List of G.I. Joe comics

Since its debut in 1982, the comic book history of G.I. Joe has seen three separate publishers and four main-title series, all of which have been based on the Hasbro toy line of the same name. The first series was produced by Marvel Comics between 1984 and 1994, running for 155 issues and spawning several spin-off titles throughout the course of its run; the second series was a short-lived run published by Dark Horse Comics in 1996; the third and fourth series were published by Devil's Due Productions from 2001 to 2008. The fifth series will be published by IDW Publishing starting in October 2008.

Marvel Comics

A Real American Hero (Main series)

Hasbro relaunched their G.I. Joe franchise with . It was supported by a Marvel Comics series. It was unique at the time in that it was a comic book series that was promoted on television commercials which also supported the toy line. This 155-issue series is considered to be one of the longest-running comic book tie-ins to a toy line. Much of its success is to be credited to Larry Hama, who wrote the entire series save for a few issues with guest writers. Rather than treating the stories as a mere promotion for the toys, Hama wrote the series with seriousness and infused it with doses of realism, humor, and drama. Other than Transformers, no other series was able to duplicate its success. Notable artists include Herb Trimpe, Ron Wagner, Rod Whigham, and Marshall Rogers.

Issue #21 became a fan-favorite, not only because the Cobra ninja Storm Shadow was introduced, but that issue also became a prime example of comics' visual storytelling power, having no dialogue or sound effects.

A number of differences existed between the comic book and the animated TV series. Certain characters who were very prominent in the comic book, such as Stalker, were featured very little in the cartoon, while characters who were less prominent in the comic book, such as Shipwreck, were very prominent in the cartoon series. Another difference was that in the comic book featured a romance between Scarlett and Snake-Eyes, whereas in the cartoon, a romance between Scarlett and Duke was hinted at instead (most likely due to the differences between writing for a comic book audience and writing for an animated series). The most notable difference between the comic and the cartoon, however, is in its handling of combat. While the cartoon showed that nearly every soldier in every battle survived (for example, many shots of different aircraft being shot down were shown to have its pilot escape in a parachute), the comic did not shy away from mass character deaths.

Shortly after the final issue (which was released in December 1994), a "G.I. Joe Special" #1 was released, with alternate art for issue #61 by Todd McFarlane. The first 37 issues were also released in 13 digests. In 2001, with the success of Devil's Due Comics run of "G.I. Joe", Marvel Comics collected the first 50 issues in five trade paperbacks, with ten issues in each book. All covers for the trade paperbacks were drawn by J. Scott Campbell. Marvel will not publish the rest of the series, because Hasbro has purchased the rights to the comics. Hasbro has since released reprints of some issues with some of their action figures.

G.I. Joe Yearbooks

The four "Yearbooks" (1985-1988) collected some previous stories, summarized events, etc. and, aside from the first "Yearbook", published new stories that tied into current events in the main title.

G.I. Joe: Special Missions

The success of the main title lead Marvel Comics to produce a secondary title, "G.I. Joe: Special Missions" which lasted 28 issues, with Herb Trimpe as the artist for nearly the entire run, with Dave Cockrun providing pencils on several issues. Spinning out of issue #50 of a story in the main title, the series featured more intense violence and a more ambiguous morality than the main title, while the enemies were conventional terrorists as well as Cobra itself. The first four issues, as well as the backup story from issue #50 of the main title, were later republished as a trade paperback.

G.I. Joe: Order of Battle

"Order of Battle" was a four-issue comic series that reprinted the data found on the action figures' file cards with some edits and all-new artwork of G.I. Joe characters by Herb Trimpe. Published in 1987, the first two issues featured G.I. Joe members while the third issue focused on the Cobra Organization, and the fourth featured various vehicles and equipment used by both organizations. The second issue caused some controversy when it erroneously listed Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa character as a member of G.I. Joe. While negotiations had taken place, concerning the character's membership on the team, the deal had fallen through. [ [http://www.yojoe.com/archive/unproduced/rockybalboa.shtml YOJOE.COM | Sculpt: Rocky Balboa ] ] The third and fourth issues contained a retraction stating that Rocky Balboa was not and had never been a member of G.I. Joe. The trade paperback edition of the series removed mention of the Rocky character entirely.

Tales of G.I. Joe

"Tales of G.I. Joe" reprinted the first fifteen issues of G.I. Joe on a higher quality paper stock than that used for the main comic.

Foreign language versions

G.I. Joe was published in a number of languages, sometimes by local publishers. Issues were translated into German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, French (Canada), Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Japanese, Arabic and other languages.

