While Duke and the main Joe team have been busy in the light, the Night Force stays in the shadows. And now, they’re seeking a new recruit. Your Major Spoilers review of G.I. JOE #12 from Skybound Entertainment awaits!

G.I. JOE #12

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Marco Fodera
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Publisher: Skybound Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 15, 2025

Previously in G.I. JOE: The most mysterious member of the G.I. JOE team, the enigmatic Shooter, has been picked for duty with the Night Force. How can she join them in the field when she is imprisoned in Darklonia?

Lady Jaye has a plan…

INTO DARKLONIA

At the end of G.I. JOE #11, it was revealed that General Hawk, unbeknownst to Duke, has more than one faction of Joes under his command. The covert ops team, Night Force, consisting of Flint, Lady Jaye, and Beachhead, has been sent into Darklonia, the ancestral home of the Darklon family, cousins of Destro. Yes, that IS a lot of exposition. But it’s all set up for the debut of another Joe, Shooter, who has been imprisoned for months by Darklon in the hopes that he can turn her to the metaphorical dark side and kill the targets that he wants killed. Shooter is introduced plinking the wing off a fly from across the room, using a stone chip as her “bullet,” which is both impressive and troublingly sociopathic. The arrival of Night Force to spring her changes all of that, revealing the truth about her mission and the sheer scale of her skills, as well as the first glimpses into her background.

As for the forces of Cobra, there’s also a new recruit to the Commander’s crusade, tipping the scales away from Destro. Next stop: Cobra Civil War!

PLAYING BOTH SIDES AGAINST THE MIDDLE

G.I. JOE #12 provides the first examination of the reveal that General Hawk has more than one team of G.I. Joes under his command. When I read the previous issue, it was just casually revealed, but that idea is a game-changer for the book. It’s also the kind of story moment that makes me trust Hawk a little less. The reveal of Shooter (who is, technically, a founding member of G.I. JOE) and her killing prowess is also unnerving for me, but in this new, more violent universe, I can learn to live with it. The grimness of the story is a perfect vehicle for Marco Fodera’s art, making Shooter’s prison cell feel as grimy and dehumanizing as a real prison cell. The scenes where Darklon’s chief enforcer, Ivana, mercilessly beats Shooter convey speed and power, as well as a visceral realism that you can almost feel. I have long appreciated how Joshua Williamson and the Skybound team can make the silliest and most maligned parts of G.I. JOE canon work, and this issue adds Darklon to the list. Then again, the idea of a tyrannical oligarch hits differently in 2025 than it did in the 1990s.

BOTTOM LINE: UNEXPECTEDLY EXPANDING THE MYTHOS

In short, G.I. JOE #12 reveals that three fan-favorites are already active as Night Force, making a moment that might be fan service into a glimpse of a bigger world, as well as potential conflicts within both G.I. JOE and Cobra, complicating everything beautifully and earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. As an arc-ending issue, it’s a winner, but my inner geek is most excited to see Shooter in action.

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G.I. JOE #12

77%

77%

And Yes, She Is Named For The Late Marvel Editor-In-Chief

The first appearance of a character we already know is nothing new in Skybound G.I. JOE, but this one is a particularly fun done-in-one, with new wrinkles for the Energon Universe.

• Writing

  7
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  8
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