Dustin Gebel
Skybound continues to expand the Hasbro line of comics this November as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero returns with #301. Larry Hama returns to write the series, and is joined by artist Chris Mooneyham and colorist Francesco Segala. Andy Kubert will provide covers for the series, along with an open-to-order variant that showcases Kuberts art in black and white.
Kubert described his excitement for working on the series in the press release:
“Early on in my career, I was asked to draw a few G.I. Joe covers for Marvel Comics. Having had the toys when I was a kid, I thought ‘Great! This is going to be a blast!’ and it was. Fast forward all these years later and here I am getting to play with G.I. Joe again and still having a blast!”
The title is one of the longest running non-superhero comics of all time, and it looks like Skybound wants to continue that status with this new title. Issue #301 will serve as a jumping on point for readers, picking up on previous plotlines while making characters like Duke, Scarlett, Cobra Commander and Snake Eyes accessible to a new audience.
Hama discussed returning for the series:
“I am delighted to be continuing the saga of G.I. Joe with the good folks at Skybound and totally amped to be taking the G.I. Joe team to issue #301 and beyond. Little did I know back in 1982 that I would be associated with the Real American Hero for over 40 years. My thanks to the whole crew at Skybound for allowing me to continue to chronicle the exploits of characters who have become like a family to me.”
Hama’s influence on the franchise will also be showcased with a reprinting of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1, titled the Larry Hama Cut. The reprinted special edition features an unaltered piece of scripting from the issue that was changed in the original print run.
This title joins the recently announced Energon Universe at Skybound, which connects a new interpretation of Transformers and G.I. Joe. At this time, those titles and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero appears to be separate continuities, but in the world of comics, anything is possible.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 will be available on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at?comic book shops?and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.
