GI Joe #233 (Snake in the Grass, Part Four)

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: SL Gallant

Summary:

In Benzheen, Duke, Roadblock and Claire face-off with the “damage assessment team”; which is being led by General Thurston Crowther (last seen in issue 108, I believe). They negotiate their way out, as Claire mentions that she was never brainwashed and Faoud confirms that he was, in fact, a doctor. They’re then pursued by Anouk, who shoots Faoud, then tosses a grendae into their vehicle. Roadblock is able to smother the grenade with the armored door of their vehicle. Faoud is confirmed dead.

In New York, Dawn Moreno is officially accepted into Demon Granny and Ellen Bogen’s little clique. In Olliestan, Bombstrike prepares to leave the country, but is spotted by an informant.

In Springfield, the Cobra top brass has an argument about Snake-Eyes’s memories being implanted in Dawn. Zartan states it’s their biggest priority, but Cobra Commander blows him off. Meanwhile, Wade Collins and his family have moved in amongst the “Freds” and are hiding in the one place Cobra wouldn’t look.

Notes:

• I’ll get it out there, again: I really haven’t enjoyed this title for awhile.
   
• Crowther has aged some since we last saw him and is also in a wheelchair, now. He’s still working with the Jugglers.
   
• Unless I missed him, I didn’t spot the “Jugglers’ Informant” guy, this issue.
   
• Claire saying that she was never brainwashed in the first place… kinda’ ruined all the drama they’ve built up with her for the past several issues.
   
• Interesting line from Faoud: “One person’s righteousness is another person’s mortal sin. And so the circle of violence continues. It is a quandary”.
   
• It’s another tough sell for me to stomach all this stuff about Snake-Eyes’s “Morning Light” sword. His sword had never been of any importance, until about a year ago.
   
• Cobra Commander is very flippant about the whole Snake-Eyes-Dawn-Moreno thing and states: “That mute ninja-commando never seriously impacted on our overall agendas”. So…I guess CC forgot all about the whole deal where he hired Firefly and Zartan to hunt down and kill Snake-Eyes, way back when?! Or when Snake-Eyes threatened Cobra Commander at knife-point in issue 108 or issue 150? Or how Cobra made a big deal about brainwashing him in issue 160? Sorta’ like saying: “World War II was just a military exercise”
   
• Although, while Zartan knows who Snake-Eyes is/was… was it ever confirmed that Cobra Commander knew “G.I. Joe Snake-Eyes” was the same guy he put a hit on, pre-GI Joe? That may be the “No-Prize Explanation”
   
• Wade Collins’s daughter is finally named: “Heather”. Has she been named before? I feel like she may have been, circa issue 42. Help me out, please.
   
• Marina, the Collins’s other adopted daughter, hasn’t been referenced since issue 108. Pretty sure I’ve bitched, before, about Hama claiming “she doesn’t exist in my continuity”
   
• In the letters page, Hama mentions that the Big Eye beneath the Pit was: “set-up for a possible link between Transformers continuity”…as a lot of us assumed. The editor chimes in that there are no immediate plans for a Transformers crossover, though.
   
• Hama also confirms that the character of Wild Bill was based on his old army buddy– a guy named “Bart”. A picture is included and, yup, he looks like Wild Bill!

Appearances:

Characters (figures): Duke, Roadblock, Bombstrike, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, Zartan, Zarana, Dr. Mindbender, Destro, Baroness

Characters (“comic-only”):Dawn Moreno, Faoud, Anouk, Gen. Thurston Crowther, Demon Granny, Ellen Bogen, Wade Collins, Mrs. Collins, Heather Collins

Vehicles and stuff (toys): Cobra Stinger (cameo/chasis)

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): none

Firsties:
Characters: none

Vehicles and stuff: none

Rating: 2 Flag Points