Silence is truly golden. Paying homage to 1983’s “Silent Interlude”, a new initiative has been firing on all gears. Taking classic G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters and placing them in no dialogue stories has been impressive thus far. Beach Head and Jinx have lead the charge thus far.
Now, it’s time for a classic duo to step into the silent spotlight.
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO - SPIRIT #1 by Leonardo Romero & Cris Peter bring Spirit & Freedom into a dark investigation.
Let’s take a closer look at how this mission plays out.
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO - SPIRIT #1 by Leonardo Romero & Cris Peter (Image Comics/Skybound)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Romero takes Charlie Iron-Knife into a dangerous path. Something is hunting animals in a forest. When a pack makes their escape, only one survives. Its’ escape crosses Spirit. After tending to the wounded animal, the hunt is on. Pacing slows down to spotlight a few elements. The first is Spirit’s tracking skills. Romero’s art takes smaller panels to show his skills. The second is to slowly raise the drama.
A two page spread reveals a major clue. Readers watch as the pages unveil a Cobra base. While searching the area, Peter’s coloring adds more context. The covert moves eventually lead to a shocking discovery. Action starts taking over the panels. It stops to show how painful this challenge has been. Readers watch as Spirit pops a dislocated shoulder back into place. No words. Just simple lines to indicate the pain. The result leads into the closing face-off. There’s no shying away of the brutality. It leaves the audience with a cold reality of the measures taken. The final page concludes events on a more level area. Rest assured the silence still speaks loudly.
OVERALL GRADE: 8.8
Tracking down a deadly hunter reveals more than bargained for on this silent mission. Romero and Peter bring out the strengths and bond of Spirit and Freedom. Even with mounting odds, the pair pushes forward with disregard of their own beings. This series of missions is what you want and expect from G.I. Joe. Don’t be silent about this bold series.
Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO - SPIRIT #1. Thanks for reading!