Whether you’ve been reading Image and Skybound’s G.I. Joe from the beginning, or are only starting to catch up, G.I. Joe #24 is one of those issues that will radically shake up the series. This is mostly due to the ending, which plays off a long-simmering plot point that’s been brewing since the Dreadnok War. It also concerns the current fight with Crystal Ball, as the madman uses the ghostly powers of his D.I.R.E. tech to try to drive Risk to madness. Meanwhile, Baroness and Destro’s alliance yields some unexpected results.
The creative team of Joshua Williamson and Andrea Milana has gone all-out to make Crystal Ball a terrifying foe. Thanks to his D.I.R.E. tech, he now sports a ghostly mask and weaponry, with Milana designing the former to look like some sort of horrifying Lovecraftian energy. And even though the “ghosts” Crystal Ball summons aren’t real, that doesn’t mean they aren’t terrifying. One of these illusions features him summoning an undead version of Risk, meaning the sharp-dressed Joe has to fight himself. He gets off lucky, as Chameleon and Stalker are still strapped into devices they can’t easily escape, which drives their worst fears right into their heads.
If Milana is dedicated to drawing horrific imagery, then Lee Loughridge is dedicated to making it pop with his color art. Not only are there still ever-present shadows casting a gloom over the remains of Badhikistan, but Crystal Ball’s D.I.R.E. Tech also produces ghostly green energy that permeates nearly every page. Not only does that make his illusions truly horrific, but it also seeps into Rus Wooton’s word balloons, giving Crystal Ball the voice of a vengeful ghost.
Image/Skybound
It’s not all scares, though. Milana and Loughridge bring an intense fight scene to life as Risk has to duck and dodge Crystal Ball’s weaponry, eventually landing some nasty punches that put the villain down for the count. Elsewhere, Destro comes up with an extremely dangerous resolution to disable the D.I.R.E. tech, which means that Milana gets to draw a blockbuster-worthy explosion. This also leads to a surprising choice on his and Baroness’s part, which is sure to further complicate things for G.I. Joe and Cobra.
Williamson continues to take big swings, showing that Destro is fast losing allies within Cobra and that Risk has formed a strange connection of his own with Destro’s right-hand man, Mercer. And of course, there’s the ending, which is meant to lead straight into the massive G.I. Joe #25. This is what makes Williamson’s run so interesting: every time you think you’ve got it figured out, he takes an unexpected turn that both keeps things fresh and keeps you hooked for future issues. Anyone who’s read his previous work knows that this is his bread and butter, and this is the title where it works the best.
G.I. Joe #24 brings its latest story arc to a close, delivering plenty of horror, action, and game-changing plot twists. This is one of the rare comics where you never know what you’re going to get, and more titles should follow in its stead.
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