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Classic G.I. Joe #2
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Volume 2
Trade paperback.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
36 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Larry Hama
1,955 books152 followersLarry Hama is an American writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s.
During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles on the TV shows M*A*S*H and Saturday Night Live, and appeared on Broadway in two roles in the original 1976 production of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures.
He is best known to American comic book readers as a writer and editor for Marvel Comics, where he wrote the licensed comic book series G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero, based on the Hasbro action figures. He has also written for the series Wolverine, Nth Man: the Ultimate Ninja, and Elektra. He created the character Bucky O'Hare, which was developed into a comic book, a toy line and television cartoon.
During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles on the TV shows M*A*S*H and Saturday Night Live, and appeared on Broadway in two roles in the original 1976 production of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures.
He is best known to American comic book readers as a writer and editor for Marvel Comics, where he wrote the licensed comic book series G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero, based on the Hasbro action figures. He has also written for the series Wolverine, Nth Man: the Ultimate Ninja, and Elektra. He created the character Bucky O'Hare, which was developed into a comic book, a toy line and television cartoon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 28, 2022
The 2nd Volume of Classic G.I. Joe was as entertaining as the first. I always enjoy reading these old stories and they bring back memories of these original stories, though I mostly remember the covers.
It is a comic that has stood the test of time in a fairly decent fashion. This volume collects issues #11-20. This set has some interesting characters show up. From Major Bludd to Destro, this volume highlights their characters, as well as finishing of the Dr. Venom story arc. There is something mentioned of Baronness and Destro having a relationship, but his relationship with Cobra Commander is tenuous, at best.
A good collection of the classic comic. I shall be picking up volume 3 soon.
It is a comic that has stood the test of time in a fairly decent fashion. This volume collects issues #11-20. This set has some interesting characters show up. From Major Bludd to Destro, this volume highlights their characters, as well as finishing of the Dr. Venom story arc. There is something mentioned of Baronness and Destro having a relationship, but his relationship with Cobra Commander is tenuous, at best.
A good collection of the classic comic. I shall be picking up volume 3 soon.
September 24, 2017
A marked improvement over the first volume and I definitely recognize the G.I. Joe comics that I loved as a kid. What made G.I. Joe so interesting was that there was always a continuing backstory that Larry Hama wove through each issue, making it really compelling reading (at the time). Not to mention that the villains were a delightful bunch that were so much more intriguing than the heroes, who all come across as interchangeable nobodies (except, perhaps, for Snake Eyes and Scarlett).
Unfortunately, reading this collection now, the dialogue comes off as stilted and bloated - surprisingly much worse than other comics from this era. The plots (other than the ongoing drama within Cobra's ranks) are ridiculous and almost impenetrable. It's really hard to tell what is actually going on and why I should care. I found it to be a much better experience skimming this collection to get to the juicy bits of Cobra infighting than actually bothering to read every ridiculous thing each Joe said.
A mild recommendation based on nostalgia and the hope that the series continues to improve and that my memories are not totally warped.
Unfortunately, reading this collection now, the dialogue comes off as stilted and bloated - surprisingly much worse than other comics from this era. The plots (other than the ongoing drama within Cobra's ranks) are ridiculous and almost impenetrable. It's really hard to tell what is actually going on and why I should care. I found it to be a much better experience skimming this collection to get to the juicy bits of Cobra infighting than actually bothering to read every ridiculous thing each Joe said.
A mild recommendation based on nostalgia and the hope that the series continues to improve and that my memories are not totally warped.
January 25, 2016
An excellent blend of the comic superhero style storytelling and a military war comics. Huge cast of characters and a great evil villain and organization balances the series well. Very recommended.
March 8, 2024
Larry Hama discards the previous single-issue storyline to do a lot more continuing metaplot. Cobra wants to infect one of their soldiers with a deady bio-weapon, send him to be captured by GI joe, and when they quarantine their base, use that to locate said base. However, the issues keep propping up of in-fighting and betrayal among Cobra, leading to this plan going off the rails several trimes. Kwinn goes on a murderous quest against Doctor Venom with Snake Eyes. Destro is introduced as the Baroness' long-lost boyfriend. Also, we have a giant battle at GI Joe headquarters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this work and think it's definitely a step up from the previous stories. We also get the first casualty among the Joes.
