Despite being a comic focused on military operatives, G.I. Joe has delved into different genres throughout its run. The “Dreadnok War” storyline was more or less a Mad Max movie with G.I. Joe characters, while the presence of the Autobots’ Hound and Energon in general tips it into full military sci-fi. G.I. Joe #22 takes things a step forward, as it’s the first part of a three-part horror story! Yes, you read that right, this comic is dipping its toes into horror territory.
The reason for this switch is that G.I. Joe and Cobra are investigating a deposit of Energon in the nation of Badhikistan. But while they originally go at each other’s throats, both the Joes and the Cobra operatives find themselves fighting a pack of spectral figures. Those figures have been brought to life by a mysterious figure known only as “Crystal Ball”, who has infused his D.I.R.E. tech with Energon in order to bring his ghostly illusions to life. The person most haunted by Crystal Ball is Risk, who begins reliving a past tragedy that still affects him today.
Throughout G.I. Joe #22, it’s pretty clear that the creative team of Joshua Williamson, Andrea Milana, and Lee Loughridge intends to fully lean into the idea of a horror film. Badhikistan is nothing but abandoned buildings and decaying rubble. The ground itself begins to come to life, pulling people into the darkness. Crystal Ball’s D.I.R.E. tech takes the form of rotting, decomposing ghosts who chase after Risk. It only works as well as it does thanks to Milana’s highly detailed artwork, which shows the ghosts in all their horrifyingly rotting glory, and the close-ups on characters’ faces right before they’re snatched up. Loughridge also drenches the page in shadows, creating a tense background where you never know what might happen.
Image/Skybound
G.I. Joe #22 also provides Williamson the chance to delve more into Risk’s background. So far, he’s been one of the few Joes who’s a cipher: all we know about him is that he’s good at hand-to-hand fighting, he has a taste for bespoke suits, and he’s often butted heads with Duke. Williamson’s script reveals that behind all of Risk’s arrogance and skill lies a deeply haunted man. Whether he can literally face the ghosts of his past remains to be seen, but I’m glad that we’re getting more insight into the rest of the Joes.
The opening pages also highlight the tension between Destro and Cobra Commander, as the Commander forces Destro to lead the field mission into Badhikistan. It’s pretty clear that they both know Destro left Cobra Commander at the mercy of the Dreadnoks, and that they have wildly differing visions of what Cobra can be. Strangely, it also provides a great parallel to the Joes, who are set on a collision course thanks to the machinations of “General Hawk” (aka Zartan). These character dynamics are a large part of why I’ve been picking up G.I. Joe, and make it one of the standouts of the Energon Universe.
G.I. Joe #22 goes full horror story, while also finally peeling back the curtains on Risk’s backstory and seeding tension within Cobra’s ranks. The only question I have is: what genre are Williamson and company planning to tackle next?
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