G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #101

“The New Guard”

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: M.D. Bright

Summary:

In Millville, Spirit, Mutt and Junkyard once again escape capture. This time with the help of Russ the Vet, the guy from last issue. Russ takes them to his former youth counseling group, where a buncha’ young kids agree to help them.

At the Pit, four Joes are sent on an uber-top-secret mission (in fact, it’s so “secret”, that readers will never find its purpose). It’s a team-up with the NEW Oktober Guard (Dragonsky and Daina, plus two new members). They fly to Sierra Gordo to help liberate it from Destro and Cobra. Their plane is gunned down during landing, but they escape into the jungle.

Finally, in New York, Snake-Eyes’ vigil at Scarlett’s hospital bed is interrupted…by Scarlett’s sister, who wants to unplug the life support.

Notes:

• New graphic in the corner issue box (first time since #19). It’s a picture of Cobra Commander with his fist raised.
• Gen. Hollingsworth mentions that the Jugglers’ move to deactivate the team has been nullified by a presidential order. But everything depends on how well the Sierra Gordo mission goes.
• Mutt and Spirit are going around in circles, as they’re once AGAIN captured by Cobra and once AGAIN escape by commandeering a HISS II.
• With those last two elements, you have to believe that Hama really DID have no idea how each story would turn out, as he often claimed.
• A new Oktober Guard officer, Lt. Gorky begins flirting with Lady Jaye. Nothing creative…just calling her “pretty lady”. Flint’s torqued off, naturally.
• Of the newbies: Lt. Gorky is of the Black Sea Regiment and Sgt. Misha is from Spetsnaz
• It appears the Joes and the Guard land at the same Sierra Gordo airport from issue 13.
• The Guard has a new BMP tank. Similar to a “real world” model, but it has a special seat for each member, sorta’ like the Fantastic Four’s Fantasticar.
• Slight improvement this issue. More action in Sierra Gordo and there’s no melodramatic Cobra Commander.
• Hama answers the letters page, once again. He declares that Snake-Eyes’ face was “nowhere near as bad as it used to be”.
• The issue is brought up about the red ninjas being part of the Arashikage clan. Why would the reds from issue 21 have worked with Storm Shadow? Hama claims that they were just “ronins”, not part of the clan, and wearing whatever was available.
• Interesting trivia point: Hama mentions that comics are always lettered in upper case, because there’s less chance of the letters blurring and running together. Never thought about that.

Appearances:

Characters (figures): Hawk, Flint, Lady Jaye, Muskrat, Roadblock, Spirit, Mutt, Junkyard, Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, Scarlett, Darklon

Characters (“comic-only”): Gen. Hollingsworth, Uncle Jeff, Russ the Vet, Spike (Russ’s teen group), Dragonsky, Daina, Lt. Gorky, Sgt. Misha, Sioban O’Hara (Scarlett’s sister)

Vehicles and stuff (toys): Mobile Command Center, Desert Fox, Cobra HISS II, Cobra FANG II, Cobra BUGG, MARS DEMON, MARS Razorback

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): Oktober Guard’s AN-24 Condor Transport Plane, Oktober Guard BMP

Firsties:
Characters: Lt. Gorky, Sgt, Misha, Spike, Sioban O’Hara

Vehicles and stuff: Oktober Guard BMP & Condor

Rating: 3 Flag Points