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View Full Version : Classic GI Joe trade volumes: A good read?


seyms
05-25-2012, 04:32 AM
Hi,

I've been thinking of buying the trade volumes of the classic GI Joe run, including the Special Missions. I think the recent figure releases and the prospect of the second Joe film have made me think more about going back and reading some of those early stories that I have never read; I've never owned the entire run. Does anybody have these volumes (or the original marvel issues), and are they a good read?

neapolitan joe
05-25-2012, 04:40 AM
A good read, awesome, excellent read.
I've 'em all except the last one (Classic volume 15).
Buy them soon!
I consider Marvel 1-155, the Special Missions and Yearbook (recently publishesd in one volume) the "bible" of the G.I.JOE.

turner
05-25-2012, 08:06 AM
What would gi joe be without the marvel comics? The marvel run IS the joe story. With all the re-starts through the years it gets confusing and now there's this idea of joe verses and such, but the marvel run is THE joe verse. Anything else is just re-imaginings of the already established story. That's what it was when I was like 9 and that's what it is to me today. Gotta love the marvel run. Even the cartoon was a late comer, nothing in 82, just the 5 episode mini series in 83, just another 5 episode mini series in 84, so the first three years produced 10 cartoon episodes, and around 36 comic issues (probably more with the order of battle, yearbooks, etc).

troopsofdoom
05-25-2012, 09:06 AM
I agree with Turner. Hasbro hired Marvel and Hama to develop the mythos, so it really is the essence of GI Joe.

I loved the comics, it brought GI Joe to life. Admittedly they start out slow, a little cheesy but they quickly get better. When re-reading the series I usually stop around #120, it really goes down hill after that.

Special Missions was awesome. It seemed to fit more in the real world more than the regular series.

seyms
05-25-2012, 09:11 AM
I hear what you're saying, and it would be interesting to read those first few stories. I suppose seeing I was introduced to Joe as Action Force, everything criss-crosses in my mind!

Also, after reading DDs America's Elite, I just had to get rid of those Devil's Due books straight afterwards, I thought they were horrible.

I remember every year my folks and I used to fly across the pond to see relatives in NYC, and I used to pick up whichever Joe comic was available at the time. My favourite stories were the Springfield invasion and the Millville/Sierra Gordo issues, but I've never read the Snake Eyes trilogy, nor whatever happened directly after the Cobra civil war, not to mention everything before Springfield.

seyms
05-25-2012, 09:14 AM
[QUOTE=troopsofdoom]I agree with Turner. Hasbro hired Marvel and Hama to develop the mythos, so it really is the essence of GI Joe.

I loved the comics, it brought GI Joe to life. Admittedly they start out slow, a little cheesy but they quickly get better. When re-reading the series I usually stop around #120, it really goes down hill after that.

Special Missions was awesome. It seemed to fit more in the real world more than the regular series.[/QUOTE]

Ya, I see what you mean. I guess Hama didn't have the pressure of pushing the latest toys with Special Missions, so he was more free to do more real-world style stories.

troopsofdoom
05-25-2012, 09:18 AM
[QUOTE=seyms]I suppose seeing I was introduced to Joe as Action Force, everything criss-crosses in my mind![/QUOTE]
I never thought of that. I'm the opposite, I get confused the other way around.

Renegade
05-25-2012, 09:53 AM
Loved the original Hama stories, a mix of war stories, some sci-fi, mysticism a dash of and classic comic book dramatics thrown in. Great stuff, and still the highest bar in GI Joe stories imo. And the best part? It was fun!

turner
05-25-2012, 12:23 PM
Not only is Hama offically the man as hired by Hasbro and inventing the mythos from the ground up (even the concept of cobra for an enemy, and the filecards), but his writing is just way superior to anything else I've read. When I read other joe comics (I've also got all the ddp including every spin off, and 13 of the european missions, and some transformers crossovers, and all the con issues, the 3-d ones, etc) they just don't make it to the level of Hama's writing (though I liked some ddp, and really like the dreamwave series). Even the original comics that came with the comic packs (like the resolute ones) are great.

troopsofdoom
05-25-2012, 02:44 PM
[QUOTE=turner]Not only is Hama offically the man as hired by Hasbro and inventing the mythos from the ground up (even the concept of cobra for an enemy, and the filecards), but his writing is just way superior to anything else I've read. When I read other joe comics (I've also got all the ddp including every spin off, and 13 of the european missions, and some transformers crossovers, and all the con issues, the 3-d ones, etc) they just don't make it to the level of Hama's writing (though I liked some ddp, and really like the dreamwave series). Even the original comics that came with the comic packs (like the resolute ones) are great.[/QUOTE]
Hama/GI Joe fans should also check out Nth Man. Alfie, the one person with super human abilities uses his powers to make the world a safer place by getting rid of all the nuclear weapons, but it ends up triggering World War III. Now the US sends Alfie's only childhood friend, John Doe to assassinate him. One of my all time favorite series. Great story, characters and art. Only downside was is was canceled a few issues early so Hama had to skip a little of the later story to fit the ending in.

seyms
05-25-2012, 03:45 PM
[QUOTE=troopsofdoom]Hama/GI Joe fans should also check out Nth Man. Alfie, the one person with super human abilities uses his powers to make the world a safer place by getting rid of all the nuclear weapons, but it ends up triggering World War III. Now the US sends Alfie's only childhood friend, John Doe to assassinate him. One of my all time favorite series. Great story, characters and art. Only downside was is was canceled a few issues early so Hama had to skip a little of the later story to fit the ending in.[/QUOTE]

I remember Nth Man, although, again, I never had the full run and so only remember bits and pieces. Didn't know Hama penned that one too.

turner
05-25-2012, 05:21 PM
[QUOTE=troopsofdoom]Hama/GI Joe fans should also check out Nth Man. Alfie, the one person with super human abilities uses his powers to make the world a safer place by getting rid of all the nuclear weapons, but it ends up triggering World War III. Now the US sends Alfie's only childhood friend, John Doe to assassinate him. One of my all time favorite series. Great story, characters and art. Only downside was is was canceled a few issues early so Hama had to skip a little of the later story to fit the ending in.[/QUOTE]

I think I'd really like to do that. Wouldn't mind checking out his work on other titles too.

lardman
05-30-2012, 01:33 PM
Just to add my +1, the Marvel GI Joe storyline is canon. I was also brought up on the UK Action Force comic run, which added UK/European/Worldwide backgrounds and mini-stories to the US Marvel storyline, and I then continued with the US Marvel run (plus back-issues) courtesy of my Australian grand-ma's scouring comic shops for me :).

Definitely get and read it all, and the Special Missions are especially good :)

I hear there was also a cartoon, and something called Cobra-La, might just be a rumour though (which I've thankfully never had to confirm one way or the other ;) ).

roguetiger
05-30-2012, 03:44 PM
I have them all on a zip drive if any one wants to borrow it just send me a PM.. just ask you send it back as you got it (ie all the files still on it). Just copy and paste to the computer and its all there. GI Joe 1 - 155. Special Missions 0 - 28, and European Missions 1 - 13, and also have the GI Joe vs Transformers Marvel run 1 - 4, I can try to see if enough room to put on it. If not I can send a CD with the last 4 on it. Haven't gotten the 4 issues of Order of Battle put on the comp yet. Hopefully soon.

seyms
05-30-2012, 08:32 PM
pm sent, rogue tiger.