GI Joe Complete Silence: Talk is Cheap

I have always wanted to review GI Joe #21. There is so much to say about that comic. First, it’s probably the most highly regarded, most popular licensed comic of all time. A whole generation of creators will tell you that this issue was a major influence on them growing up. Everything about this issue is classic. From the story to the story behind the story. Whoever thought that Larry Hama running late and not having time to add the words would become one of the most successful things in pop culture history. This particular comic reprints both GI Joe #21 and GI Joe #21.5, the Larry Hama written sequel published decades later. Issue $21.5 is brilliant because it’s a sequel that makes sense. It’s literally the story of what happens while the scenes in issue #21 are taking place. Mind. Blown. With this story, Hama puts a bow on his classic Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow adventure. Issue 21 is the story that taught us how cool ninjas were, that Destro maybe wasn’t 100% in line with what Cobra Commander was doing and made us all talk at recess about what the tattoos on Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow meant. Are they brothers? Are they father and son? This story gets the absolute highest praise I can heap on it. It’s been imitated 100’s of times. Everything from the cover to the format, to some of the panels, has been duplicated by comic creators. But trust me on this one, the original is by far superior.

Artists Larry Hama and Steve Leialoha drew GI Joe #21 and just like the story, the art is classic. Since there aren’t any words, the art literally tells the story. Everything from the actions to the expressions are of utmost importance, and Hama and Leialoha deliver on all levels. Detailed, but not overly so. All the tech is right on, and they capture the mood of a creepy fortress tucked high in the mountains should have. Issue #21.5 is drawn by Jeremy Dale, and he’s right in league with the artist that drew issue #21. His style is a little rougher, a bit less streamlined, but to the point. Here again, the art tells the story, not words. Dale also delivers, but in a different way. A lot of his scenes mirror scenes from the previous issue, but he does more than just hold a mirror up to the other scenes, he gives a truly different perspective on things. Like the story, the art for both stories is superior in every way.