Alternate universes

G.I. Joe and the Transformers

A four issue limited series that teamed-up the Joes with the other popular property of the 1980s, Transformers. The Joes and the Autobots must join forces to stop the Decepticons and Cobra from destroying the world. The story suffered from the need to have the events of the limited series reflect the events of the main G.I. Joe and Transformers titles published by Marvel Comics at the time. However, while there were references in the Transformers ongoing series to the events of the limited series, the G.I. Joe ignored it completely, as writer Larry Hama didn't consider it to be canon, though towards the end of the ongoing G.I. Joe series several Transformers characters appeared in the G.I. Joe title as a prequel for the upcoming "" comic. The issues made reference to the limited series. A trade paperback later collected all four issues.

Action Force and G.I. Joe: European Missions

"Action Force" was the British counterpart to the 3 3/4-inch G.I. Joe toy line. The Action Force comic was launched by Marvel UK in 1987, publishing original strips as well as modified reprints of the U.S. comic, with the team renamed "Action Force". The title lasted fifty issues before merging with Marvel UK's "The Transformers" in early 1988. The "Action Force" comic also included a tie-in story for the UK release of "".

Later in 1988, a second series, "Action Force Monthly", was launched due to Marvel UK's decision to produce comics in the American monthly format, and ran for fifteen issues before it was cancelled. The "Action Force Monthly" title was published in the U.S. as "G.I. Joe: European Missions", which kept all of the dialogue from the UK version without attempting to incorporate the reprinted stories into the continuity of the U.S. "G.I. Joe" comic.

After the cancellation of "Action Force Monthly", the U.S. "G.I. Joe" comic was reprinted in Marvel UK's "The Transformers" comic as a back-up feature, with the dialogue kept intact, until it was dropped in 1991.

Blackthorne Publishing

Blackthorne Publishing released six bi-monthly issues of G.I. Joe in 3-D and one annual. These issues were meant to be read with 3-D glasses. The stories didn't contradict the previous Marvel ongoing series, but wasn't considered canon. Blackthorne also published three "How to draw G.I. Joe" issues.

Dark Horse Comics

In 1996, the G.I. Joe toy line was relaunched with the "G.I. Joe Extreme" series. Dark Horse Comics acquired the rights to publish comics based on the G.I. Joe Extreme property. The first series was a four-issue limited series that was written by Mike W. Barr and drawn by Tatsuya Ishida and introduced the main characters. The ongoing "G.I. Joe Extreme" series that was launched afterward dropped the word "Extreme" from the title. The ongoing series lasted four issue before being canceled, although Dark Horse referred to the title as being on hiatus.

Benchpress Comics

In the spring of 1999, Benchpress Comics announced the acquisition of the rights to produce new G.I. Joe and Transformers comics. The G.I. Joe project was to have included Larry Hama as writer. Benchpress's initial plan was to release two G.I. Joe titles; one would feature a core cast of characters (similar to the Marvel Comics series), while the other would have featured a rotating cast (similar in style to the Special Missions title). For unknown reasons, negotiations over hiring Larry Hama stalled and Benchpress went bankrupt, losing the license in the process. Larry Hama's series proposal and the three sample pages of the comic that were produced are available online. [ [http://www.yojoe.com/archive/unproduced/benchpress.shtml YoJoe!.com: Bench Press Studios' G.I. Joe] ]

Devil's Due Publishing

Most G.I. Joe titles published by Devil's Due Publishing are available in both comic and trade paperback formats.

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero (Reinstated)

In July 2001, Devil's Due acquired the rights to G.I. Joe and released a four-issue limited series through "Image Comics" entitled "G.I. Joe" (vol. 1), written by Josh Blaylock with John Larter and Steve Kurth as the artists. The title quickly became known to the fans as "A Real American Hero" (vol. 2) (following from Marvel's original series) or G.I. Joe Reinstated (the title of the first four-issue arc). A comics convention special was released before the first issue. Strong sales on the limited series led to it being upgraded to an ongoing series with the publication of a fifth issue and a monthly schedule. The new series picked up seven years after the end of the Marvel Comics series and also used elements from the animated TV series. Several older characters were featured in the title alongside several new recruits. The new series also spun off several other series and was responsible for bringing back attention to other 1980s properties such as Transformers, Masters of the Universe and Voltron. Devil's Due later broke with Image Comics and took over the publishing of the book.

The series ended with issue #43 with the introduction of a new enemy.

