G.I. Joe #10: The Balance of Power in The Energon Universe is About to Change!

G.I. Joe #10 picks up with multiple lingering plot threads: 1. Cover Girl and Baroness in the clutches of Bludd and Raptor, 2. Clutch’s search for Energon to assist his new Autobot companion, and 3. Destro’s growing frustration with the lack of transparency from his “partner,” Cobra Commander. Writer Joshua Williamson and artist Andrea Milana do a wonderful job making sure all of these arcs matter and feel fleshed out fully within the confines of a regularly sized issue. One of the fears of a G.I Joe series is the large number of characters that have to be juggled, but these creators showcase excellent balancing skills within G.I. Joe #10 that are emblematic of the character work that makes this series so strong monthly.

The main theme of this issue is there being an air of mystery across all facets of this universe. Whether it is the mysterious and villainous past of Baroness or the secrets that Clutch and Cobra Commander are keeping from their allies, there always seems to be something that these characters are hiding from one another. In reality, it is the reason and ways that these secrets are kept that make this high octane, full action soap opera feel so reminiscent of the classic cartoon that many readers grew up with. Each line of dialogue feels like fans playing with their action figures, albeit these “fans” have a wealth of experience in one format storytelling.

It is hard not to compare this series to the other Energon Universe books, Transformers and Void Rivals. All of these series take place in the same universe and contain different Transformer characters as a tether, but they are also distinct in their intentions and narrative. One leg up that G.I Joe has is the setting on earth and the human characters it centers itself around. That is not to say that the science fiction storytelling is not in full swing, but tethering the narrative to humans creates a more relatable scenario. This makes Clutch’s care for his new Autobot companion feel relatable and warranted, making it one of the strongest story arcs in the series thus far.

One of the most excellent things about this issue and this arc thus far is how Williamson has pushed the narrative away from Duke’s eyes, focusing more on the supporting cast. In fact, Duke does not appear in this issue at all. That shows a lot of restraint and care for this world that some other writers may not have been able to pull off, but Williamson is able to do wonderfully.