A failed assassination attempt. An unlikely pairing.
When Destro manipulated Ripper into trying to kill Cobra Commander, he thought this would be an easy win. Little did he know Duke would be watching the events. After saving the Cobra leader, they are now on the run from a vengeful Dreadnok squad looking for payback.
It can’t get any worse for the “Energon Odd Couple” right? Right?
G.I. Joe #15 by Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire & Rus Wooten treks forward with the latest installment of the Dreadnok War!
Let’s take a closer look at how things shape up now.
G.I. Joe #15 by Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire & Rus Wooten (Image Comics/Skybound)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
What a tangled web Duke has become entangled in. Williamson throws him into a deep pit of trying to fight an impossible fight. On one level, He struggles with Road Pig. Their confrontation is very short lived. It is what happens next that sells the internal conflict at hand.
Readers watch as he begins to address his “partner in crime”. Their dialogue unveils a few looks. Duke’s distrust of the Transformers is clear. His handling of a changing world causes mistrust. Seeing a new side of the Commander only complicates. There is no give on the Corba lead. The banter is well placed in keeping their cards close to the vest. It mirrors the moves being made by Destro and General Hawk as well. Williamson throws in some breaks with Road Pig and the Dreadnok to space the mood out. It leaves events heading in another direction. One that the G.I. Joe leader isn’t ready to walk.
Reilly and Bellaire give fans a healthy dose of hard hitting action to open with. Duke’s fight with Road Pig is short lived but establishes the latest threat. It leads into a dramatic face-off between “frienemies”. Bellaire’s coloring gives the panels a horror feel as the dialogue starts. How Reilly presents an unmasked Commander is extremely well done. Nothing is full blown revealed, teasing more secrets.
This plays off the Pig/Dreadnok interactions well. Readers see how Road Pig is handling Ripper and Buzzer. It is a role reversal after how events started when they check in on Duke. One moment will throw the calm times off. Reilly unleashes a restrained Commander via half page panel. This moves into a solid two page spread to head to closing. The final panel teases more involvement in an already combustible situation. Let’s Go!
FINAL GRADE: 9
The Dreadnok War gets heated as Duke searches for answers he may not like to find. Williamson pens a slower paced interaction between the enemies. Reilly and Bellaire mix in great action with a deeper espionage game in play. This series continues to be a must-read with every issue.
Let me know your thoughts on G.I. Joe #15 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!