Cobra Commander is on a mission to acquire Energon for his people but to do so; he has to smash some heads. Or, more aptly put, smash them into a pulp. In his adventure to find it, he finds himself in the Flordia Everglades, where the ruffian Dreadnoks live. They are a violent group of misfits and worse, the Cobra Commander finds that out, and then some are in the third issue this week.
Cobra Commander #3 picks up where the last issue left off, as Cobra Commander is in a bad mood while his handler looks for him. Cobra Commander is being dragged under the water by an alligator but soon finds his way back up to the surface. However, things go from bad to worse after the Dreadnoks find him and demand answers as to why he’s been snooping about.
At its core, this issue is about the punishment Cobra Commander can take as the Dreadnoks torture him. He takes that punishment to find their weaknesses and exploit them. Writer Joshua Williamson does a good job showing and not just telling that he’s a cunning villain. He also shows that the Dreadnoks do not play around and are more than willing to do gruesome things to their enemies.
The pink stuff is Energon!
Credit: Skybound
The villain side of things also continues to flesh out, with plenty of familiar faces getting to say and do things, sometimes to Cobra Commander. Not a lot happens per se, but we get plenty of character tinges here and there. The story eventually builds to a cliffhanger you may not see coming. Longtime fans of the series will love those who show their true selves at the end.
Andrea Milana shows the gruesome violence in a rather realistic, not toned-down way. After the beatings Cobra Commander takes, there’s a cool smiley face drawn into his mask that gives him an ominous and scary look, which is ironic since he’s tortured. Even when the chips are down, Milana makes you believe he’s happy where he is.
The final three pages are glorious in a ’90s violence sort of way, from a double-page splash epic flesh-tearing reveal to three panels that harken back to the first issue. In them, we see Cobra Commander standing waiting, his mask still wearing the smile as sound effects of screams and utter pain occur. We don’t see the violence, but the sound effects do all the work to show the violence taking place.
The wit of Cobra Commander is on full display in the third issue, revealing even more villains in the new Energon Universe. I’d argue that not a lot happens, but there are plenty of characters to soak up the scenes as the Cobra Commander regains his edge against his enemies. Come for the villainy, but stay for the unfettered violence.
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