What I thought of...GI Joe: Snake Eyes Agent of Cobra #2

GI Joe: Snake Eyes Agent of Cobra #2: Is the next awesome issue in this series by writer Mike Costa and artist Paolo Villanelli. Snake Eyes has turned on the Joes, and he's now working for Cobra and out for blood!! Could Snake Eyes REALLY be a traitor?
The Good: This book avoids a lot of comic book traps. When you have a character that doesn't talk, there's risk of running into the "lassie situation". You know what I'm talking about even if you've never seen an episode of Lassie. Lassie is a dog, and can't talk, so during the course of the show, you get lines like "What's that Lassie? There's a gang of rowdy kids causing trouble down the road?". And, in past issues of some GI Joe series, there's been lines like "What's that Snake Eyes? Cobra's staked out up ahead?" or "Snake Eyes wants us to follow him!", but not here. Costa does a great job of making it natural and logical for Snake Eyes to sit back and observe and let the other characters do the talking. Add to this, Villanelli's crisp, clean artwork and you've got a book that's pretty awesome.
The Bad: As much as I loved this issue, honestly...there could've been a little more Snake Eyes in it for my tastes. Yes, he's a big part, but he almost plays second banana this issue.
The Verdict: BUY IT!!! The good FAR outweighs the bad, and I didn't even mention the ending! And, in case you don't remember just how awesome Snake Eyes, here's a little reminder......

What I thought of...Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra #1

Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra #1: Snake Eyes, the ultimate member of the GI Joe team is working for what, now? Yeah, you read the title right. One of the ORIGINAL members of the (1982) GI Joe team has turned traitor and is working for Cobra. Jerkstore.
The Good: Mike Costa writes. Paolo Villanelli art. Do I need to list anything else? OK, I will anyway. The story is WAY better than I thought it would be (no offense Mike Costa)! I thought this would be the typical "Duke tells Snake Eyes to infiltrate Cobra, Snake does, but gets threatened into working for them" kinda thing. That is far FAR from the case here. Truth be told, we haven't seen Snake Eyes in quite a while, and now that he'd back, we're REALLY not sure where his loyalties lay. The last we knew, he got screwed over by the Joe team pretty bad. So this story actually has the feel of "Wow.Snake Eyes really COULD be a bad guy now!"!
The Bad: We spend a lot of time with Destro in this issue. Quite a lot. But, since Snake Eyes doesn't really talk we need someone to "narrate" the story, for lack of a better term.
The Verdict: BUY IT!!!! It's Mike Costa writing GI Joe! Also, he introduces a character that, to my knowledge, makes his debut in IDW GI Joe continuity, and is a pretty big deal. You do NOT want to miss this issue!

COBRA #5

Another great issue!!! This one's not as quite as fast-paced and action packed as the last, but still, a really good read. There's a LOT of talking heads in this book, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in this case. It's a nice catch-up as to what's gone down so far-from a certain point of view. Mike Costa keeps the dialogue quick, sharp and to the point, with a dash of character added in. We learn some new secrets and there's a couple of real "HOLY CRAP" moments in this one. We've got 3 more months before the Cobra Civil War ends, and I have a feeling that a LOT of MAJOR events haven't even started yet. These next 3 issues are going to be a lot of fun!

-I can't end this review without mentioning artist Werther Dell'Edera. A GREAT choice for this issue and honestly, he should be on a monthly GI Joe book-or ANY monthly comic book for that matter. I love Antonio Fuso, but this was a nice change of pace. Much to my surprise, COBRA is quickly becoming my favorite GI Joe monthly title.

Comic Review:COBRA #4

OK, this Cobra Civil War story is REALLY getting good. This issue is primarily a Major Bludd story, and he's one of my favorites, so I was bound to like this from the start. I love how writer Mike Costa has turned EVERY single Cobra member into a credible threat for the Joes-and also for the other members of Cobra as well. There's some BIG things that happen in this issue, so I'll try and dance around the spoilers as much as I can.

-We get PLENTY of action, not just talking in this issue. We also get to see the slightest glimpse of Bludd's personal life and just how incredible different that is. Costa does a great issue continually showing just how dangerous Bludd is, who he's in league with and who he controls. At this point in the game, I really have no clue just who will end up being Cobra Commander when the war is over and the dust is settled.

-The art chores in this issue is split between series artist Antonio Fuso & Chee. I'll admit, I've never seen Chee's artwork before, but it's really nice. Totally fits the book. Overall, this issue really picks up the pace of the whole CCW story and really gets you excited for what's coming next. BUY IT!!