Overall, I really enjoyed this work and think it's definitely a step up from the previous stories. We also get the first casualty among the Joes.
March 18, 2009
Nostalgia overwhelming rational discussion on plot, characters, silliness of stories based on toys...
April 17, 2020
Longer term storylines start to develop in this volume. I have to give a lot of credit to Larry Hama for crafting fairly realistic plots around a line of toys, and also Hasbro deserves a lot of credit for allowing him to run this as a more "mature" comic with more realistic violence and even character deaths.
There are still a few silly moments, such as when GI Joe Skindiver Torpedo battles Cobra in a warehouse with no water to speak of dressed in a full wetsuit, including the mask and flippers and using a speargun as his weapon against the machine guns of the enemy. Thankfully there's not a ton of moments like that and in most cases the Joes use their specialized skills logically, but I assume there may have been some kind of edict passed to Larry Hama about putting certain Joes in certain issues regardless of whether they fit or not.
That being said, still a really good comic and really the cast of characters in Joe and Cobra are hard to top. Looking forward to reading more of the series.
There are still a few silly moments, such as when GI Joe Skindiver Torpedo battles Cobra in a warehouse with no water to speak of dressed in a full wetsuit, including the mask and flippers and using a speargun as his weapon against the machine guns of the enemy. Thankfully there's not a ton of moments like that and in most cases the Joes use their specialized skills logically, but I assume there may have been some kind of edict passed to Larry Hama about putting certain Joes in certain issues regardless of whether they fit or not.
That being said, still a really good comic and really the cast of characters in Joe and Cobra are hard to top. Looking forward to reading more of the series.
January 1, 2022
The series is gaining some momentum. You can see Marvel and Hasbro expanding the universe in these issues, and new characters are starting to show up. The first 2 collections are really more set-up and foundation, allowing the creative team to sink their teeth into the stories/characters.
January 31, 2022
With this volume we get into the first story arc of the series. Plus it contains the first G.I. Joe comic as I read as a kid, Three Strikes for Snake Eyes. This one did bring back the found memories of the series. For the classic G.I. Joe series, this is where it does pick up.
May 17, 2020
This volume is definitely an improvement over the first, as Larry Hama is starting to find the voice of this series. He's not QUITE there yet at this point but he's getting close. The visual aesthetic is becoming more recognizable, as Cobra is now using their distinctive HISS tanks and Fang helicopters rather than generic vehicles (though Snake-Eyes still looks like he's wearing blue pajamas throughout the volume). Unlike the first arc that was mostly one-and-done stories, this one features longer story arcs that build off each other into a larger narrative.
New characters make things more interesting than the first volume, and as the second wave of Joe characters such as Snow Job, Doc, and Gung Ho tend to have more unique physical traits. I can actually tell the characters apart (as opposed to the first ten issues where most of the characters are wearing nearly identical green fatigues, and the artists did very little to give them recognizable distinguishing features. Destro and Major Bludd enter the picture on the Cobra side, fleshing out the terrorist organization's leadership a bit and giving Cobra Commander other personalities to play off of than the Baroness and random generic troopers. Hama also brings back or introduces other characters that never made it into the cartoon or toy line such as Kwinn the mercenary, Doctor Venom, and Scar-Face the Cobra courier.
A few of these issues I'd never read previously as I couldn't find the back issues as a child, and it was fun reading them for the first time now--particularly seeing how writer Larry Hama worked in that original GI JOE base from the toy line into the story. I found it an amusingly clever way to feature it once without being forced to make it a permanent feature of the book.
By far my absolute favorite moment in this volume is when the Joes are doing a mission nowhere near the water, and for some unknowable reason Torpedo is running around in a building wearing his full wetsuit, flippers and breathing regulator included, brandishing a single-shot harpoon gun at his Cobra foes. I can only imagine that some editor insisted that he be dressed in full gear as to be identifiable to the reader. Whatever the reason, the end result is laugh-out-loud hilarious.