G. I. Joe: Battle Files

"G.I. Joe: Battle Files" gave profiles of the G.I. Joe and Cobra teams, as well as information on their vehicles. "Battle Files" was published between April and September 2002. A "Sourcebook" trade paperback was published in February 2003, which collected issues one through three with additional profiles added.

G.I. Joe: Frontline

This series lasted eighteen issues and featured a rotating creative team for every story. The stories explore what happened to GI Joe and Cobra during the seven-year interlude between the Marvel and Devil's Due comic series. Larry Hama wrote "Frontline's" initial offering, "The Mission That Never Was," a four-part series set one month after the events of the Marvel series' Issue #155.

Arashikage Showdown

A single digest featuring Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, Jinx, Scarlett, Kamakura, TJBang, Nunchuk and Budo. The martial experts try to recover the secret scrolls of the Arashikage Ninja Clan, to which several of them belong. This book has been considered to be non-canon by fans as it incorporates magical and fantasy elements not present in the main series.

G.I. Joe: Master and Apprentice I & II

These were two four-issue limited series written by Brandon Jerwa. Volume 1 was about how Snake Eyes met and trained his apprentice Kamakura, while Volume 2 focused on Storm Shadow and his apprentice/lover Junko Akita.

G.I. Joe: America's Elite

"G.I. Joe: America's Elite", officially entitled G.I. Joe Comic Book Volume 2 on the inside cover, is the current main G.I. Joe title. It started with a "zero" issue and picked up the story one year after the events of the last issue of "G.I. Joe: Reinstated". The series features a darker tone and a smaller group of Joes than in "Reinstated". The series starts off with the president asking General Joseph Colton, the original G.I. Joe, to be the team's C.O., replacing General Hawk, who was paralyzed in the previous series. Character profiles are provided in the Data Desk Handbook, as well as in individual issues. Joe Casey wrote the first eighteen issues before editor Mike O'Sullivan wrote issues #19 and 20. Mark Powers and Mike Bear became the current writer and penciller on the book with #21. The 12-issue "World War III" story arc ran from issue #25 to #36. The series concluded with issue #36 after Devil's Due lost the license for G.I. Joe.

torm Shadow

This series written by Larry Hama lasted seven issues and focused on former Cobra and G.I. Joe team member Storm Shadow. The series began in May 2007, and, while not bearing the "America's Elite" subtitle, the events occur in the same time frame as the main series.

Data Desk Handbook

An original one-shot published files for "G.I. Joe America's Elite" main characters at the launch of the series. The files are presented as computer entries written by General Joseph Colton. Several other files were later published in individual issues of "America's Elite", "Special Missions" and several trade paperback volumes. An updated version in two issues (A-M and N-Z) was released in October and November 2007.

The Hunt for Cobra Commander

This one-shot issue was set in the year between the Devil's Due "A Real American Hero" series and "America's Elite" series and featured G.I Joe team member Spirit.

pecial Missions

A series of one-shots featuring reservist Joes, and set in different parts of the world. The series bears the "America's Elite" subtitle.

* Manhattan - This one-shot featured G.I. Joe reservists Beach Head, Cover Girl, Mercer, Low-Light and Tunnel Rat, on a special mission involving a bio-weapon threat in New York City.

* Tokyo - This one-shot features the ninja Jinx, samurai Budo, and "yahoo" reservists Wild Bill (Texan chopper pilot), the Cajun Marine codenamed Gung Ho, ladies man Clutch and Malibu surfer and gunman Rock N' Roll who try to prevent a coup in Japan.

* Antarctica - This one-shot, released in December 2006, features Snake Eyes, Stalker, Duke and Scarlett, as well as reservists Snow Job, Frostbite and Iceberg.

* Brazil - This one-shot features characters that came with the 1986 "G.I. Joe Special Missions Brazil" Toys R Us exclusive boxed set.

* The Enemy - This one-shot contrasts the motivations of original G.I. Joe infantryman Grunt with those of an unnamed Cobra "Blueshirt" trooper, with a backup tale about the mission where Cobra forces abduct the Baroness' child.

Declassified

The various Declassified series and one-shots explore the origins of the characters, and are set before #1 of Marvel's "G.I. Joe" series.

* Snake Eyes: Declassified - A six-issue limited series written by Brandon Jerwa and set before Marvel Comics' G.I. Joe #1, retelling and expanding the story of Snake Eyes.

* Scarlett: Declassified - A double-sized one-shot issue telling the history of the character code-named Scarlett (Shana O'Hara), set between "Snake-Eyes Declassified" and "G.I. Joe Declassified".

