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G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files (collected editions) #1
G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files Volume 1
G.I. JOE has a new ally-Chameleon, and she used to be COBRA. When a break-in at a top-secret research facility brings the convert JOE team into contact with an enemy unlike any they've ever seen, the loyalty of their new member may be the least of their concerns. Is Chameleon daring, or just dangerous?
104 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2013
3 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Mike Costa
704 books31 followersMike Costa is an American comic book and television writer.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 26, 2013
When Chameleon returns from a mission with severe depression and PTSD, she has a hard time fitting back in with G.I. Joe. It doesn't help to be working with Tomax Paoli, the man she fled Cobra to escape.
Chameleon has to get it together when Flint finds out about a covert operation to infiltrate the new G.I. Joe wing in the Pentagon. Duke is not convinced it will happen until he is shown that it already has. Chameleon has to lead a team to stop a deadly attack on Washington D.C.
The story by Mike Costa is great, and I really like a lot of the recent G.I. Joe comics I've read. The story lines are quite mature and don't remind me of action figures or cartoons. Intense action, complex relationships and twisting storylines. Art by Antonio Fuso is sparse at times, but this plays nice with the story.
I was given a review copy of the graphic novel by IDW and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.
Chameleon has to get it together when Flint finds out about a covert operation to infiltrate the new G.I. Joe wing in the Pentagon. Duke is not convinced it will happen until he is shown that it already has. Chameleon has to lead a team to stop a deadly attack on Washington D.C.
The story by Mike Costa is great, and I really like a lot of the recent G.I. Joe comics I've read. The story lines are quite mature and don't remind me of action figures or cartoons. Intense action, complex relationships and twisting storylines. Art by Antonio Fuso is sparse at times, but this plays nice with the story.
I was given a review copy of the graphic novel by IDW and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.
August 14, 2015
ok Gi Joe stuff
September 7, 2013
I grew up watching the afternoon G.I. Joe cartoons in the glorious 80s and imagining my Barbies pair much better with the Joe action figures (dolls!) than with Ken. I can't say I've been a dedicated fan since, but they claim a nostalgic spot in my heart.
The graphic novel here, which is a collection of #1-4, retains the macho patriotism I remember, but none of the humor or camaraderie. The good guys are still going strong, but there is a lot more psychological gamesmanship to the good-bad fight. It's a machiavellian world out there and the Joes reflect that. Greater good ho! I recently watched the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, and it struck me that Bond isn't really a hero. He's a dude doing a job and he's not there to prevent innocent lives being lost even if he can manage it. Collateral damage, here we come. The Joes aren't much different. Maybe this is because the bad guys seem to be much worse than I remember. Mostly they were stupid and/or incompetent. These villains are decidedly not. The evil end of the spectrum has expanded, so it seems the Joes have shifted over to maintain the status quo. A lot of food for thought in a comic book!
The art was a bit tough on my eyes. A lot of dark and ill-defined areas for a reader who likes details and realism. Did they fire the cleanup artist? Everyone looks the same! The art does mirror the mood and tension of the characters, though. Things are blurry and shadowy and definitely not smooth.
The plot is well-thought out and executed. Chameleon, a COBRA defector, is trying to prove her new loyalty to the Joes while remaining out of reach of her old cronies. COBRA is temporarily out of commission, but the faithful are far and wide. The Joes lay a trap for the wiliest bunch only to have it backfire and it's up to the backup crew (all women, curiously), including Chameleon, to salvage the mission. The Joes's existence depends on it.
The graphic novel here, which is a collection of #1-4, retains the macho patriotism I remember, but none of the humor or camaraderie. The good guys are still going strong, but there is a lot more psychological gamesmanship to the good-bad fight. It's a machiavellian world out there and the Joes reflect that. Greater good ho! I recently watched the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, and it struck me that Bond isn't really a hero. He's a dude doing a job and he's not there to prevent innocent lives being lost even if he can manage it. Collateral damage, here we come. The Joes aren't much different. Maybe this is because the bad guys seem to be much worse than I remember. Mostly they were stupid and/or incompetent. These villains are decidedly not. The evil end of the spectrum has expanded, so it seems the Joes have shifted over to maintain the status quo. A lot of food for thought in a comic book!
The art was a bit tough on my eyes. A lot of dark and ill-defined areas for a reader who likes details and realism. Did they fire the cleanup artist? Everyone looks the same! The art does mirror the mood and tension of the characters, though. Things are blurry and shadowy and definitely not smooth.
The plot is well-thought out and executed. Chameleon, a COBRA defector, is trying to prove her new loyalty to the Joes while remaining out of reach of her old cronies. COBRA is temporarily out of commission, but the faithful are far and wide. The Joes lay a trap for the wiliest bunch only to have it backfire and it's up to the backup crew (all women, curiously), including Chameleon, to salvage the mission. The Joes's existence depends on it.