3.5 STARS
New characters make things more interesting than the first volume, and as the second wave of Joe characters such as Snow Job, Doc, and Gung Ho tend to have more unique physical traits. I can actually tell the characters apart (as opposed to the first ten issues where most of the characters are wearing nearly identical green fatigues, and the artists did very little to give them recognizable distinguishing features. Destro and Major Bludd enter the picture on the Cobra side, fleshing out the terrorist organization's leadership a bit and giving Cobra Commander other personalities to play off of than the Baroness and random generic troopers. Hama also brings back or introduces other characters that never made it into the cartoon or toy line such as Kwinn the mercenary, Doctor Venom, and Scar-Face the Cobra courier.
A few of these issues I'd never read previously as I couldn't find the back issues as a child, and it was fun reading them for the first time now--particularly seeing how writer Larry Hama worked in that original GI JOE base from the toy line into the story. I found it an amusingly clever way to feature it once without being forced to make it a permanent feature of the book.
By far my absolute favorite moment in this volume is when the Joes are doing a mission nowhere near the water, and for some unknowable reason Torpedo is running around in a building wearing his full wetsuit, flippers and breathing regulator included, brandishing a single-shot harpoon gun at his Cobra foes. I can only imagine that some editor insisted that he be dressed in full gear as to be identifiable to the reader. Whatever the reason, the end result is laugh-out-loud hilarious.
3.5 STARS
May 14, 2016
In volume 2, we start to see the formation of on going story arcs. The characters are flushed out even further. We also notice that Larry Hama has started to pick some favorite characters. Stalker and Clutch are in most of the comics. Snake eyes has started his ascendence to become the never losing, over the top fighter he will become. And while the stories themselves have gotten better. Some of the characters on the Cobra side lose their edge. In fighting, romance, and back stabbing becomes second nature. It will make you long for the return of over confidence and arrogant boasts by Cobra Commander.
February 14, 2022
This is a great volume. The story that comprises the bulk of this trade, involving Scar-Face, Kwinn, Dr Venom, and Destro, is just an excellent story that's filled with great set pieces and some excellent character work, especially with The Cobra characters. Great, great stuff.
March 2, 2024
Larry Hama discards the previous single-issue storyline to do a lot more continuing metaplot. Cobra wants to infect one of their soldiers with a deady bio-weapon, send him to be captured by GI joe, and when they quarantine their base, use that to locate said base. However, the issues keep propping up of in-fighting and betrayal among Cobra, leading to this plan going off the rails several trimes. Kwinn goes on a murderous quest against Doctor Venom with Snake Eyes. Destro is introduced as the Baroness' long-lost boyfriend. Also, we have a giant battle at GI Joe headquarters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this work and think it's definitely a step up from the previous stories. We also get the first casualty among the Joes.
Overall, I really enjoyed this work and think it's definitely a step up from the previous stories. We also get the first casualty among the Joes.
May 1, 2022
The series continues to be very interesting. This volume introduced more Joes, along with some Cobra greats like Destro and Major Bludd. There's a lot more depth to the story than you get with the cartoon. Kinda like with Lord of the Rings: there was a lot of backstory and intrigue that was removed from the books for the movies. Movies were still great, but the story was much more straight forward. Similar here, where the GI Joe comics have lots of threads and competing interests within Cobra that I think were much more shallow in the cartoon.
March 9, 2018
This volume starts before the stories I remember reading as a child but I owned most of the toys featured. Coming back to it as an adult you can almost see the orders from Hasbro. Each toy is usually featured in a huge panel to when it was introduced and then has to pop up a few more time over the course of the story.
January 17, 2024
La serie avanza dejando atrás las historias autoconclusivas, mientras Larry Hama introduce una nueva tanda de personajes y equipo sin que la trama se sienta forzada. Es de lamentar que el esmero puesto por el guionista (tanto en la jerga militar como en darle coherencia a la franquicia) no halle contrapunto en el apartado gráfico.
January 30, 2024
Good, but I'm still waiting for some key characters to show up. It's funny how Kwinn, Scar-face, and Dr. Venom had so much time but never made it into the animated show. None of them seemed too interesting, but General Flagg got some screen time. The next volume introduces the Dreadnoks and Storm Shadow, so I'm pumped.
February 16, 2022
Better than I expected
Reading this for a personal project as I never read them as a kid. Much better than I was expecting and much more “grown up” than I would have assumed for kids back in the 80s. Not perfect, but still solid fun reads.
