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G.I. Joe: Cobra Command #1-3
G.I. JOE: Complete Cobra Command
The Cobra Civil War is over but Cobra Command begins as Krake, the new Cobra Commander, kicks off his reign with total war as he invades the sovereign nation of Nanzhao with all the military might under his power. While the JOEs have been hit hard, Flint must still lead a team into the country to stop him.
All nine issues of Cobra Command, plus Krake's origin and the epilogue issues make for over 12 issues in total.
All nine issues of Cobra Command, plus Krake's origin and the epilogue issues make for over 12 issues in total.
- GenresComics
328 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2013
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,352 books1,022 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 27, 2018
When I realized that this was the only way (outside of two other volumes that otherwise split the same material) to complete a collection of Mike Costa's Cobra comics, I was at first annoyed. I didn't want to read IDW's other G.I Joe comics, even if they were written by Chuck Dixon, a writer I had greatly admired in the '90s for his DC work. I just wanted Costa's material. But then I actually read it.
Basically this is what Hasbro ought to be looking at when it considers the next direction for its G.I. Joe movies. The last couple, 2009's Rise of Cobra and 2013's Retaliation, played a little fast and loose with whether or not they were taking the material seriously. This is not to say they were bad movies, but that there could be better ones. And if there were movies based on Cobra Command, they would likely be better.
Of course, I would still start with Costa's Cobra comics. Complete Cobra Command includes an epilogue that reminds readers how the story really began, with Costa's Cobra comics, with the unlikely narrative of a Joe named Chuckles uncovering the existence of Cobra. This was at the start of IDW's G.I. Joe reboot. Costa (originally writing alongside Christos Gage) was never supposed to be guiding the narrative. His initial Cobra comics were a mini-series. Then a second one, which IDW made the decision to continue as an ongoing series, which ended with Chuckles unexpectedly assassinating Cobra Commander. This led to "Cobra Civil War," in which Cobra selects a new Commander, and then "Cobra Command," a giant crisis in which Cobra finally goes public.
Since all these were set in their own continuity, the added benefit was that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were going to get to have their momentous showdown all over again. Snake Eyes is the most famous G.I Joe, but he's also the trickiest to depict, because he doesn't talk. I mean never talks. So his story always has to play out in relation to others. The most famous "other" is his chief rival and former clansman Storm Shadow. Cobra Command offers a unique twist on the outcome of their epic clash. I won't spoil that here.
It also offers an alternate take on the al-Qaeda crisis in the real world. Just as the world discovered that the terrorist organization definitely existed on 9/11, Cobra bursts onto the world scene by obliterating a sovereign nation, and G.I. Joe struggles to catch up the whole story. There are readers who don't understand why the Joes couldn't simply defeat their classic enemy, why this kind of story actually depicts them as struggling at just about every level. I don't know, folks, dramatic tension? Ongoing story potential?
Anyway, Costa still has the best material. Even if Dixon gets to write the new Cobra Commander, Costa gets to depict the clash of ideologies within Cobra itself, ideologies he'd carefully set up previously, whether the cult of Serpentor or the ground level grit of Major Bludd or the machinations of Tomax Paoli. In fact, all three combine in an apparent coup attempt, with ramifications that play out in the rest of Costa's Cobra tales. But more on that in future volumes.
I've been a fan of G.I. Joe since I was a kid. Amassed a veritable army of action figures. Even had Chuckles! At one point I thought I'd read the definitive modern take on them in Mark Powers' comics for Devil's Due. But I was proven wrong by Costa, and proven wrong again with this collection. Any reading of his efforts would be incomplete without it. And who knows, what else might I be missing?
Basically this is what Hasbro ought to be looking at when it considers the next direction for its G.I. Joe movies. The last couple, 2009's Rise of Cobra and 2013's Retaliation, played a little fast and loose with whether or not they were taking the material seriously. This is not to say they were bad movies, but that there could be better ones. And if there were movies based on Cobra Command, they would likely be better.
