G.I. Joe #26 continues the Night Force story arc that started in the previous issue. The opening chapter of the Night Force arc wasted no time in establishing why we are getting G.I. Joe vs Night Force. It all centers around Zartan using his disguise as Colonel Hawk to frame Baroness for the murder of Crystal Ball, when it fact it was Zartan as Colonel Hawk who killed him. That set the stage for the G.I. Joe fighting Night Force as they figure out what is really going on with Baroness. How will things go next? Find out with our advance review of G.I. Joe #26.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Tom Reilly
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rus Wooton
G.I. JOE #26 SOLICITATION
“ROUND TWO: G.I. JOE AND NIGHT FORCE WON’T BACK DOWN! The epic battle between the two teams takes a dangerous turn as a new Joe enters the fight! Can Baroness’s secret mission stop the war?” – Image Comics & Skybound Entertainment
REVIEW
G.I. Joe #26 is a frenetically paced second chapter of the Night Force story arc. There is absolutely no time wasted as the Joes must keep Baroness safe from Night Force. Throughout this issue, Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly make great use of the setup, with everyone in this conflict having chosen a side, meaning there is no time to talk. Characters must constantly act on the fly, leading to a great showcase for everyone on the G.I. Joe and Night Force squads.
The pacing of G.I. Joe #26 works well to keep the reader constantly wondering how the Joes can keep Baroness safe. That is especially true since Baroness, becoming an enemy of the state has basically forced her to trust no one. Even when she is interacting with one or more of the Joes, she is understandably uneasy. Trust is something that was hard for Baroness to build with her teammates. But as hard as that trust was to gain, it is so much easier to break. Baroness knows this better than any Joe, which is why we see her react the way she does.
Baroness’ mindset works well within the narrative of how the Joes are doing everything they can to protect her. Everything that has happened with Cobra has made the Joes much more hardened. They know that things could easily not be as they seem. All they can trust is the chemistry they have built as a team, and that includes Baroness. Throughout the conflict with Night Force, you feel that from Duke, Clutch, Cover Girl, and Stalker.
Through all of this, Williamson and Reilly are very careful not to make Night Force villains. They certainly fall under the antagonist umbrella, but that does not mean they are an evil version of the Joes working on the same side. Night Force is simply doing the mission they have been assigned by their superiors. In many ways, they are exactly like the Joes. The only difference is that they don’t have the personal connection of Baroness being a teammate like the Joes do.
That key difference makes this conflict so much more intriguing, especially as we see how the Joes have also grown as a team. There are things that occur in G.I. Joe #26 where we get cool payoffs to what has happened with the team in previous issues. Those moments help make the ending of this issue particularly effective.
There are also other things that go on in G.I. Joe #26 that feature callbacks to developments we’ve seen in this series. The other characters who appear show that this story arc will get even bigger and more explosive with each passing chapter.
FINAL THOUGHTS
G.I. Joe #26 wasted no time in continuing the momentum created by the opening chapter of the Night Force story arc. There was no time to waste as the Joes had to protect Baroness from those hunting her. The problem for the Joes is that they are fighting those as equally skilled as them in the Night Force. The additional sub-plots sprinkled in throughout this issue create even greater intrigue as to what other developments will happen in future issues of this series.
Story Rating: Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: Night Girls out of 10
Check out a preview for G.I. Joe #26 by clicking here.
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