G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #281

Writer: Larry Hama
Pencils: Andrew Lee Griffith

Summary:

Hawk, Stalker and Mongoose (!) are in Trucial Abysmia, investigating possible Cobra infiltration in the U.S. military. They met Colonel Marks and Sergeant Regina Allen (a.k.a: “Sherlock”). While CID (United States Army Criminal Investigation Command) has been investigating, Allen has made some real in-roads, on her own, regarding the possible incursion.

A convoy is baited, but is soon attacked by the mysterious “Alkawbra” and his/her followers. In the attack, Sgt. Allen returns a live grenade, but the explosion hits her left arm, severely injuring it. As Allen is medevac’d, she mentions that she left a chemical spray on one of the convoy transports, and that it may expose the infiltrator.

Two months later, Allen is at the Pit, courtesy of Hawk. She has a new cybernetic arm, and her chemical spray trick helped CID identify the infiltrators. Impressed by her skills, Hawk then offers “Sherlock” a spot on the G.I. Joe team, which she accepts.

Notes:

• This feels like a new “season” of G.I. Joe. Much more modern feel to it, that shakes off the endless Cobra buffoonery, ninja magic, and Blue Ninja junk that has filled this book for… well, a few years now. Right now, it feels fresh and reading it doesn’t feel like another nostalgic obligation.
• I suppose this story kinda’ feels like an episode of “The Unit”. Fitting, as that show had quite a few G.I. Joe “Easter eggs”.
• Hawk’s recruitment of Sherlock is in-line with the way he recruited the original Joes in “Declassified“. Basically, if you put others first and have impressive and unique skills, Hawk wants you on his team.
• “Sherlock” isn’t a very creative or “cool” name, but it IS a realistic nickname. I could see someone in Allen’s platoon dubbing her “Sherlock”. Like how you would playfully call someone “Einstein”.
• Sherlock has her own “file card” in the letters page with the specialty of “Criminal Investigation (CID)/Military Police”
• Name: Regina Allen
• Branch: U.S. Army | Rank: Staff Sergeant | MOS: 31D/31B
• Age: 24 years old | Gender: Female | Hair: Brown | Eyes: Brown
• Editor Tom Waltz mentions that he had the idea for Regina Allen, about 20 years ago. “An African American female military policeman from Detroit, who suffers a severe injury in battle, and is later recruited by a secret super-soldier program that gives her a high-tech arm…and a new mission”.
• Waltz then mentions that THAT was about as far as he got…
• Obviously, the comparisons to Marvel’s Misty Knight are forthcoming. Misty’s cybernetic arm was even a result of an explosion.
• Sightline makes an appearance, and shows off his own enhanced cybernetic prosthesis.
• Caseload, the Joe’s JAG specialist, makes his first on-screen appearance. He had been mentioned, but not seen, in issue 259.
• Oddly enough, he mentions another still-un-seen Joe: Bottom Line the “number cruncher”.
• Claire Hauser is on-hand, flown in from Bethesda, as she seems to have become the Joe’s go-to doc.
• “Alkawbra” could be anybody, at this point. The name is another thinly-veiled allusion to “Cobra”, a la “Baroness DuCobray”.
• Alkawbra escapes on a FANG, and I can’t remember the last time one of those had a significant battle appearance (issue 30?). It had a cameo in issue 257….where I also ask if issue 30 was its last significant appearance.
• A Gyro-Viper makes an appearance and had a line of dialogue. I think this is the first real on-screen appearance for this type of troop. If one appeared before, it was only as a background body in a cockpit.
• This is the first part of a new arc labeled “Murder by Assassination”. Neither a catchy nor creative name, but I don’t care if a story is called “Hugs and Turds”, as long as it’s good.
• I think this is the first issue for penciler Andrew Lee Griffith. I like his work.

Appearances:

Characters (figures): Hawk, Stalker, Sightline, Law & Order

Characters (“comic-only”): Sherlock, Caseload, Mongoose, Colonel Marks, Claire Hauser, Alkawbra

Vehicles and stuff (toys): Cobra FANG

Vehicles and stuff (“comic only”): Cobra Aspid, Army Buffalo, MRAP, HEMMT, Army Gun-truck

Firsties: Sherlock, Alkawbra, Army vehicles

Rating: 4 Flag Points