Of course, I would still start with Costa's Cobra comics. Complete Cobra Command includes an epilogue that reminds readers how the story really began, with Costa's Cobra comics, with the unlikely narrative of a Joe named Chuckles uncovering the existence of Cobra. This was at the start of IDW's G.I. Joe reboot. Costa (originally writing alongside Christos Gage) was never supposed to be guiding the narrative. His initial Cobra comics were a mini-series. Then a second one, which IDW made the decision to continue as an ongoing series, which ended with Chuckles unexpectedly assassinating Cobra Commander. This led to "Cobra Civil War," in which Cobra selects a new Commander, and then "Cobra Command," a giant crisis in which Cobra finally goes public.
Since all these were set in their own continuity, the added benefit was that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were going to get to have their momentous showdown all over again. Snake Eyes is the most famous G.I Joe, but he's also the trickiest to depict, because he doesn't talk. I mean never talks. So his story always has to play out in relation to others. The most famous "other" is his chief rival and former clansman Storm Shadow. Cobra Command offers a unique twist on the outcome of their epic clash. I won't spoil that here.
It also offers an alternate take on the al-Qaeda crisis in the real world. Just as the world discovered that the terrorist organization definitely existed on 9/11, Cobra bursts onto the world scene by obliterating a sovereign nation, and G.I. Joe struggles to catch up the whole story. There are readers who don't understand why the Joes couldn't simply defeat their classic enemy, why this kind of story actually depicts them as struggling at just about every level. I don't know, folks, dramatic tension? Ongoing story potential?
Anyway, Costa still has the best material. Even if Dixon gets to write the new Cobra Commander, Costa gets to depict the clash of ideologies within Cobra itself, ideologies he'd carefully set up previously, whether the cult of Serpentor or the ground level grit of Major Bludd or the machinations of Tomax Paoli. In fact, all three combine in an apparent coup attempt, with ramifications that play out in the rest of Costa's Cobra tales. But more on that in future volumes.
I've been a fan of G.I. Joe since I was a kid. Amassed a veritable army of action figures. Even had Chuckles! At one point I thought I'd read the definitive modern take on them in Mark Powers' comics for Devil's Due. But I was proven wrong by Costa, and proven wrong again with this collection. Any reading of his efforts would be incomplete without it. And who knows, what else might I be missing?
October 18, 2013
Public library copy.
Some plot content seemed familiar so I assume I've read smaller, past collections featuring parts of these tales. As an occasional reader I feel like I'm missing big gaps of Joe continuity, eg., Scarlett dating more Joes outside Snake-eyes. One of the Cobra twins ostensibly is dead. Also the decision to plot Snake-eyes fighting gangbangers wasn't any more interesting than it was challenging for him to pick them off. Other things feel like unresolved broken wheels like Snake-eyes and Storm Shadow fighting and lster teaming up to get revenge against Zartan, while the power struggles remain within Cobra's hierarchy.
Some plot content seemed familiar so I assume I've read smaller, past collections featuring parts of these tales. As an occasional reader I feel like I'm missing big gaps of Joe continuity, eg., Scarlett dating more Joes outside Snake-eyes. One of the Cobra twins ostensibly is dead. Also the decision to plot Snake-eyes fighting gangbangers wasn't any more interesting than it was challenging for him to pick them off. Other things feel like unresolved broken wheels like Snake-eyes and Storm Shadow fighting and lster teaming up to get revenge against Zartan, while the power struggles remain within Cobra's hierarchy.
November 30, 2014
An excellent continuation of the G.I.Joe saga. Times are hard for the Joes as Cobra strives to gain legitimacy and support from the world. Wonderful storytelling and beautiful art makes this a superb read for any G.I.Joe fan.
January 3, 2017
Probably the best G.I. Joe story I've read from IDW. The art in this story is much better than previous G.I. Joe stories I've read from IDW. Cobra has a new commander and they've decided to overthrow a country in Asia.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews