G.I. Joe(comics)

For other uses, seeG.I. Joe (disambiguation).

G.I. Joehas been the title of comic strips and comic books in every decade since 1942. As a licensed property byHasbro,G.I. Joecomics have been released from 1967 to present, with only two interruptions longer than a year (1977–1981, 1997–2000). As a team fightingCobrasince 1982, the comic book history ofG.I. Joe: A Real American Herohas been covered by three separate publishers and four main-title series, all of which have been based on the Hasbro toy line of the same name.

G.I. Joe
G.I. Joenumber 6, Dec. 1951 (Ziff Davis). Artwork byNorman Saunders.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics(1982–1994) Dark Horse Comics(1996–1997) Devil's Due Publishing(2001–2008) Dreamwave Productions(2004) IDW Comics(2008–2022) Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment(2023–present)
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	Science fiction
Main character(s)	G.I. Joe Team

The first series was produced byMarvel Comicsbetween 1982 and 1994, running for 155 issues, and spawning several spin-off titles throughout the course of its run; the second and third series, published byDevil's Due Productionsfrom 2001 to 2008, totaled 80 issues and included several spin-off titles as well. The fourth series has been published byIDW Publishingsince October 2008, and various spin-off titles have also been launched.

King Features Syndicate

In 1937, after receiving a $30 cheque fromThe Saturday Evening Post,Dave Bregerarrived in New York and began freelancing toCollier's,Parade,This Week,Esquire,ClickandThe New Yorker.Early in 1941, he was drafted into theUnited States Armyand sent toCamp Livingstonin Louisiana, where he repaired trucks. He drew at night in the bakery or while sitting in a truck with netting overhead to keep the bugs away.The Saturday Evening Post,under the headingPrivate Breger,began publishing these cartoons as a series starting August 30, 1941.

The Army became aware of his talent and transferred him to the Special Services Division in New York, where he married Brooklyn-born art agent Dorathy Lewis on January 9, 1942. In the early spring of 1942, he was assigned to the New York staff ofYank, the Army Weekly.

Yankwanted Breger to do cartoons like those inThe Saturday Evening Post,but the editors asked him to devise a new title. He came up with the titleG.I. Joefrom the military term "Government Issue", and the character's full name was Joe Trooper. HisG.I. Joecartoon series began in the first issue ofYank(June 17, 1942). That summer, Breger arrived in the UK in 1942 as one of the first twoYankcorrespondents, covering the American military in England as a photo-journalist, while also producing his weeklyG.I. Joecartoon forYank.

King Features Syndicatetook an interest and signed Breger on to do aPrivate Breger(akaPrivate Breger Abroad) daily panel for domestic distribution. It was launched October 19, 1942 and continued until October 13, 1945.

Ziff-Davis

Ziff-Davis'sG.I. Joewas set during the Korean War. Ziff-Davis was in the habit of numbering their first issues "10". When the series became popular, they reset the numbering system, so there are two issues for each number from 10 to 14, and no issues numbered 1 through 5.

Volume 1 started in 1950 and lasted five issues, numbered 10 through 14. Volume 2 continuing from the previous volume was published from 1951, and lasted 46 issues numbered 6 through 51.

DC Comics

In 1964–65, DC Comics released two issues ofShowcase(#53 and 54) titledG.I. Joe,which took place duringWorld War II.Stories written byRobert KanigherandBob Haney,featuring the artwork ofJoe Kubert,Russ Heath,Irv Novick,Ross AndruandMike Esposito.

Custom Comics

In 1967, Hasbro released a single small comic book with its action figures titledAmerica's Movable Fighting Manand produced by Custom Comics, Inc, an imprint ofAmerican Comics Group.Featuring illustrations byKurt Schaffenberger.

In 1969, issues of a larger format comic with more elaborate stories were released with toys asThe Adventures of G. I. Joe.From 1970 to 1976, Hasbro continued to reprint and publish new comics in-house asThe G. I. Joe Adventure Team(see theHasbrosection).

Comic book advertisement (1975-1976)

Between 1975 and 1976, Hasbro publishedcomic book advertisementsstarring theAdventure Team,featuring theoriginal G.I. Joe,Atomic Man and Bulletman as members.

Marvel Comics

A Real American Hero (main series)

Main article:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Marvel Comics)

Hasbro relaunched their G.I. Joe franchise withG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero,which was supported by a Marvel Comics series of the same name. It was unique at the time in that it was a comic book series that was promoted ontelevision commercialswhich also supported the toy line. This 155-issue series is considered to be one of the longest-runningcomic booktie-ins to a toy line. Much of its success is to be credited toLarry Hama,who wrote the entire series save for a few issues with guest writers. Rather than treating the stories as a mere promotion for the toys, Hama wrote the series with seriousness and infused it with doses of realism, humor, and drama. To keep the series up-to-date on military technology and terminology, Hama continuously read through technical manuals.Other thanTransformers,no other series based on a toy line was able to duplicate its success. Other notable & recurring artists includeHerb Trimpe,Ron Wagner,Rod Whigham,Mike Vosburg,Andrew Wildman,Phil Gosier,Chris BatistaandMarshall Rogers.

A number of differences existed between the comic book and the animated TV series. Certain characters who were very prominent in the comic book, such asStalker,were featured very little in the cartoon, while characters who were less prominent in the comic book, such as Shipwreck, were very prominent in the cartoon series. Another difference was that in the comic book featured a romance betweenScarlettandSnake Eyes,whereas in the cartoon, she was paired withDuke.The most notable difference between the comic and the cartoon, however, is in its handling of combat. While the cartoon had the characters use semi-futuristic laser rifles and pistols (due to an edict for "no bullets" from the studio), the comic book did not shy away from using real-world pistols, rifles, SMGs and ammunition. The cartoon characters would almost comically wade through waves of enemy fire untouched, while the comic book would routinely have characters suffer injuries from bullets or shrapnel. The cartoon showed that nearly every soldier in every battle survived (for example, many shots of aircraft being shot down were shown to have its pilot escape in a parachute), while the comic did not shy away from character deaths; for example, issue #109 included the deaths of a large number of Joes, including fan-favorites like Doc, Breaker, and Quick-Kick, while other storylines included the deaths of Serpentor and Dr. Mindbender.

G.I. Joe: Order of Battlewas a 4-issue mini series which ran from December 1986 - March 1987. Written by Larry Hama, with art by Herb Trimpe, the first issue spotlighted G.I. Joe characters with code names from A-K. Subsequent issues spotlighted G.I. Joe characters from M-Z, Cobra characters, and vehicles respectively. The second issue erroneously listedSylvester Stallone'sRocky Balboacharacter as a member of G.I. Joe. While negotiations had taken place to license the character, the deal had fallen through.The third and fourth issues contained a retraction stating that Rocky Balboa was not and had never been a member of G.I. Joe. Atrade-paperbackincluding material from all four issues, was published in 1987, and removed mention of the Rocky character entirely.

G.I. Joe: Special Missions

The success of the main title lead Marvel Comics to produce a secondary title,G.I. Joe: Special Missionswhich lasted 28 issues. Herb Trimpe was the artist for nearly the entire run, withDave Cockrumproviding pencils on several issues. Spinning out of a story in issue #50 of the main title, the series featured more intense violence and more ambiguous morality than the main title, while the enemies were conventional terrorists as well as Cobra itself. The first four issues, as well as the backup story from issue #50 of the main title, were later republished as a trade paperback.

Reprints

The first 37 issues of the main series were released in thirteendigeststitledG.I. Joe Comic Magazine.

Tales of G.I. Joereprinted the first 15 issues ofG.I. Joeon a higher quality paper stock than that used for the main comic.

Shortly after the final issue, aG.I. Joe Special#1 was released, with alternate art for issue #61 byTodd McFarlane.The cover features Snake Eyes in a crouched-down position, in a homage to theSpider-Mantitle that McFarlane illustrated during his tenure at Marvel.

