GI Joe: A Real American Hero, Volume 5 (Classic GI Joe, Volume 5)

Issues 41-50 of GI Joe were read in another trade paperback collection. It starts off with Rip-Cord going off half-cocked to the sovereign nation of Cobra Island in search for his missing girlfriend, Candy and winds up playing a deadly game of dress up with Zartan, the Cobra master of disguise. Then the Soft Master, Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes, Candy, and Billy all converge on Springfield to finally answer the question as to who killed the Hard Master? It’s an answer that has tragic consequences.

But the biggest storyline that unfolds in the creation of Serpentor. It culminates with the ultimate fate of tiny Springfield, USA- home base of Cobra. What happens to conclude this volume in a double sized issue #50 will leave you stunned.

A great volume filled with lots of action, mystery, and excitement. I thought that I would hate Serpentor as I remember thinking he was unnecessary on the cartoon. But Larry Hama does a fantastic job making him so noble and such a good leader; he inspired me to want to overthrow Cobra Commander as the leader of the Joes.

Fantastic stuff that is Worth Consuming. Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

(Note: the is the final volume in Marvel’s run of reprinting GI Joe as GI Joe: A Real American Hero. No other volumes were produced as IDW took over the license shortly as this volume’s publication. Further GI Joe reprint edition will not carry an alternate title in parentheses as the title to this post did.)