I say, Joe!

Did you know that GI Joe was marketed in the UK as Action Force? I didn't. Actually, that's not quite true. It's closer to the truth to say that the Action Force comic book is the result of a slow merging of two toy-related storylines. Anyway, I love these covers:

The proper sound effect for this picture is "CHUD!", by the way.



The Dreadnoks have always been my favorite bad-guy group. They're super bikers! Angry super bikers who have retrofitted their rifles with chainsaw blades! And they're so badass that they can ride around with sleeveless shirts during winter.

Thanks, as always, to the Grand Comics Database for the images. Throw some money their way if you can. They're six kinds of shrink-wrapped awesome!

Awesome Cover Friday - Yo, Joe!

I like GI Joe. I like the animated series, I like the action figures and I really like the comic books. Below are some of the covers that stand out in the nostalgic sludge I call a memory.

The first cover is much more recent than the second two but it's a cover that seriously did it's job. I bought it because I had to know the story behind that image. Also, the style and composition just scream "Comic Book!".



#27 possesses the platonic form of a GI Joe cover. Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes kicking each others asses in the middle of a city isn't enough for the Joe team! No, we've got to throw in a gunship! "Clearance be damned, sir, there's a ninja on that train!".



I'm cheating a bit by posting the cover for #21 because, while it is an awesome cover it's actually the contents of the issue that stand out. This was the Silent Issue. The story was told with nothing but pictures. No word balloons, no captions, nothing. It blew my little comic-reading mind at the time and it still holds up as an excellent story.



And here's a bonus cover 'cause it's got dudes with chainsaws attacking a freakin' plane! Man!




While I'm at it, here's an installment of Comic-Book Urban Legends from a while back about the Joes.