In 2001, with the success ofDevil's Due Comicsrun ofG.I. Joe,Marvel Comics collected the first 50 issues in five trade paperbacks, with ten issues in each book. All covers for the trade paperbacks were drawn by J. Scott Campbell. The Marvel trades were heavily criticized due to printing errors, as the first three volume featured missing pages and pages published out of order. Production of the trade paperback series ultimately ended after the fifth volume, due to low sales and the fact that Marvel only had the original artwork and film negatives for the first 50 issues; further volumes would require tracking down and scanning the uncollected issues and remastering them for publication, which was deemed to be not cost effective given the poor sales of the books.

In 2009,IDW Publishingbegan to publish the series again. CalledClassic G.I. Joe,the 15 volume trade paperback set collects all 155 issues (minus back-up features). The first five volumes use the same J. Scott Campbell covers as the Marvel trades (and correct printing errors found in the Marvel trades), volumes six through nine utilized Campbell's covers from the first 4 issues of the Devil Due series, and volumes ten through fifteen would ultimately feature new artwork commissioned for the trade paperbacks.

Foreign-language versions

G.I. Joe was published in a number of languages, sometimes by local publishers. Issues were translated intoGerman,Spanish,Portuguese,Polish,French,French (Canada),Swedish,Norwegian,Finnish,Danish,Greek,Japanese,Arabic,Indonesian,and other languages.

Additional series

A four-issue limited series titledG.I. Joe and the Transformersteamed-up the Joes with the other popular Hasbro property of the 1980s,Transformers.Written by Michael Higgins, and with art byHerb Trimpe,set inside the continuity of both series, this was not acknowledged until the Transformers showed up in the main G.I. Joe comic years later. The final issue introduced the Transformers characterGoldbug,who later appeared in the mainThe Transformerscomic book series. A trade paperback later collected all four issues.

Action Forcewas theBritishcounterpart to the 33⁄4-inch G.I. Joe toy line. The Action Force comic was launched byMarvel UKin 1987, tying into the previousBattle Action Force,and publishing original strips as well as modified reprints of the U.S. comic, with the team renamed "Action Force". The title lasted fifty issues before merging with Marvel UK'sThe Transformersin early 1988.

Later in 1988, a second series,Action Force Monthly,was launched due toMarvel UK's decision to produce comics in the American monthly format, and ran for fifteen issues before it was cancelled. TheAction Force Monthlytitle was published in the U.S. asG.I. Joe: European Missions,which kept all of the dialogue from the UK version without attempting to incorporate the reprinted stories into the continuity of the U.S.G.I. Joecomic. The comic also included a tie-in story for the UK release ofG.I. Joe: The Movie.

After the cancellation ofAction Force Monthly,the U.S.G.I. Joecomic continued to be reprinted in Marvel UK'sThe Transformerscomic as a back-up feature, with the dialogue kept intact, until it was dropped in 1991.

Blackthorne Publishing

Blackthorne Publishingreleased six issues ofG.I. Joe in 3-Dand one annual. These issues were meant to be read with3-D glasses.The stories didn't contradict the ongoing Marvel Comics series, but weren't consideredcanon.

Blackthorne also published three issues ofHow to Draw G.I. Joe,as part of their Official "How to Draw" series.

Dark Horse Comics

In 1996, the G.I. Joe toy line was relaunched with theG.I. Joe Extremeseries.Dark Horse Comicsacquired the rights to publish comics based on the G.I. Joe Extreme property. The first series was a four-issue limited series written byMike W. Barrand drawn byTatsuya Ishida,which introduced the main characters. The ongoingG.I. Joe Extremeseries that was launched afterward dropped the word "Extreme" from the title. The ongoing series lasted four issues before being canceled, although Dark Horse referred to the title as being on hiatus.

Benchpress Comics

In the spring of 1999, Benchpress Comics announced the acquisition of the rights to produce new G.I. Joe and Transformers comics. The G.I. Joe project was to have included Larry Hama as writer. Benchpress's initial plan was to release two G.I. Joe titles; one would feature a core cast of characters (similar to the Marvel Comics series), while the other would have featured a rotating cast (similar in style to the Special Missions title). For unknown reasons, negotiations over hiring Larry Hama stalled, and Benchpress went bankrupt, losing the license in the process. Larry Hama's series proposal and the three sample pages of the comic that were produced are available online.

Devil's Due Publishing

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero(G.I. Joe Reinstated)

Main article:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Devil's Due)

In July 2001,Devil's Dueacquired the rights to G.I. Joe and released a four-issue limited series throughImage Comics,written by Josh Blaylock with John Larter and Steve Kurth as the artists. The title quickly became known to the fans asA Real American Hero(vol. 2) (following from Marvel's original series), orG.I. Joe Reinstated(the title of the first four-issue arc). A comics convention special was released before the first issue. Strong sales on the limited series led to it being upgraded to an ongoing series, with the publication of a fifth issue and a monthly schedule.

The new series picked up seven years after the end of theMarvel Comicsseries, and also used elements from the animated TV series. Several older characters were featured in the title alongside several new recruits. Devil's Due later broke withImage Comicsand took over the publishing of the book. The series ended with issue #43, and the introduction of a new enemy. Most G.I. Joe titles published by Devil's Due Publishing are available in both comic and trade paperback formats.

G.I. Joe: Battle Filesgave profiles of the G.I. Joe and Cobra teams, as well as information on their vehicles.Battle Fileswas published between April and September 2002. ASourcebooktrade paperback was published in February 2003, which collected issues one through three with additional profiles added.

G.I. Joe: Frontlinelasted eighteen issues, and featured a rotating creative team for every story. The stories explored what happened to G.I. Joe and Cobra concurrently with the main title's continuity, with the exception of the first arc. Larry Hama wroteFrontline'sinitial offering, "The Mission That Never Was", a four-part series set one month after the events of the Marvel series' issue #155.

There were two four-issue limited series titledG.I. Joe: Master and Apprentice,written by Brandon Jerwa. The first series was about howSnake Eyesmet and trained his apprentice Kamakura, while the second series focused on Storm Shadow and his apprentice/loverJunko Akita.

A single digest titledArashikage Showdownfeatured Snake Eyes,Storm Shadow,Jinx, Scarlett, Kamakura,T'Jbang,NunchukandBudo.The martial arts experts try to recover the secret scrolls of theArashikageNinja Clan, to which several of them belong. This book has been considered to be non-canon by fans, as it incorporates magical and fantasy elements not present in the main series.

G.I. Joe: America's Elite

Main article:G.I. Joe: America's Elite

G.I. Joe: America's Elite(officially entitledG.I. JoeVolume 2 on the inside cover), started with a "zero" issue, and picked up the story one year after the events of the last issue ofG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero(vol. 2). The series featured a darker tone and a smaller group of Joes than inReinstated.The series started off with the president askingGeneral Joseph Colton,the original G.I. Joe, to be the team's C.O., replacing General Hawk, who was paralyzed in the previous series. Character profiles were provided in the Data Desk Handbook, as well as in individual issues. Joe Casey wrote the first eighteen issues before editor Mike O'Sullivan wrote issues #19 and 20. Mark Powers and Mike Bear became the current writer and penciller on the book with #21. The twelve issue "World War III"story arc ran from issue #25 to #36. The series concluded in July 2008 with issue #36, after Devil's Due lost the G.I. Joe license.

An original one-shot titledData Desk Handbookpublished files forG.I. Joe: America's Elitemain characters at the launch of the series. The files are presented as computer entries written by General Joseph Colton. Several other files were later published in individual issues ofAmerica's Elite,Special Missionsand several trade paperback volumes. An updated version in two issues (A-M and N-Z) was released in October and November 2007.

The one-shot issueThe Hunt for Cobra Commanderwas set in the year between the Devil's DueA Real American Heroseries andAmerica's Eliteseries, and featured G.I. Joe team member Spirit.

Storm Shadow

Storm Shadow,written byLarry Hama,lasted seven issues and focused on former Cobra and G.I. Joe team member Storm Shadow. The series began in May 2007, and, while not bearing the "America's Elite" subtitle, the events occurred in the same time frame as the main series.

