As we race to the end of “The Dreadnoks War” we are getting a tease of what will come next in G.I. JOE. That comes in the way of Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics providing us a preview of G.I. JOE #18 to share. This preview gives us a glimpse at the latest standalone story for the series that will be releasing on January 28, 2026.
It has become a tradition in G.I. JOE’s early life in the Energon Universe to follow-up a major story arc with a standalone story. Each standalone story has proven to give us major developments and introducing us to new characters. That is once again the case with G.I. JOE #18, which will feature Roadblock’s first appearance in the Energon Universe. We got a tease of what to expect in the latest standalone issue in its solicitation:
A standalone Night Force covert op! The iconic ROADBLOCK makes his Energon Universe FIRST APPEARANCE… but will he be the newest recruit of Lady Jaye & Flint’s Night Force? Or will he join a different group?!
G.I. JOE #18 will arrive in stores with its main cover being handled by series artist Tom Reilly. Additionally, variant covers will be available from artists Kendrick “Kunkka” Lim, Ben Oliver, Lucas Meyer & Adriano Lucas, Michele Rubini & Romulo Fajardo Jr, and Patricia Martín. Check out the covers and three-page preview below:
G.I. JOE #18 is scheduled to arrive in stores on January 28, 2026. Get more information about the comic book from Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics press release below.
The First Appearance of Roadblock! Skybound Shares First Look at G.I. JOE #18 from Joshua Williamson, Marco Foderà & Lee Loughridge
LOS ANGELES 12/15/2025 — Today Skybound and Image Comics, in collaboration with leading games, IP and toy company Hasbro, revealed preview pages and the lineup of variant covers for G.I. JOE #18. From the creative team of writer Joshua Williamson (Duke, Cobra Commander), artist Marco Foderà (The Fog), colorist Lee Loughridge (Universal Monsters: The Mummy), and letterer Rus Wooton (Invincible Universe: Battle Beast), the next issue of the hit Energon Universe series lands in comic shops on January 28, 2026.
A standalone Night Force covert op!
The iconic ROADBLOCK makes his Energon Universe FIRST APPEARANCE… but will he be the newest recruit of Lady Jaye & Flint’s Night Force? Or will he join a different group?!
In addition to the main cover by Reilly, G.I. JOE #18 will feature an open-to-order variant cover by Kendrick “Kunkka” Lim, an open-to-order variant cover by Ben Oliver, a 1:25 incentive variant by Lucas Meyer & Adriano Lucas, a 1:50 incentive variant by Michele Rubini & Romulo Fajardo Jr, and a 1:100 incentive foil variant by Patricia Martín.
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 Andrei Bressan (Destro), and colorist Patricio Delpeche (The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country) and the two-time Eisner Award winning TRANSFORMERS by writer Robert Kirkman, artist Dan Mora (Justice League Unlimited, Superman), and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon).
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 #18 (Lunar Codes below | SRP: $3.99) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
The full list of variant covers is below:
- I. JOE #18 Cover A by Tom Reilly (Lunar Code: 1125IM0313)
- I. JOE #18 Cover B by Kendrick “Kunkka” Lim (Lunar Code: 1125IM0314)
- I. JOE #18 Cover C by Ben Oliver (Lunar Code: 1125IM0315)
- I. JOE #18 Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive) by Lucas Meyer & Adriano Lucas (Lunar Code: 1125IM0316)
- I. JOE #18 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Michele Rubini & Romulo Fajardo Jr. (Lunar Code: 1125IM0317)
- I. JOE #18 Cover F (Foil) (1:100 Copy Incentive) by Patricia Martín (Lunar Code: 1125IM0318)
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