G.I. JOE #25 will be a major release for many reasons. For one it will mark the series big 25th issue. In reaching that point Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, and Andrea Milana are marking the occasion with a battle they’ve been building towards: G.I. JOE vs Night Force. In anticipation of this battle Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics has provided us with a preview of G.I. JOE #25 to share ahead of its August 19th release date.
As mentioned, G.I. JOE #25 will feature the long awaited confrontation between the G.I. JOE and Night Force groups. This is something Williamson has been building up since Night Force first made their appearance in the Energon Universe in G.I. JOE #7. Since then the group has been built up in various one-shot style stories throughout this series. The payoff for this build starts with G.I. JOE #25, as teased in the solicitation:
It had to happen: G.I. Joe VS Night Force!
G.I. JOE #25 will feature main wraparound cover by artist Tom Reilly. Additionally, there will be variant covers available from artists Jerome Opeña & Neeraj Menon and Miki Okazaki, Fadime Yildirim, Michele Rubini & Annalisa Leoni, Jonboy Meyers, and Andrea Milana & Andres Juarez. Check out the covers and three-page preview below:
G.I. JOE #25 is scheduled to be released in stores on August 19, 2026. Learn more about the upcoming Energon Universe release from Skybound and Image Comics press release below.
First Look: G.I. Joe and Night Force Face Off in G.I. JOE #25, the Landmark Extra-Sized Issue from Skybound, Image & Hasbro
LOS ANGELES 7/16/2026 — Today, Skybound, Image Comics, and Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company, revealed preview pages and the lineup of variant covers for G.I. JOE #25. This milestone issue brings together the creative team of writer Joshua Williamson (DC K.O.), artists Tom Reilly (Duke) & Andrea Milana (Cobra Commander), colorist Lee Loughridge (Universal Monsters: The Mummy) and letterer Rus Wooton (Invincible Universe: Battle Beast). The epic beginning to a massive new story arc of G.I. JOE lands in comic shops on August 19, 2026.
It had to happen: G.I. Joe VS Night Force!
Everything has been leading to this EXTRA-SIZED landmark issue as Joe battles Joe, friends become enemies, and the chart-topping creative team kicks off the biggest G.I. Joe story in Energon Universe history!
G.I. Joe #25 features a main wraparound cover by artist Tom Reilly with a lineup of variant covers that includes two open to order covers by Jerome Opeña & Neeraj Menon and Miki Okazaki, a 1:25 incentive streetwear variant by Fadime Yildirim, a 1:50 incentive variant by Michele Rubini & Annalisa Leoni, a 1:100 incentive foil variant by Jonboy Meyers with a stunning spoiler reveal, G.I. Joe & Night Force blank sketch covers, a foil variant of Tom Reilly’s wraparound main cover, and a foil die cut Zartan mask cover by Andrea Milana & Andres Juarez.
G.I. Joe is a tentpole of the Energon Universe, the crown jewel of the historic collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, who has introduced a brand-new era of the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises in one shared comic book universe. Other Energon Universe titles include the ongoing series Void Rivals by writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead), artist Conor Hughes (White Ash), and colorist Patricio Delpeche (Catwoman), the two-time Eisner Award winning Transformers by writer Robert Kirkman, artist Jason Howard (The Astounding Wolf-Man), and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon), and now also the brand-new series M.A.S.K. by writer Dan Watters (Batman: Dark Patterns, DESTRO), artist Pye Parr (Petrol Head, New Gods), and colorist Pierluigi Casolino (DC vs Vampires). Fans should expect can’t-miss moments from every issue of the Energon Universe, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions from some of the biggest franchises in comics today.
G.I. Joe #25 (Lunar Codes Below | $4.99, unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The full list of variant covers is below:
- I. Joe #25 Cover A by Tom Reilly (Lunar Code: 0626IM0276)
- I. Joe #25 Cover B by Jerome Opeña & Neeraj Menon (Lunar Code: 0626IM0277)
- I. Joe #25 Cover C by Miki Okazaki (Lunar Code: 0626IM0278)
- I. Joe #25 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Fadime Yildirim (Lunar Code: 0626IM0279)
- I. Joe #25 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Michele Rubini & Annalisa Leoni (Lunar Code: 0626IM0280)
- I. Joe #25 Cover F (1:100 Foil Incentive, $5.99) by Jonboy Meyers (Lunar Code: 0626IM0281)
- I. Joe #25 Cover G (JOE Blank Sketch, $5.99) (Lunar Code: 0626IM0282)
- I. Joe #25 Cover H (Night Force Blank Sketch, $5.99) (Lunar Code: 0626IM0283)
- I. Joe #25 Cover I (Foil, $5.99) by Tom Reilly (Lunar Code: 0626IM0284)
- I. Joe #25 Cover J (Zartan Foil Die Cut Mask, $5.99) by Andrea Milana & Andres Juarez (Lunar Code: 0626IM0285)
For more opinions on anime, comic books, movies, and sports you can follow Kevin on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X.