Special Missions

Special Missionswas a series of one-shots featuring reservist Joes, and set in different parts of the world. The series bore the subtitleAmerica's Elite.

• Manhattan- This one-shot featured G.I. Joe reservists Beach Head, Cover Girl,Mercer,Low-Light and Tunnel Rat, on a special mission involving a bio-weapon threat inNew York City.
• Tokyo- This one-shot features the ninja Jinx and samurai Budo, with reservistsWild Bill,Gung Ho,Clutch and Rock N' Roll, who try to prevent a coup in Japan.
• Antarctica- This one-shot features Snake Eyes, Stalker, Duke and Scarlett, as well as reservistsSnow Job,Frostbiteand Iceberg.
• Brazil- This one-shot features characters that came with the 1986G.I. Joe Special Missions BrazilToys R Us exclusive boxed set, who go up against theHeadmanand his drug-dealing organization.
• The Enemy- This one-shot contrasts the motivations of original G.I. Joe infantryman Grunt with those of an unnamed Cobra "Blueshirt" trooper, with a backup tale about the mission where Cobra forces abduct the Baroness' child.

Declassified

The variousDeclassifiedseries and one-shots explore the origins of the characters, and are set before #1 of Marvel'sG.I. Joeseries.

• Snake Eyes: Declassified- A six-issue limited series written byBrandon Jerwaand set before Marvel Comics' G.I. Joe #1, retelling and expanding the story of Snake Eyes.
• Scarlett: Declassified- A double-sized one-shot issue telling the history of the character code-named Scarlett (Shana O'Hara), set betweenSnake Eyes DeclassifiedandG.I. Joe Declassified.
• G.I. Joe: Declassified- This series of three double-sized issues, written byLarry Hama,was released bi-monthly beginning in the Summer of 2006. The story is set betweenScarlett Declassifiedand issue #1 of the original Marvel Comics series, telling the first missions of the original thirteen members of the team.
• Dreadnoks: Declassified- A limited series of three double-sized issues written by Josh Blaylock, telling the complete origin story ofZartan,including how he gained his abilities.

Alternate universes

DDP also published comics in three alternate continuities.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

See also:Transformers (comics) § Transformers/G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformerswas a series of cross-productions withDreamwave Productions,who, at the time of publication, held the license to createTransformers comics.Each studio released their own six-issue mini-series, which featured their own take on a crossover between the two franchises. Unlike previous efforts to bring the two properties together, the Devil's Due story takes place in an alternate present day, where Cobra, just rising to prominence, has uncovered theArk.Cobra steals the Transformers found inside, such asOptimus Prime,Ironhide, and Ratchet, and adapt them into Cobra assault vehicles such as CobraH.I.S.S.tanks. G.I. Joe is formed to stop Cobra, and receive unexpected help from Wheeljack andBumblebee,who managed to avoid being taken by Cobra. A trade paperback collected all six issues in March 2004.

The second mini-series was a sequel to the first story. Cybertronian technology has augmented both G.I. Joe and Cobra's forces, who are still fighting each other. During a battle, an accident causes several Joes and members of Cobra to be accidentally transported to Cybertron. The backlash of the accident also pulls several Transformers to Earth, as well as scattering them through time. The Joes and Cobra must travel into the past and future, to retrieve the missingAutobotsandDecepticonsbefore the Earth is destroyed. This is complicated by the fact that most of Cybertron is under the control of the DecepticonShockwave.A trade paperback collected all four issues in April 2005.

The third mini-series, entitledThe Art of War,followed on from the second mini-series, using elements of the first. The new story focused on a re-imagined version ofSerpentor,in this continuity a cyborg created from the DNA of great war leaders, and the mechanical components ofMegatron.Inadvertently freed by a Cobra raid, Serpentor journeyed to Cybertron. NowHawk,Grimlockand the other Autobots and Joes must stop him before he takes theAutobot Matrix of Leadershipfor himself. A trade paperback collected all five issues in August 2006.

