G.I. JOE #4

IDW's new main G.I. JOE title began with a select team of JOEs being ambushed and separated in what what they expected to be an easy mission in Warrenton, Ohio, only to find themselves hunted by the locals who have all been turned by Cobra. G.I. JOE #4 will see the team finally reunited as Quick Kick and Doc work to save Shipwreck's life, Cover Girl frees Duke from Dr. Mindbender's virtual reality, and Roadblock leads the rest of the team to knock out the transmitter blocking their coms.

With Doc injured, Quick Kick does some emergency field surgery, but even near death's door Shirpwreck manages to steal one of the comic's best sequences as he returns the favor by saving both Quick Kick and Doc after they have stabilized his condition. We also get the teasing of a future relationship between the Baroness and Destro.

The comic ends with Tunnel Rat realizing what Cobra's plan really is when he comes face-to-face with Scrap-Iron who has wired the entire town to blow and make it look like the entire incident was the fault of the JOEs.

After the Duke-heavy issue last month, it's good to see the comic getting the other characters involved. The comic's final sequence presents an interesting sceneario as even if the JOEs win the day by taking the town away from Cobra they loose in the public perception of allowing such wanton destruction to occur. It's good to see the comic continuing to have Hashtag deal with having to shoot a Cobra solider, although her cornering of the Baroness may spell and end to the character far sooner than expected. For fans.

[IDW, $3.99]