One of the more interesting elements of Joshua Williamson’s G.I. Joe is the addition of the Baroness to the team. She’s long been a foe of the Joes, but here she becomes an ally to the team – even if it’s only reluctantly. Williamson compared this to throwing a stone in a pond, saying: “If the G.I. Joe world was a pond…what we did is because of the Transformers’ introduction and the stuff that’s having in Void Rivals that leads to the creation of G.I. Joe and Cobra…that’s a big rock. And we threw that rock into that pond. And you see how it ripples out. And you let the characters react to those ripples.”
G.I. Joe #8 starts to explore those ripples, especially where the Baroness is concerned. She yearns to leave the Pit, and manages to do so once Duke puts in a good word for her. But there are caveats: Cover Girl ends up coming with her, and soon the two are targeted by a vengeful Major Bludd. On top of that, Clutch has to struggle with the fact that his jeep is actually the Autobot known as Hound. And Cobra Commander continues to plot to use the power of Energon to conquer the world.
Williamson makes sure that the Baroness is front and center, and starts showing that the frosty assassin has layers. It turns out that there’s a surprisingly touching reason why she wants to get out of the Pit, and it makes her feel all the more human. I also love the rapport between her and Cover Girl, especially since Cover Girl manages to trail Baroness no matter what tricks she employs to get rid of her. Clutch and Hound’s dynamic is also interesting, though the issue could have used more of it (Especially since this is a big twist in the narrative.)
Skybound
Andrea Milana continues to deliver dynamic images backed up by Lee Loughridge’s colors. The very first set of pages begins with a scene where Risk and Cover Girl are hunting the Baroness; Milana draws the scene with an ominous edge, as the Baroness is hiding in the shadows while her teammates hunt her down. Loughridge shrouds the scene in an eerie red glow, which makes things feel even more ominous. But then it’s revealed to be a training exercise, and the scene shifts to warmer blues and yellows. The back half of the issue, which is set in Paris, is also shrouded in the warm golden sunlight you’d expect from a Paris-set comic.
The standout moment of the issue comes toward the final pages, which feature an underrated member of Cobra…and a horror element. I don’t want to get too deep into spoilers, but if you’ve watched Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, things spiral into this level of creepy. But it works because it’s so unexpected, and because Milana can add the proper amount of menace to a swarm of birds filling up a panel.
G.I. Joe #8 is a great character study, digging deep into the Baroness’ past while fleshing out the Energon Universe. It’s also a visual treat, courtesy of Andrea Milana. Hopefully he continues to bring his high-energy style to future issues.
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