A fourth mini-series consisting of two double-sized issues, entitledBlack Horizon,was released in early 2007. After Hawk resigned from G.I. Joe in the wake of the events of "The Art of War", he formed a loose alliance with the Autobots to stop the spread of Cybertronian technology. However, a much bigger threat looms: the serpent cultCobra-Laand the dark god of the TransformersUnicron.Hawk,Flint,and Optimus Prime go the Himalayas to confront Cobra-La, and find a long lost hero:Joe Colton,the original G.I. Joe.

G.I. Joe: Reloaded

G.I. Joe: Reloadedwas a fourteen-issue ongoing series published by Devil's Due which was set in an alternate universe, and featured a more realistic take on the G.I. Joe franchise. The ongoing series was preceded by theCobra RebornandG.I. Joe Rebornone-shots, which introduced the main characters and showed the formation of G.I. Joe and the Cobra Organization.

In this universe, Snake Eyes is Storm Shadow's half-brother and a former Cobra agent. Carla "Doc" Greer (an alternative version of the characterCarl "Doc" Greerfrom the main continuity), is G.I. Joe's field medic, and Duke is an undercover Cobra agent who betrays the group. The series had no connection to the main comic series and was canceled after fourteen issues due to low sales. A trade paperback titledG.I. Joe: Reloaded - In The Name of Patriotismcollected the first six issues in November 2004.

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6was a six-issue mini-series written for a younger audience, based on the toyline and animated TV series of the same name. While the series was out of continuity with the main comic universe, the characters are largely the same: Hawk is the commanding officer, Duke is the field leader, and there is a connection between the ninjas Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. A trade paperback collected all six issues in October 2006.

IDW Publishing

Main article:G.I. Joe (IDW Publishing)

After Devil's Due lost the G.I. Joe comics license in January 2008, the license was given toIDW Publishing,which was officially announced on May 29.IDW's G.I. Joe series is a complete reboot of the property, ignoring the continuity from the Marvel and Devil's Due incarnations of the comic. They will lose the right to publish G.I Joe comics by the end of 2022.

G.I. Joe

Issue #0 was released in October 2008, containing three stand-alone stories which acted as previews for the main G.I. Joe series, theG.I. Joe: OriginsandG.I. Joe: Cobraspin-off mini-series. The #0 issue is followed by an ongoing monthlyG.I. Joeseries, written byChuck Dixon,and drawn byRobert Atkins,which started in January 2009.After issue #27, the series was rebooted in April 2011 with a new #0.

G.I. Joe: Originswas an ongoing series that started in February 2009, and ended with issue #23 in January 2011. The first five issues, written byLarry Hamawith art byTom FeisterandMike Hawthorne,focus on the formation of the G.I. Joe team several years before the events of the main series. After this story arc, rotating creative teams - featuring creators such asJT Krul,Joe Benitez,Marc AndreykoandBen Templesmith- took over the title to focus on origin and background tales of individual Joe and Cobra operatives.

G.I. Joe: Cobra,co-written byChristos GageandMike Costaand drawn by Antonio Fuso, was a four-issue mini-series that started in March 2009 and focused on the inner working of the Cobra Organization as viewed through the eyes of undercover G.I. Joe agentChuckles.By the end of the series, Chuckles is forced to kill his handler,Jinx,and loses contact with his Joe superiors. AG.I. Joe Cobra IImini-series began in January 2010, picking up withGeneral Hawkrecruiting a new—also female and Japanese—soldier to recover Chuckles. It was later upgraded to an ongoing series that ended in February 2011 with issue #13. A new #1 was scheduled for May 2011.

G.I. Joe: Specialis a series of one-shot issues focusing on different characters. So far, only aHelix Specialwas published in August 2009.

G.I. Joe: Cobra: Specialis a series of one-shot issues focusing on different Cobra characters. So far, two issues were published: #1 was published in September 2009 focusing on the Crimson Twins and #2 focused onChameleon.

G.I. Joe: Hearts & Mindsis a five-issue limited series written byMax Brooks.Each issue includes two short stories, one on a member of G.I. Joe, one on a member of Cobra.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

• G.I. Joe Movie Prequel– A four-part limited series written byChuck Dixon,acting as a prequel to the 2009 movieG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.Published from March 2009 to June 2009, each issue featured a different character from the movie (Duke, Destro, The Baroness and Snake Eyes respectively).
• G.I. Joe Movie Adaptation– A four-part limited series published in July 2009 and written byChuck Dixon,adapting the 2009 movie.
• G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes– A Snake Eyes solo limited series co-written byRay Park(October 2009 - January 2010).
• EA/Game Stop comic – A comic distributed through Game Stop retail stores that bridges the gap between the movie and the EA video game that followed.
• G.I. Joe: Operation HISS– A five-issue limited series, serving as a sequel of sorts to the 2009 movie, that was published from February 2010 to June 2010. The first issue is a reprint of the EA/Game Stop comic.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

TheG.I. Joe: A Real American Heroseries originally published by Marvel Comics in the 1980s and 1990s, was revived as an ongoing series in May 2010 with a special #1551⁄2issue, released onFree Comic Book Day,and followed by #156 onward in July. Hasbro said it had no opinion on whether this made Devil's Due comics noncanonical:

We have no official stance on the Devil's Due material. It can be viewed as a continuation of the 80's continuity, or as an alternate universe that was inspired by the 80's continuity. Fans can read it according to their personal preference, but we are currently taking the brand in a direction that does not take the Devil's Due story into account.

Original writer Larry Hama resumed his role as writer, joined by artist Agustin Padilla for the first story arc and then S.L. Gallant, who was the regular artist until 2017.Veteran Joe artists Herb Trimpe, Rod Whigham and Ron Wagner have contributed cover art since the book's relaunch (with Wagner also providing interior art), as well as artistsRon FrenzandSal Buscema(who also illustrated interiors of the 2012 annual), Antonio Fuso,Tommy Lee Edwardsand John Royle. Other notable & recurring artists during this IDW revival series include Netho Diaz, Brian Shearer, Ron Joseph and Robert Atkins.

IDW reprints

IDW began printingtrade paperbackcollections of the original Marvel Comics series starting in January 2009.The reprints, begun by Marvel Comics years earlier but abandoned with Volume 5, contain ten issues each retaining the originals in full color. The 5 Marvel volumes were also reprinted by IDW.

IDW also reprinted the entirety of the Devil's Due G.I. Joe run, under a "Disavowed" banner (acknowledging the non-canonical status of the DDP comics): 7 trade paperback collections of the original DDP series, as well as 6 collections of the America's Elite series.

Crossovers

In 2016, IDW published a crossover betweenCapcom'sStreet Fighterand G.I. Joe titledStreet Fighter x G.I. Joe.It was written by Aubrey Sitterson with art by Emilio Laiso, and ran for six issues.

Skybound Entertainment

Main article:G.I. Joe (Skybound Entertainment)

Energon Universe

Main article:Energon Universe

Title	Issue(s)	Creative team			Release schedule		Ref.
		Writer(s)	Artist(s)	Colorist(s)	Premiere date	Finale date
Duke	1–	Joshua Williamson	Tom Reilly	Jordie Bellaire	December 27, 2023	TBA
Cobra Commander			Andrea Milana	Annalisa Leoni	January 17, 2024

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

Main article:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Skybound Entertainment)

Title	Issue(s)	Creative team			Release schedule		Ref.
		Writer(s)	Artist(s)	Colorist(s)	Premiere date	Finale date
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero	301–	Larry Hama	Chris Mooneyham	Francesco Segala	November 14, 2023	TBA
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1 Larry Hama Cut	One-shot		Herb Trimpe Bob McLeod	Glynis Wein	January 17, 2024

Hasbro Comics

Also see theCustom Comicssection above

Minicomics

Sgt. Savage vs. Gen. Blitz- a two-partmini-comicreleased in 1994 as a tie-in to theSgt. Savage and his Screaming Eaglesillustrated by veteranJoe Kubert.

Marvel/Devil's Due Universe

• Action Stars' Starduster mini-comics- Three out-of-continuity mini-comics packed in Action Stars cereals (1985) featuring original characterStarduster.
• Super Trooper- A two-page comic strip relating an adventure with character Super Trooper was available with action figures sold in 1988. This character was never used in the Marvel incarnation, but the story didn't contradict the Marvel continuity.
• Battle Corps mini-comics- FourLarry Hama-written mini-comics sold with Battle Corps figures in 1992. While the stories don't contradict the Marvel continuity, they were never referenced in the Marvel incarnation.
• Full size comic 2-packs- TwelveLarry Hama-written comics have been released in 2008. They loosely fit into the original Marvel-published continuity. These comics are sold packed with two figures each.

Reprints of Marvel and DDP stories

Hasbro has reprinted 24 Marvel-published comics, and one of Devil's Due's issues (vol 1., #16), was packaged with either three-packs of figures (featuring the original comic covers) or, later, two-packs (featuring homage cover artwork). Marvel issues #1, #14, #21, #24, #25, #30, #64, #86, and #115 were reprinted with homage cover, while issues #1-9, #21, #24, #26, #44, #49, #74-76, & #101, and Devil's Due #16, were reprinted with their original covers. Issue one was also reprinted with a convention-special cover in a repackaging of the issue #1 three-pack.

Resolute universe

Two issues have been released in 2009, based on theG.I. Joe Resolutecartoon and action figures. The first comic 2-packs contained Shockblast paired with Destro, and Tunnel Rat paired with Storm Shadow. Issue 3Cold Comfortwas never released. Issue 4Who Owns the Nightwas available through Walmart upon order. Issue 5Final Testwas available as a download on Amazon upon order of the Resolute DVD. Issue 6Splash-Bangwas available as a mail-in on Amazon upon order. Note that issues 4 and 6 did not bare theResolutesubtitle on their covers. The entire series was written by Larry Hama.

Other universes

The Spy Troops, Valor vs. Venom, Ninja Battles and Sigma 6 storylines are considered part of the same universe, though some contradictions exist between the first three and Sigma 6.

• Spy-TroopsandValor vs Venom- Ten mini-comics written by Larry Hama, one mini-comic written by Devil's Due. Hama's issues #7 and 8 were reprinted as a full size comic entitled "Dawn of the V-troops".
• Ninja Battles- One full-size issue written by Devil's Due.
• Sigma 6 mini-comic- An abbreviated version of Devils' Due Sigma 6 issue #1 was sold along with the Ninja paratrooper Snake Eyes toy.
• Kung Fu Grip- Two issues written by Andrew Dabb ( "Heavy Metal" and "A Ghost Story" ), are available online on Hasbro's G.I. Joe website. The stories fall under the Sigma 6 line.

Tokyopop

In 2003,Tokyopopadapted the Spy Troops direct-to-DVD movie withG.I. Joe: Spy Troops Cine-Manga,by using screen captures from the animation and adding word balloons.

FP Comics

The G.I. Joe Collector's Club Comics released under theFPlabel are not set in any specific Joe universe:

• Convention exclusives (main series)- In 2008, a G.I. Joe convention exclusive comic book was released. Written by Larry Hama, based on a story by David S. Lane, it featured the Joes' SWAT team against Gristle and the Headhunters. A second issue by Lane was released in 2009.
• Direct-to-Cobra- A series consisting of two issues.

Panini Comics

Panini Comicsreleased a six-issue series in the UK to tie in with the 2009 theatrical release ofG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.The title featured original 14-page comic strips.

Power Comics, Inc.

In March 2023, Power Comics, Inc. announces its partnership with Super Joe Unlimited to publish a Super Joe comic book (1977).

See also

• G.I. Joe
• G.I. Joe Team
• Cobra Command
• List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero action figures

Further reading

• Scott, Cord (2014).Comics and Conflict: Patriotism and Propaganda from WWII through Operation Iraqi Freedom.Naval Institute Press.ISBN9781612514772.

External links

• G.I. Joeat theGrand Comics Database
• G.I. JoeArchived2012-11-09 at theWayback Machineat the Comic Book DB
• Private Breger / Mister Bregera.k.a. G.I. JoeatDon Markstein's Toonopedia.Archivedfrom the original on June 20, 2015.
• G.I. Joe Comic Book Archiveat YoJoe