Reading this for a personal project as I never read them as a kid. Much better than I was expecting and much more “grown up” than I would have assumed for kids back in the 80s. Not perfect, but still solid fun reads.
November 7, 2017
The pacing of the issues collected in this trade becomes frenetic as some beloved characters finally make their first appearances.
August 1, 2021
Volume 2 Picks it up
I feel like vol. 2 is really where Larry Hama came into his own . The stories really start to come together. Really enjoyed this.
I feel like vol. 2 is really where Larry Hama came into his own . The stories really start to come together. Really enjoyed this.
June 30, 2023
"If Scarlett should fail... WAR!
January 4, 2026
Better than volume 1 for sure. The series improves greatly as the cast gets key additions. The art is vivid, the action excellent, and the drama even if borderline adolescent, does pack a punch. Still, the inherent goofiness of it all drags it down since there is not much comedy. Meanwhile, plot armor is pretty thick for a military comic. So at this point I had more fun with Transformers than G.I. Joe. Lets see how volume 3 goes as it starts with the much praised Silent Interlude.
January 16, 2013
Another from my childhood. It is funny reading these now and realizing how basic the stories are--I remember them being so intense and awesome when I was 11 and 12. Most of the story is still pretty solid except when the scripts are written by writers than Larry Hama. The artwork is still pretty simple but in spots gets very amateurish. One nice thing about Vol. 2 is that the stories are very episodic and flow from one issue to the next very nicely--much better than some of the simplistic and familiar single issues.
January 9, 2019
Reread January 2019.
On rereading, I wouldn't rate this one as high as I initially did. Hama is *just* really starting to hit his stride here - you can see the promise to come but it isn't as high quality as it would become. The few non-Hama issues certainly show that he was the only one who really "got" these characters and the thin line between realism and fantasy that was required to make it work.
On rereading, I wouldn't rate this one as high as I initially did. Hama is *just* really starting to hit his stride here - you can see the promise to come but it isn't as high quality as it would become. The few non-Hama issues certainly show that he was the only one who really "got" these characters and the thin line between realism and fantasy that was required to make it work.
October 1, 2011
The complexity of the stories starts increasing in this volume, as does some of the seriousness. I have to admit to reading these comics completely to through nostalgia. For a reader who didn't grow up in the 80s the comics probably aren't worth it. They're a mix of reading levels, topics, and there's not much exploration of some of the characters at this point. But for those of us who remember G.I. Joe it's a great trip down memory lane. I'm looking forward to getting more of the volumes.
October 19, 2011
Stumbled on this series at our library... my boys (ages 8.5 and 7) had never heard of G.I. Joe, so after reading through one myself I let them have at it with the first volume--naturally, I had to read the second volume first before passing it on. ; )
I remember the cartoons and toys when I was growing up, but never had much access to the comic book stories so I am pleased to find these collections available at our library.
I remember the cartoons and toys when I was growing up, but never had much access to the comic book stories so I am pleased to find these collections available at our library.
July 29, 2015
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (ARAH) issues # 11 - 20. In my opinion this is where the GI Joe series really started to hit its stride. Rather than one-shot type stories that lasted only one issue, Larry Hama (writer) started creating longer story arcs that lasted dozens of issues sometimes. This allowed for much better story telling, more complex plot lines, and more twists. Issue #13 is where I first picked this up as a kid, so this one had a strong sentimental value to me. Loved it.
December 25, 2014
I got to meet new characters and I am getting better at naming who they are based on appearance, which makes the comics even more enjoyable. It was interesting how this volume focused more on getting to know the Cobra villains, as well as the Joes. It was suspenseful and entertaining and I look forward to reading the next volume.
August 29, 2015
This volume is where you can begin to see the more modern GI Joe comic emerge. Larry Hama does almost all the scripting and the art stops changing hands each issue. We also see the cast expand and subplots start coming up each issue. Great stuff.
December 26, 2014
It was fun re-reading the second 10 issues in this volume. It would be rated much higher, but somewhere along the printing process, they omitted a page, instead printing a previous page twice. It was pretty irritating. Good job Marvel. Thought you were better than that.
December 20, 2007
Man, Destro sucked at first. He got much better later in the series, but early on he was a boring dick.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews