It’s Autobot vs. Joe vs. Decepticobra in the latest issue of Transformers vs. G.I. Joe. If Decepticobra isn’t enough to get you to read this review, then I don’t know what is!
TRANSFORMERS V.S. G.I. JOE #3
Writer: Tom Scioli, John Barber
Artist: Tom Scioli
Letterer: Tom Scioli
Editor: Carlos Guzman
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: After a conflict with the Decepticons, Scarlett leads a team of Joes to Cybertron in order to fight the alien robots. They run into some Autobots, fight Devastator and Trypticon at the same time and kidnap Wheeljack. Then things get crazy…
MICHAEL BAY WISHES HE COULD FILM THIS
If you’ve read my review of the first two issues (and if you haven’t, how dare you!) then you’re probably aware that I’ve been torn on this title. Little Chris loves the book but adult Chris finds the flaws too hard to ignore. While I was on the fence about Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, in twenty pages Tom Scioli kicked me off said fence, dragged me to his side and made me a full blown fan.
Everything about issue three is grand, from set pieces to action. Scioli and Barber have come up with some genius ideas in this issue and it’s almost impossible to not have fun. The Decepticons and Cobra have united, now calling themselves Decepticobra (which is crazy awesome) and rain hellfire upon General Hawk’s funeral. Of course the Joes have set a trap and a scene where Shockwave and Starscream (sporting a metal Cobra eyepatch) lift and tear apart the Joes’s aircraft carrier unfolds. It’s something Michael Bay would die to be able to film. Scioli writes the characters perfectly, with Megatron and Destro coming across as viable threats as well as soul mates of sorts. There is also a scene that completely caught me off guard and was shocking not only in its story implications but its violence as well. I won’t ruin it but I’ll just say don’t go handing guns to Doctor Venom willy-nilly. So much of this issue works story wise and has such big and wonderful ideas that I was almost giddy after reading it. There are still moments that come off silly, the shootout on Cybertron being one, but they’re much fewer this issue. There is very little for G.I. Joe and Transformers fans to dislike here.
COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES
That could sum up Scioli’s art in both a literal and figurative sense. Maybe it’s because I’ve become accustomed to his style but I find this issue to be the best work on the series yet. While examining his work closer I noticed something that I missed before. Scioli’s colors sometimes bleed outside the lines, lending an even more authentic and aged look to his art. Even some of the pages this issue have been yellowed, giving the reader a feeling that they’re holding a comic from the back issue boxes. While the art is fun, Scioli still manages to draw some pretty horrific scenes. Destro’s soldiers burning alive after passing through the M.A.S.S. device is the stuff of nightmares and the aforementioned “shock” is disturbing even though the gore is pixelated out. Scioli continues to have a blast laying the book out and does some special things, though sometimes I think he lets his ideas get the better of him. Some layouts hamper the reading flow, though they’re cool visually. Scioli’s unconventional style still sticks out and is sure to be divisive. I understand the problems some have with the art but I think if you’re able stick with it, you’ll fall into the groove.
BOTTOM LINE: TRANSFORMERS, JOE AND KIRBY?
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #3 reads like a Transformers vs. G.I. Joe comic done by Jack Kirby. That’s quite a statement to make and one I’m sure will fire people up but the similarities are there. Pages are filled with enormous ideas, events and characters and it’s obvious Scioli is laying his heart out on the page. It’s only the third issue and I feel like I’ve seen more action than some comics have in ten. The art continues to have its problems but I’ve noticed the fine details that Scioli is paying attention to, making me appreciate it a little more. I highly suggest Transformers and G.I. Joe fans pick up this issue at the least, it might be the coolest story combining the franchises ever.
