It has been awhile since I read a G.I. Joe comic and the world has changed. Cobra is in control, but the fighting goes on. Rather than one story line, this volume contains a number of stories that all add up to the take down of Cobra in Chicago. Will this be the final chapter in Cobra Commander and the Baroness's saga? What will Major Bludd do? And did Dr. Mindbender survive? We will just have to keep our eyes open and find out.

I had a great time reading this graphic novel. Cobra had taken over much of the world, and things were naturally a mess. Many tried to fall in line, but some refused to give up hope. A small team took on many high risks missions with the hopes of taking Cobra down. Along the way alliances were made and some members of this team lost their lives. Yet as this graphic novel came to a close it looked like the overall mission was a success.

(A copy of this comic was provided for review.)
From Paul Allor (Author), Chris Evenhuis (Illustrator), Emma Vieceli (Illustrator), Niko Walter (Illustrator), Ryan Kelly (Illustrator) and published by IDW.
Most of us children of the 80’s have been Joe fans all of our lives. We have a certain image of what G.I. Joe is and always will be. Thanks to works like this though, the concept is expanding for the benefit of the entire Joe franchise.
Picture a world in which Cobra plays the long game and strategically places people and weapons in the right corners of the globe. When the time is right, they strike and become leaders of the Earth relatively quickly. Overnight regular citizens around the world need to fall in line to their new masters. Many shut up and go along with it, for fear of consequences. But a few average citizens along with members of the military who won’t give up band together as a guerilla unit to chip away at Cobra little by little. All with the hope that one day they chip away enough to unset the evil empire. That rag tag group is the G.I. Joe team of this book.
Over the course of 11 issues, World on Fire builds this new reality in which Cobra rules. There are iconic favorites - Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock, along with iconic Cobra members like Dr Mindbender, Major Bludd, the Baroness and many more on both sides. All of which are familiar to all of us who played with 3 ¾ inch figures outside but also updated a bit. These are new takes on these characters but the surprising thing is finding out that the Joe team can be icons that cross decades and generations. What is the essence of Flint or Lady Jaye or Rock and Roll? What do these toys boil down to and now how does that version of themselves work in a modern day society in which Cobra is king?
It’s freaking fantastic is what it is. This is the most fun I’ve had with the Joe franchise since the Resolute cartoon. A similar tearing down and rebuilding of what makes G.I. Joe work. As should always be the case with this band of misfits and the best of the best, a new character (“Tiger”) gets wrapped up in this world of warfare and espionage. Along the way we learn so much about the heroes and villains they pull a Lee and Kirby! These are Joes with problems. These are Cobra mercenaries with good qualities. These are characters who aren’t strictly black and white, but with many shades. Those shades could be rage, envy, deceit, loss, or more. And that’s from both sides in the red lasers vs blue lasers half of the battle.
What will really enrapture fellow adults who remember running home after school to catch new episodes Monday thru Friday is the new takes on some characters we thought we had figured out. I couldn’t stop telling friends about Major Bludd. He absolutely steals the show as the series progresses. Also, wait until a Dreadnok shows up. One of the most brilliant takes on a bad guy that was so cool we cheered them.
The comic moves like a perfect one season show. Jump in the middle, explain how we all got here, and an ending that satisfies the need for closure but also gives room to expand if needed. Along the way there are issues that race the heart and others that let the reader breathe. All 11 issues combine into a MASS device of reading pleasure that I would suggest to anyone who grew up in the 80’s.

This graphic novel is a collection of the entire IDW G.I. Joe: World on Fire series. It’s a dark and awesome read. If you loved the GI Joe cartoons and old Marvel comics you will enjoy this.

It’s a much darker story than any G.I. joe story I’ve ever read. PTSD is a major plot point throughout the entire book. You will also see many new interpretations of your favorite heroes and villains.

Be warned there is a l0t 0f violence and death in this book. You will see Joes and Cobra characters fall in battle.

GI Joe World on Fire is so different and much more adult than the old Marvel series of comics. In this series we see a dystopian world where Cobra has won and G.I. Joe mounts a heroic resistance to Cobra.

As a fan of the GI Joe cartoon and Marvel comics I got such a kick out of seeing new interpretations of my favorite G.I. joe and Cobra characters. I also love how the writers revealed some of the old GI Joes throughout the story.

I highly recommend reading this story. This book will give you a better appreciation of what people go through who have PTSD and this is also an incredible war story.

Stay awesome and keep reading!

This new spin on GI Joe, less special forces and more street level resistance, is an interesting spin on the long running popular tales that were born out of the popularity of action figures. This approach to the story is very timely, as in this story Cobra (long time villains of the GI Joe universe) are a fascist dictatorial regime controlling the United States. Narratively, I found the story a little tough to get into. The art is fine but also pretty generic. This could be a good book for students interested in political activism. Overall, I was a little underwhelmed, but I could definitely see middle school readers that are interested in action storytelling finding something they really like here.