November 15, 2018
By the time the run reached The Cobra Files, Mike Costa and/or IDW realized that the narrative had become fairly insular, and so there's a kind of summary at the beginning of this volume about the relevant facts, and then the rest of it barrels through the first successes against Cobra in Costa's tales since, well, Chuckles shot Cobra Commander. So that's pretty fun.
But of course it couldn't possibly be that easy. While Flint's crack team takes on a Cobra unit called the Night Creepers, Costa at last refocuses around Erika Le Tene, alias Chameleon, the Cobra defector who became the heart of his tales. Never sure about where she stood, Chameleon was forever proving herself, not only to the Joes around her, but to herself. And to emphasize this, Costa has Tomax Paoli, the surviving Crimson Twin and Cobra defector (but unlike Chameleon never trusted, used solely for information), further manipulate Joe tech guru Clockspring, poisoning him with doubt about Chameleon, whom Clockspring just so happens to be infatuated with. If Chameleon has become a kind of Joes version of the Baroness at this point, she's also gotten to explore what exactly that means far more than the Baroness ever got to (outside of her underrated appearance in the movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, anyway).
All that while delivering a lot of fun set pieces worthy of the movies.
But of course it couldn't possibly be that easy. While Flint's crack team takes on a Cobra unit called the Night Creepers, Costa at last refocuses around Erika Le Tene, alias Chameleon, the Cobra defector who became the heart of his tales. Never sure about where she stood, Chameleon was forever proving herself, not only to the Joes around her, but to herself. And to emphasize this, Costa has Tomax Paoli, the surviving Crimson Twin and Cobra defector (but unlike Chameleon never trusted, used solely for information), further manipulate Joe tech guru Clockspring, poisoning him with doubt about Chameleon, whom Clockspring just so happens to be infatuated with. If Chameleon has become a kind of Joes version of the Baroness at this point, she's also gotten to explore what exactly that means far more than the Baroness ever got to (outside of her underrated appearance in the movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, anyway).
All that while delivering a lot of fun set pieces worthy of the movies.
February 12, 2021
Back in the world of G.I. Joes. Spies and action. Joes vs Cobra. Very dark mood set for this series. Lucky me my digital library has Volume 2 as well. Good Mission Impossible type stories with our favorite Joes and Cobra baddies.
January 15, 2021
I still think the characters in this title aren’t quite right, but at least the story itself was good for this particular arc. Nice usage of spy craft and espionage.
September 17, 2013
Every once and a while a large and long lasting franchise tries to shed its skin and become something new. Here in Cobra Files, we see IDW trying to breath new life into the JOE storyline. However, for me anyways, Cobra Files Vol 1 is a massive let down to any fan who has come to love the larger JOE franchise from its inception in the eighties. Here in this first volume the reader is exposed to a psychological thriller that is meant to bring the JOE franchise into a more adult and heady realm. The bulk of the story is dedicated to the villain using mental bully tactics to prey on the weak. Other characters spend most of their time exploring what life has handed them and how to adjust to new realities. Not until the last quarter of the issue do we see anything that remotely looks like the JOE we all know.
For me, the first three quarters of this issue could have been for any story not related to the Joe franchise. Its psycho-thriller theme bore little resemblance to G.I. JOE and for the most part was too long and overly melodramatic in parts. Not until the last quarter of the issue do we see the more militaristic and fun aspects of the franchise we are used to.
But don't get me wrong here, the vast majority of the book isn't really a JOE style presentation, but it does have some good writing and good storytelling. However, if you are going into this thinking that it will be a familiar JOE story like you've read in the past, you will be mistaken. Don't pass on this issue based on my opinion alone, but be aware that your expectations may not be met.
Good issue, but not really a JOE issue.
*I received this issue in ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For me, the first three quarters of this issue could have been for any story not related to the Joe franchise. Its psycho-thriller theme bore little resemblance to G.I. JOE and for the most part was too long and overly melodramatic in parts. Not until the last quarter of the issue do we see the more militaristic and fun aspects of the franchise we are used to.
But don't get me wrong here, the vast majority of the book isn't really a JOE style presentation, but it does have some good writing and good storytelling. However, if you are going into this thinking that it will be a familiar JOE story like you've read in the past, you will be mistaken. Don't pass on this issue based on my opinion alone, but be aware that your expectations may not be met.
Good issue, but not really a JOE issue.
*I received this issue in ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2013
I really wanted to like GI Joe. For me, GI Joe was all about jungle missions, Joes fighting Cobras, the old time cartoons. Don't get me wrong, I liked the story here, but...