* G.I. Joe: Declassified - Written by Larry Hama, this series of three double-sized issues was released bi-monthly beginning in the Summer of 2006. The story is set between "Scarlett Declassified" and issue #1 of the original Marvel Comics series, telling the first missions of the original thirteen members of the team.

* Dreadnoks: Declassified - A limited series of three double-sized issues written by Josh Blaylock telling the complete origin story of Zartan, including how he gained his abilities and how he became leader of the Dreadnoks.

Alternate universes

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

This was a cross-production with Dreamwave Productions, who, at the time, held the license to create Transformers comics. Each studio released their own six-issue limited series which featured their own take on a crossover between the two franchises. Unlike previous efforts to bring the two properties together, the Devil's Due story takes place in an alternate present day where Cobra, just rising to prominence, has uncovered the Ark. Cobra steal the Transformers found inside, such as Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Ratchet, and adapt them into Cobra assault vehicles such as Cobra HISS tanks. G.I. Joe is formed to stop Cobra and receive unexpected help from Wheeljack and Bumblebee, who managed to avoid being taken by Cobra.

The second mini-series was a follow-up to the first story. Cybertronian technology has augmented both G.I. Joe and Cobra's forces, who are still fighting each other. During a battle, an accident causes several Joes and members of Cobra to be accidentally transported to Cybertron. The backlash of the accident also pulls several Transformers to Earth as well as scattering them through time. The Joes and Cobra must travel into the past and future to retrieve the missing Autobots and Decepticons before the Earth is destroyed. This is complicated by the fact that most of Cybertron is under the control of the Decepticon Shockwave.

The third mini-series, entitled "The Art of War" followed on from the second mini-series, using elements of the first. The new story focused on a re-imagined version of Serpentor, in this continuity a cyborg created from the DNA of great warleaders and the mechanical components of Megatron. Inadvertently freed by a Cobra raid, Serpentor journeyed to Cybertron. Now Hawk, Grimlock and the other Autobots and Joes must stop him before he takes the Autobot Matrix of Leadership for himself.

A fourth mini-series consisting of two double-sized issues, entitled "Black Horizon", was released in early 2007. After Hawk resigned from G.I. Joe in the wake of the events of "The Art of War", he formed a loose alliance with the Autobots to stop the spread of Cybertronian technology. However, a much bigger threat looms: the serpent cult Cobra-La and the dark god of the Transformers Unicron. Hawk, Flint, and Optimus Prime go the Himalayas to confront Cobra-La, and find a long lost hero: Joe Colton, the original G.I. Joe.

G.I. Joe Reloaded

"G.I. Joe Reloaded" was an ongoing series published by Devil's Due. The comic featured a more realistic take on the G.I. Joe universe and used altered versions of the main characters. Snake-Eyes is Storm Shadow's half-brother and a former Cobra agent, the African-American woman Carla "Doc" Greer is G.I. Joe's field medic as opposed to the character Carl "Doc" Greer from the main comic universe, and one of the Joes is an undercover Cobra agent who betrays the group. The series was preceded by the "Cobra Reborn" and "G.I. Joe Reborn" one-shots which introduced the main characters and featured the formation of G.I. Joe and the Cobra Organization. The series had no connection to the main comic series and was canceled after fourteen issues due to low sales.

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6

Written for a younger audience, "" is a six-issue series based on the new G.I. Joe toy line from Hasbro and the animated TV series of the same name. While the stories don't fit into the main comic universe, the characters largely have the same personas: Hawk is commanding officer, Duke is field leader, and there is a connection between the ninjas Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow.

Dreamwave Productions

Transformers/G.I. Joe

In this alternate universe, the story, written by John Ney Reiber and drawn by Jae Lee, Cobra had discovered and awakened the Decepticons, reformatting their vehicle modes into 1940s era war vehicles and weapons. The two evil forces conquer much of Europe in an alternate version of World War II. G.I. Joe, here a group of American infantry men, find the Autobots who aid them in stopping both Cobra and the Decepticons.

Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front

A second volume, Divided Front, was scheduled to also run for six issues. It was written by James McDonough and Adam Patyk and drawn by Pat Lee. Dreamwave released only one issue before their financial troubles put a halt to their operations. The story followed Transformers/G.I. Joe, but took place in 1985, and was intended to have explained the connection to the first volume's story.

"For more detailed information, see Dreamwave's Transformers/G.I. Joe section in Transformers (comic)."

