Good call on the team mate/friendship idea. I think that's what Hama may have set out to do originally. The 13 were team mates but they were buddies. They have a closeness that the other Joes weren't able to have (due to the toys taking precedence and Hama having to do what hasbro said). It's also nice that these initial stories only have 13 Joes so the story could focus on them. I'm sure it's ok as you get thru the 40s, but at some point, there are just too many characters to focus on. And then faves start to get played and fans want to see particular characters.

This is part of the reason why I try to keep my dio casts small. I want to work with a small group and flesh out a story thru them. Sure, I'll do cameos but I want the reader to feel like they are there and that the chars are coming to life.