.
Cobra Commander is pretty beaten up.
Credit: Skybound
Cobra Commander’s interest in science rears its head thanks to a key scene in the Dreadnoks lab. That ties back to the first issue, which shows Cobra Commander isn’t some ruthless fighter, but a man of science. There’s a great nine-panel grid showing a discovery, which has a faint Transformers vibe in the last three panels. The sci-fi aspects of this discovery are going to be huge for the larger Energon Universe story. The character writing shines through this issue, in part because of the good dialogue by Joshua Williamson.
The last half of the issue brings in a ton more action and reminds us Cobra Commander is resilient. He can also take a major beating. Once again, the bold sound effects are used to amp up panels with a giant “Boom” behind Nemesis, or a “Tzar” that makes the electricity flowing through Cobra Commander felt a bit more. The odds are against Cobra Commander, but he earns the win. All in all, this is a well plotted issuew ith no slow moments or awkward transitions.
Cobra Commander #4 goes a long way in showing where this story is going. We not only get to see why Cobra Commander is going to be rejecting Cobra-La, but also how he may team up with a classic villain. In a well paced chapter, Cobra Commander is a worthy action-filled sci-fi adventure.
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