IDW Publishing

Devil's Due lost the G.I. Joe comics license in January 2008, and published their last G.I. Joe comic in July 2008 with "G.I. Joe America's Elite" #36. [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=136586 Hasbro Recruits New GI Joe License Suitors] , Newsarama, November 16, 2007] [ [http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4216&Itemid=99 IESB.net: Devil's Due Loses G.I. Joe Comic Book License] ] The license was then given to IDW Publishing, which was officially announced on May 29, 2008.Fact|date=August 2008 IDW's G.I. Joe series will be a complete reboot of the property, ignoring the continuity from the Marvel and Devil's Due incarnations of the comic.

The new series will launch with a #0 issue in October 2008, containing three stand-alone stories. The #0 issue will be followed by a new "G.I. Joe" series, written by Chuck Dixon [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17962 Chuck Dixon Writes G.I. Joe for IDW] , Comic Book Resources, September 8, 2008] and drawn by Robert Atkins, in January 2009. "G.I. Joe: Origins", written by Larry Hama and drawn by Tom Feister, will then follow in February 2009 and will focus on the formation of the G.I. Joe team several years before the events of the main series. "G.I. Joe: Cobra", co-written by Christos Gage and Mike Costa and drawn by Antonio Fuso, will be launched in March 2009 and will focus on the Cobra Organisation through the point-of-view of an undercover G.I. Joe agent. IDW will also reprint the Marvel and Devil's Due G.I. Joe comics in a deluxe hardcover format in the future. [ [http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090809-GIJoeIDWplan.html IDW Announces GI Joe Plans] , Newsarama, September 9, 2008] [ [http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090812-IDWGIJoe1.html G.I. Joe Roundtable, Part 1: Hama, Dixon, Gage & More] , Newsarama, September 12, 2008] [ [http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090815-GIJoe2.html G.I. Joe Roundtable, Part 2: Feister, Schmidt and More] , Newsarama, September 15, 2008] Chuck Dixon will write a limited series that will act as a prequel to the upcoming live-action movie, "". [ [http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6598278.html?nid=2789 IDW Launches G.I. Joe Invasion] , "Publishers Weekly", September 22, 2008]

Hasbro Comics

Marvel universe

Action Stars' Starduster mini-comics

Three out-of-continuity mini-comics packed in Action Stars cereals (1985) featuring original character Starduster.

uper Trooper

A two-page comic strip relating an adventure with character Super Trooper was available with action figures sold in 1988. This character was never used in the Marvel incarnation, but the story didn't contradict the Marvel continuity.

Battle Corps mini-comics

Four Larry Hama-written mini-comics sold with Battle Corps figures in 1992. While the stories don't contradict the Marvel continuity, they were never referenced in the Marvel incarnation.

Full size comic 2-packs

At least twelve Larry Hama comics have been announced in 2008 that loosely fit into the original Marvel-published continuity. These comics are sold packed with two figures each.

Reprints of Marvel and DDP stories

Hasbro has reprinted 21 Marvel-published comics, sold along with two figures each, and one of Devil's Due's (vol 1. 16). Marvel issues 1, 14, 21, 24, 30 and 115 were reprinted with homage cover, while issues 1-9, 21, 24, 26, 44, 49, 74-76, 101 were reprinted with their original cover. Issue one was also reprinted with a convention-special cover.

Alternate universe

The Spy Troops, Valor vs. Venom, Ninja Battles and Sigma 6 storylines are considered part of the same universe, though some contradictions exist between the first three and Sigma 6.

py-Troops and Valor vs Venom

Ten mini-comics written by Larry Hama, one mini-comic written by Devil's Due. Hama's issues 7 and 8 were reprinted as a full size comic entitle "Dawn of the V-troops".

Ninja Battles

One full-size issue written by Devil's Due.

igma 6 mini-comic

An abbreviated version of Devils' Due Sigma 6 issue #1 was sold along with the Ninja paratrooper Snake-Eyes toy.

Tokyopop

G.I. Joe: Spy Troops Cine-Manga

In 2003, Tokyopop adapted the Spy Troops direct-to-DVD movie with captions from the animation and added word balloons.

FP Comics

In 2008, a G.I. Joe convention exclusive comic book was released, written by Larry Hama, based on a story by David S. Lane, it featured the Joes' SWAT team against Gristle and the Headhunters.

See also

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*G.I. Joe
*File card
*Cobra Organization
*Action figure
*G.I. Joe Extreme
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*G.I. Joe (film)

References

External links

* [http://www.yojoe.com/comics/ Yo Joe.com Comics Page]
* [http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/joe/ JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page]
* [http://www.joereloaded.com/ Joe Reloaded.com - Home of the GI Joe Comic Forum]
* [http://www.newkadia.com/?Covers=1530 Picture of each cover of G.I. Joe A Real American Hero comics]