G.I. Joe is an ongoing line of American comic books published by Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment. Based on the G.I. Joe franchise by Hasbro, the comics are part of the Energon Universe line; it contains four limited series followed by an ongoing series.
Publication history
Background After IDW Publishing lost the licenses to produce Transformers and G.I. Joe comics by the end of 2022, Hasbro announced in June 2023 that Skybound Entertainment, an imprint of Image Comics, would acquire those licenses.
Development
Codename: G.I. Joe (prequel series) Starting in December 2023, Skybound began publishing four limited series set in the Energon Universe, starting with Duke and Cobra Commander, being written by Joshua Williamsonn, with art and colors by Tom Reilly, Andrea Milana, Jordie Bellaire and Annalisa Leoni respectively.
Williamson said the series offered a new take on Duke and the fromation of G.I. Joe that would honor the characters while taking them in a new direction, and said he had been collecting the "G.I. Joe Classified" figures in the years beforehand.
In October 2023, Skybound announced that the main roster of G.I. Joe features Duke, Hawk, Stalker and Baroness, while the main roster of Cobra features Cobra Commander, Destro, Zarana and Mercer.
In March 2024, Skybound announced the last two of the four initial limited series: Scarlett, written by Kelly Thompson, drawn by Marco Ferrari and colored by Lee Loughridge; and Destro, written by Dan Watters, drawn by Andrei Bressan and colored by Adriano Lucas.
Thompson said, “I'm fortunate that, thanks to my job, I often get to dig into characters and worlds that I’ve loved for a long time, but G.I. Joe's Scarlett is truly one of my first geek loves as a kid, and I am absolutely thrilled to have a hand in building her for this new, incredibly cool and rich universe at Skybound.”
Watters added, “I'm incredibly excited to bring Destro to life with Andrei. This is going to be a visceral, explosive thriller in which he [Destro] isn't very nice to anyone at all — everything you'd want from your favorite amoral arms trafficker.”
G.I. Joe (ongoing series) As announced in the Energon Universe 2024 Special, a new ongoing G.I. Joe series in being planned for development, being a direct continuation of the Duke, Cobra Commander, Scarlett and Destro limited series. The series will feature the Duke creative team, with Williamson returning as writer, Reilly as illustrator, and Bellaire as colorist. The first issue debuted on November 13, 2024.
To promote the debut issue, Skybound announced a fan initiative titled "Choose Your Side", in which readers submit photos and publicly declare their loyalty to either the G.I. Joe or Cobra factions. Additionally, on the same publishing date of issue #1, there was a screening of G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) in AMC City Walk, in Los Angeles, which includes a panel discussion featuring Williamson.
Premise In response to the arrival of Cybertronians on Earth, G.I. Joe wants to investigate their origins while Cobra wants to harness the power of Energon.
Overview SeriesVolumeTitleIssuesFirst releasedLast releasedWriterArtistsColoristsDuke1"Knowing is Half the Battle"5 + SpecialDecember 27, 2023May 4, 2024Joshua WilliamsonTom Reilly and Jason HowardJordie Bellaire and Mike SpicerCobra Commander1"Determined to Rule the World"5January 17. 2024May 22, 2024Andrea MilanaAnnalisa LeoniScarlett1"Secret Mission"5June 5, 2024October 9, 2024Kelly ThompsonMarco FerrariLee LoughridgeDestro1"The Enemy"5June 19, 2024October 16, 2024Dan WattersAndrei Bressan and Andrea MilanaAdriano LucasG.I. Joe1"The Cobra Strikes!"6November 13, 2024April 23, 2025Joshua WilliamsonTom ReillyJordie Bellaire2"Bludd's Revenge"6 + SpecialMay 3, 2025October 15, 2025Andrea Milana and Marco FoderàLee Loughridge3"Dreadnok War"6November 5, 2025January 28, 2026Tom Reilly and Marco FoderàJordie Bellaire and Lee Loughridge4"The Hunt for Energon"6February 18, 2026July 15, 2026Andrea MilanaLee Loughridge5"Night Force"6 + SpecialMay 2, 2026PresentTom Reilly and Andrea Milana
Plot
Codename: G.I. Joe (2023–2024)