First of all, the strongest point is the story and the characters. The worse is the drawings, the pace and the absolute deviation from the original GI Joe.
The drawings, I must say I like the backgrounds, but the people are done... well I didn't want to say horribly, but I just don't like this style. Very chiseled, very shadowy (most of the time you can't see the eyes), and people all look the same. I just don't like it.
The pace of the story, it just drudged on for the first part with no action. I mean this is GI Joe, I want to see action scenes, not psychological drama. Which leads me to my other complaint. This is GI Joe, not a psychological drama! I mean, GI Joe was a tremendous hit in the 80s because it had action aplenty. Nowadays, the movies, the comics, they are all so mediocre because they sometimes speak to a "hiegher level" of awereness where some people just want pure entertainment. I mean this is not Covert Affairs, nor Alias, this is GI Joe, this is action, machine guns, sword fights, ninjas.
On a final praise, the whole of the story is pretty good, but you have to be "in that zone", and the characters are "fleshed out" I could say.
Only recommend this if you are not looking to get that 80s entertainment, but a deep psychological and emotional drama with some gunshots in the midst.
First of all, the strongest point is the story and the characters. The worse is the drawings, the pace and the absolute deviation from the original GI Joe.
The drawings, I must say I like the backgrounds, but the people are done... well I didn't want to say horribly, but I just don't like this style. Very chiseled, very shadowy (most of the time you can't see the eyes), and people all look the same. I just don't like it.
The pace of the story, it just drudged on for the first part with no action. I mean this is GI Joe, I want to see action scenes, not psychological drama. Which leads me to my other complaint. This is GI Joe, not a psychological drama! I mean, GI Joe was a tremendous hit in the 80s because it had action aplenty. Nowadays, the movies, the comics, they are all so mediocre because they sometimes speak to a "hiegher level" of awereness where some people just want pure entertainment. I mean this is not Covert Affairs, nor Alias, this is GI Joe, this is action, machine guns, sword fights, ninjas.
On a final praise, the whole of the story is pretty good, but you have to be "in that zone", and the characters are "fleshed out" I could say.
Only recommend this if you are not looking to get that 80s entertainment, but a deep psychological and emotional drama with some gunshots in the midst.
July 29, 2014
Every time I write a review of an IDW book, I fill up my entire blurb with praises. This will be no different. Out of Transformers, Ghostbusters, Ninja Turtles, GI JOE and all the other 80s toy properties for which IDW puts out books on, GI JOE was actually the cartoon/toys/franchise that I liked the least. This book, however was something else, it was far better than most IDW books I have read. It made Lady Jaye into a complete and utter bad ass. It made Tomax and Xamot seem cool. It showed the rigors and stress of working for an organization like Cobra. It was the exact kind of over the top espionage story that we are seeing more and more of these days, and I absolutely loved it. So glad I have the second trade sitting on my shelf, ready to go, joe!
September 13, 2013
Sometimes reading comic book series are like watching soap operas. You go away for a while, come back and can still easily follow the plot and identify the characters. I had gotten out of the habit of reading comics for about 14 years and am just now getting my toes wet in the field again. The world of GI Joe vs Cobra is still covert, deadly and dangerous. Now, in the age of terror, it is just more overt. This volume provides plenty of action, drama, and even tosses some character development into the mix. Enjoy where Cobra Commander and Yo Joe are appreciated.
October 16, 2013
For as much as I loved the Transformers TP that I just read and reread, I wished I could have liked this one better. I just really couldn't feel the same old connection to the G.I. Joe comics that I grew up with.
Yes I am a female and used to read G.I. Joe comics! Heck, I would read most comics that I got my hands on back then. After awhile though, there are certain things that you come to expect from the old standards. This one just really missed the mark for me.
Yes I am a female and used to read G.I. Joe comics! Heck, I would read most comics that I got my hands on back then. After awhile though, there are certain things that you come to expect from the old standards. This one just really missed the mark for me.
February 26, 2020
Most everything that Van Lente got wrong in his Joe title are righted here. Much, much better.
Reread February 2020. Seven years later, I don't remember Van Lente's Joe series that I mention here. But I thoroughly enjoyed this. Not quite as good as the "Cobra" series but still thoroughly enjoyable storytelling with some good writing.
Reread February 2020. Seven years later, I don't remember Van Lente's Joe series that I mention here. But I thoroughly enjoyed this. Not quite as good as the "Cobra" series but still thoroughly enjoyable storytelling with some good writing.
October 3, 2013
You can read my full review of this on my blog, The Itinerant Librarian. Click on (or copy and paste in your browser) the link:
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews